CQWW RTTY SEPTEMBER 2025

[Jeff Rinehart]

I know Contesting is not for everyone.  I also know that HF RTTY is an "ancient" form of communicating.  However, for some of us "well seasoned" hams, it provides a step back into a simpler form of radio communications.  Even younger/newer hams will find it rewarding and a bit of a challenge.

There are several HF RTTY contests during the year and some of us still get a "kick" out of making contacts using this simpler mode.  We are reminded of the old days when news wire services used a RTTY system.  This past weekend I enjoyed making some RTTY contacts.  Locals I worked included N5SMQ and WS6X.  AD4TJ usually joins us and KB4OLM is kicking around the possibility of getting more serious with RTTY too.  I am sure there were others - sorry I missed making contact with you.

DX worked:  TF IT9 DL KH6 CT S5 I PA 9A SP EA EA8 KP2 OH YU HA KP4 P4 F KL CN VP9 OK CM KP4 ZF KH2 UA EI GW PY UR HK OK HB OA SV LU V2 OZ JA PA LA

I know you are thinking I have a big beam and tower - which is true - however most (about 90%) of the contacts were made using my Extended Double Zepp wire antenna fed with ladder line.  Plus the rotor no longer turns the tri-bander - it is stuck pointing SE.  (any tower climbers out there?)

Here is a run-down of my score. 

Note that score value increases with Frequency for this contest.

There is no "special skill" required to make RTTY contacts but there are special considerations when interconnecting your radio and software. Then it becomes a matter of "Efficiency" for operator and radio setup. 

https://www.rttycontesting.com

https://www.aa5au.com/rtty/

See you in the contest,

Jeff

Jeff Rinehart   W4PJW

https://www.qrz.com/db/W4PJW

[Butch Washer]

I fully agree with Jeff on everything. I got introduced to RTTY contesting after I had done the Nov. Sweepstakes SSB Contest a few times and was bitten by the contesting bug back in 1997. I made contact with a ham in New Orleans that was and still is a very high rated contester, AA5AU and he gave me a few pointers. I dove into it and have loved all contesting, esp. RTTY. If you can do FT8 you can do RTTY or any other digital mode!!! BTW... I have recently started to play with CW contesting as well!!!

I also operated this past weekend in the CQ WW RTTY Contest. Local Hams contacted were W4PJW and WS6X. I wasn't sure how much time I was going to be able to operate, but managed to do about 15 hours spread out over the 48 hour long contest. I managed to top my previous best score from 2022 of 142,205 and just happened to top Jeff W4PJW's 2000 best of 151,110 and David AD4TJ's 2022 top score of 206,184.

Now the reason I have even mentioned this is that David and Jeff have been my inspiration in contesting since I started up here in VA. They usually run well ahead of me in these contests, or if i get out ahead first, they, especially Jeff will run me down! This year David was not able to operate, and Jeff was not able to put in much time.

For you that may be thinking about contesting, but say "I only have a small antenna or "only" a dipole". Don't let that stop you... I don't have a big amplifier, big tower, big antenna, yagi or any of that.

I run a 1991 purchased Kenwood TS-450 radio, an old (hand-me-down) Hustler 4BTV 4 band (10-40m) ground mounted vertical with 20- 25' long radials on the ground and an 80m dipole with the peak up at maybe 15' for now.(I need a line shot over a tree) .

 I enter the Low Power class (100 watts of power max.) as Jeff does. The MAIN THING is FUN!! Especially watching the Contest Online Scoreboard Live to see where everyone is score wise.

I doubt if I will place very high in the Low Power class, but I still beat my best ever score in this contest and that's what counts!!

There are contests of all sizes from 30 minutes, 4 hrs., 12 hrs and longer! I can't wait until the next RTTY contest the WAE (Worked All Europe) RTTY the beginning of Nov. All I can say is once you dip your toe in contesting, you just may like it... No matter what mode!! I'll have to see how much time I can devote to it!

Feel free to reach out to any one of us Jeff, David or myself. There are others in the club that have been active in the past as well.

73, Butch N5SMQ   DIDDLE DIDDLE!!

Please see my results below.

15.25hrs of operating time.

Callsign: N5SMQ
Contest: CQ WW RTTY
 Band     QSOs     Pts   ZN  Cty   SP  Pt/Q
      3.5      32         43     5     6     18   1.3
        7     127       207    10   27    35   1.6
      14     138       288    14   37    29    2.1
      21     100       234    16   39    19    2.3
      28       46       115    16   27      4    2.5
  Total      443      887    61  136  105   2.0
Score: 267,874
1 Mult = 1.5 Q's

  

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[ws6x...@gmail.com]

Jeff and Butch:

Your comments about this weekend RTTY contest concern me a great deal! Yes, I was in the contest – spent 23.5 hours at it – but I didn’t work either of you. I never heard W4PJW the entire weekend, and I heard N5SMQ only one time… calling another station! Neither of you is in my log! If someone was bootlegging my call that might explain why I had so little luck running during the weekend. Would you two please send me – off list – the date, time, and frequency of your QSO with WS6X? Thanks!

 

I operated as Single Op, All-Band, Unassisted, Low Power. Since I was under the 24-hour limit, I qualified to enter the Classic overlay. Here are my results for the weekend:

 

 

73,

Jim – WS6X