[GreenKeys] Greenkeys in the January 2018 RTTY Roundup

[Wa3frp]

A couple of quick thoughts about RTTY contesting...


1. We are currently in a period with very low to zero sunspots.  This means that 10M will most likely see very little use during the contest.   15M is questionable but will still see traffic.  20M, 40M and 80M will probably see the most contest traffic.


2. There are two stations involved in every RTTY Contact contact (called a QSO).  There is the RTTY station calling CQ on a fixed frequency.  This is called the RUN station.  And, there is the RTTY station, moving up and down the band looking for RUN stations.  The station moving up and down the band, looking for RTTY stations to contact is appropriately called a S&P station (for SEARCH and POUNCE).


3. I recommend that you start your first RTTY contest in S&P mode.  You can switch to RUN mode after you get settled in.  But, concentrate on your first S&P contact.   You will find a station or stations calling "CQ RU W1AAA W1AAA CQ" where W1AAA will vary as it is the callsign of the station in RUN mode. After you get your TX and TX all zero beat to the "W1AAA" station, listen.  This is very important.  Listen to what is going on.  Remember, that you cannot call back your transmitted signal once it has been sent and you do not want to interrupt a RTTY contest contact once it is already in progress.  You will hear a S&P station call W1AAA.  The S&P station will send his callsign two or three times. For example, let's say that the S&P station callsign is W0ZZZ.  The S&P station will send W0ZZZ W0ZZZ W0ZZZ.  


Please note that the S&P station WILL NOT send W1AAA DE W0ZZZ W0ZZZ.  W1AAA already knows his call sign.  Contesting is about efficient communication.


If W0ZZZ is lucky, W1AAA will hear his call and reply like this W0ZZZ 599 ST ST W1AAA - which is the contest exchange format for RTTY Roundup where 599 is the signal report and ST stands for the the two letter abbreviation for the location of W1AAA, the RUN Station.  A station transmitting from Canada will send the two letter abbreviation for the station's Province. A station from outside of the USA and Canada will send a consecutive serial number starting with 001.


W0ZZZ will send something like this - TU 599 ST ST W0ZZZ - TU for thank you, 599 for the signal report and then his callsign.


If all goes well, W1AAA will reply with QSL TU W1AAA CQ - QSL for I got your information OK, TU for thank you then the W1AAA callsign and CQ to look for the next station. 


It is important to note that the format is locked down for efficiency -  no need to transmit you name, your weather conditions, or that you are running a real RTTY machine.


Questions?  This is the very basics of operating in RTTY Roundup and I hope that others can help build on these first details. 


73     
 


Russ - WA3FRP
wa3frp at aol.com

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