Andy, Maybe it is a chicken and the egg thing. To have activity, you have to have activity.
I don't think it has anything to do with the digital mode. The advance that made RTTY so popular was the advent of sound card RTTY. I can attest to that since I operated RTTY contests before and after sound cards happened. The number of stations exploded as did contesting activity. Surely those already having sound cards set up can operate other modes. Also some contesting programs already have PSK31/63/125 integrated in them. So it isn't for lack of contest softwar either. It thus must be something else. Here are two possible reasons. 1. Contesters If you don't have a large number of stations, workable at a high rate there's no interest. Why waste your time to just work a few? (Just ask HF contesters who operate VHF contests from remote areas. A total bore. I'm one. I spend a couple hours, work out the band and quit.) Ask contesters how they feel about Sunday afternoon during SS where their rate drops to 5% of average. They tell you they feel like a pit bull who has been trained to fight but has been chained, muzzled and castrated. But to get them back you have to convince those who have been turned off by lack of stations to get back on. Good luck on that. It is likely to take quite a bit of time. 2. Digital operators They seem to be mostly interested in ragchewing. I was driven from PSK31 by this longwindedness. I wanted to work new countries and lots of stations. Ragchewing is OK if you like it. I don't care for it even if the speed were PSK125. However, if you do, probably you won't like contesting. Getting them to like rapid fire QSO's is necessary. Good luck on that too. It may never happen. 73 de Brian/K3KO --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew O'Brien" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear RTTY-Fanatics > > > Many non-RTTY digital mode operators are puzzled about those avid RTTY > contesters who never seem to try other digital modes in contests. > Those same non-RTTY digi mode operators tell jokes about RTTY > old-timers who seem just stuck with the concept that ye olde RTTY is > way better than other digital modes for contests. They have > occasionally appealed to the RTTY old-timers to be daring and actually > try contesting with modes like DominoEX and PSK63 . Usually the > appeals have fallen on deaf ears , it seems like automobile drivers > appealing to stage-coach drivers to try that new fangled motor vehicle > concept. > > This weekend, you RTTY dudes have another chance to live dangerously > and actually try a mode that many think is BETTER than RTTY for > contesting . It may not really be "better" but it might actually be > almost as good. > > So come on RTTY-freaks, prove that stereo-type of the curmudgeonly > green machine addict to be as out of dates as..., as., .. well as > out of dates as RTTY via green machines! > > Andy K3UK > > Date and Time > Starting time is at 00:00 UTC, and ending time is at 24:00 UTC on > Sunday 18th November, 2007. > Objective > The European PSK Club has the honour to invite the radio amateurs all > over the world to participate in the EPC PSK63 QSO Party. The > objective of the competition is to establish as many contacts as > possible between radio amateurs around the world by using the BPSK63 > mode. Everybody can work everybody for QSO and multiplier credit. > BANDS AND FREQUENCIES > Participants are allowed to work on 160 meters (1838...1840 KHz), 80 > meters (3582...3584 KHz), 40 meters (7037...7039 KHz), 20 meters > (14072...14074 KHz), 15 meters (21082...21084 KHz) and 10 meters > (28082...28084 KHz). > TYPE OF COMPETITION > Transmitters and receivers must be located within a 500 meter diameter > circle or within the property limits of the station licensee's > address, whichever is greater. All antennas used by the entrant must > be physically connected by wires to the transmitters and receivers > used by the entrant. Only the entrant's call sign can be used to aid > the entrant's score. All entrants are allowed to use packet and web > clusters. There are no separate entrant categories in the competition; > all participants work as SOAB (Single Operator - All Bands). All > stations at which one performs do all of the operating, logging, and > spotting functions. Only one signal is allowed at any one time. The > operator may change bands at any time. The output power shall not > exceed 100 watts. > EXCHANGE > EPC members should send signal report plus EPC membership number > (example 599 EPC0001). Please make sure that you don't separate > «EPC» from the «Number», and you don't use any characters between. > Please make sure that your EPC number consists of 4 digits. Other > stations should send signal report plus QSO number, starting 001 > (example 599 001). > POINTS > Contacts with EPC members are worth 5 points; contacts with other > stations are worth 1 point. The same stations may be contacted again > on other bands. > Multiplier > A multiplier of one is for each different EPC number contacted on each band. > SCORING > The final score is the result of the total QSO points multiplied by > the sum of EPC numbers contacted on each band. > CERTIFICATES AND PLAQUES > First, second and third place certificates will be awarded in the > World and every continent. First place certificates will be awarded in > every participating DXCC country. The EPC PSK63 World Plaque will be > awarded for the first place in the World. All scores will be published > on the EPC website. All certificates and plaques will be issued to the > licensee of the station used. All certificates will be issued in a PDF > format and sent via email to the winner. Winners may purchase special > plaques through the EPC General Manager; plaques will be awarded in > the following geographical areas: Europe, Asia, North America, South > America, Africa, Oceania, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Russia, USA, > Canada and Japan. If you are interested in sponsoring a special trophy > for the EPC PSK63 QSO Party, please contact us. > > LOG INSTRUCTIONS > All times must be in UTC. All sent and received exchanges are to be > logged. We accept logs in the Cabrillo format ONLY. Name your Cabrillo > file as your callsign (for example mm0dgr.cbr), and email it to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Be sure to put the station callsign in the «Subject» > line of the message. Electronic submission implies a signed > declaration that all competition rules and regulations for amateur > radio in the country of operation have been observed. All entries must > be emailed no later than 30 days after the competition. Use this > sample file as a standard entry log file for the EPC PSK63 QSO Party. > Disqualification > Violation of amateur radio regulations in the country of the > participant, or the rules of the competition; unsportsmanlike conduct; > taking credit for excessive unverifiable contacts or unverifiable > multipliers will be deemed sufficient cause for disqualification. > Incorrectly logged calls or numbers will be counted as unverifiable > contacts for culprit only. The use by an entrant of any non-amateur > means such as telephones, telegrams, internet, or the use of packet to > solicit contacts during the competition is unsportsmanlike and the > entry is subject to disqualification. Actions and decisions of the EPC > PSK63 QSO Party Manager are official and final. > > Andy K3UK > www.obriensweb.com > (QSL via N2RJ) >
