[nrv-hams] RTTY Rookie Roundup coming August 19

[Kay Craigie]

RTTY (radioteletype) is the classic digital mode, older by far than PSK31
and older than the personal computers we now use for digital modes.  Before
personal computers, RTTY was sent and received using honking big clattering
teletype machines. Because of the encoding RTTY uses, only capital letters
were available, along with numbers and a few punctuation marks.

Then came personal computers and RTTY terminal units that were small and
didn't make your shack sound like a bowling alley. Today, most of us use
sound cards and software to generate RTTY's distinctive two-tone warble.
It's still all-caps, but RTTY remains popular among contesters, DXers, and
rag-chewers alike. 
 
ARRL's Rookie Roundup, also available in phone and CW flavors on other
dates, will take place on RTTY on August 19 from  1800 to 2359 UTC.  Check
out the operating event's web site at www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup for all
the details.

Who's a Rookie?  If you were first licensed in the current year (2012) or
any of the preceding 2 years (2011 and 2010), you can compete as a Rookie.
Non-Rookies can also play by working Rookies. Contacts between us old goats,
um, I mean non-Rookies, don't count towards a score in this event.

The exchange (what you send and receive) is long but not complicated:  the
other station's callsign, your own callsign, your first name, the last 2
digits of the year you were first licensed (called the "check"), and your
location (US state, Canadian province, Mexican province, or "DX").

For example, if KK6ABC is a Rookie and I'm working her, I would send this:

KK6ABC  N3KN  KAY  83  VA

She would send back to me:

N3KN  KK6ABC  MARY  12 CA

We can work each station once per band. 

If you have RTTY capability at your station, this is a fun operating event
to try.  

Have fun! 73 - Kay N3KN