[SFDXA] CW in Ham Radio

[Sebastian, W4AS]

Time to brag about my K3, it can do the same (decode RTTY/PSK31 without a computer attached).  And you can even send RTTY/PSK31 with just the internal keyer, although I've never tried that.

Having made very few RTTY QSOs over the years, I'm really puzzled as to why it's so popular - someone please tell me what I've been missing.

To me, it appears to be the most inefficient mode for DXing and contesting.  Having listened to the HK0NA pileups on RTTY, the DX station has to exactly tune in to a caller, and may have to wait for the caller to repeat if the caller just stopped his transmission.  If another station obliterates that caller, then the DX station has to start all over again.  And of course there's no break-in or error correction.

Compared to CW or voice, when a DX station can hear a partial call, and just say for example, "the N8 again".

Not knocking the mode, I'd just like to find a RTTY geek who can tell me why I should use it more often

73 de Sebastian, W4AS



On Feb 4, 2012, at 11:54 AM, Pete Rimmel N8PR wrote:

> Kai,
> 
> My Icom 7600 does not need a computer to do RTTY or PSK31 It will send and 
> receive both with a mini keyboard attached, not much larger than a paddle.
> 
> PeteR
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Kai Siwiak
> Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 9:48 AM
> To: Bill
> Cc: aSFDXA
> Subject: Re: [SFDXA] CW in Ham Radio
> 
> Hi Bill,
> That's a great article with good reliance on reliable numbers, but it
> misses a critically key point about technical performance. That is, CW
> outperforms SSB by around  17 dB --  a power ratio of 50!  This means CW
> can potentially talk 5 to 6 times as far as SSB.  Out of the three modes
> that DXpeditions favor (CW, RTTY, SSB) it provides the best range. It is
> around 3-7 dB better than RTTY.
> 
> It is also the ONLY digital mode that can be done with just a radio and
> with no additional computer.
> 
> CW is not going away too soon!
> 
> 73
> Kai, KE4PT