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RTTY DXCC ?

Jul 28th 2011, 23:36

W5CPT

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
What was the logic behind dropping RTTY DXCC and making it Digital?

Clint - W5CPT
Aug 1st 2011, 17:51

K1ZZ

Joined: Apr 23rd 1996, 00:00
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Total Posts: 0
Clint, the logic behind the change is that other data modes in addition to RTTY are already counted toward RTTY DXCC. The DX Advisory Committee offered several alternative names, the simplest of which was Digital DXCC, and in this case simplicity won out.

There is no change in the requirements for the award -- just the name.

73,
Dave Sumner, K1ZZ
Aug 2nd 2011, 23:27

WB9B

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
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Total Posts: 0
So is the CW award, Also a Digital Mode, being rolled into it as well... ;O)

The RTTY community, Myself among them, Are a little confused as to why this change was deemed necessary.

If the change was in some way meant to foster the use of the other modes, wouldn't have been better to have simply created a separate "DIGITAL" DXCC. Thereby creating another Award for Us all to work toward.

RTTY has a long history as a distinct Mode in its own right, as much so as PHONE and CW.

73, Mike WB9B
Aug 3rd 2011, 17:58

K1ZZ

Joined: Apr 23rd 1996, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
The change was not so much to encourage other digital modes as to recognize that they are increasingly being used, and that they count toward RTTY DXCC. If Phone DXCC originally had been called AM DXCC there would have had to have been a similar transition at some point as SSB came into use. As for additional awards, speaking just for myself I'm glad that DXpeditions aren't pressured to work the same guys over and over on the whole gamut of digital modes, thus reducing the chances of "little guns" to make one QSO.

Input from the ARRL membership is via the DX Advisory Committee, whose members are appointed by the division directors.

Dave, K1ZZ
Aug 8th 2011, 23:07

N1IPA

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
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deleted
Aug 9th 2011, 00:46

W1RFIAdmin

Joined: Jul 25th 2011, 14:25
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Total Posts: 0
I don't operate digital modes hardly all, so I don't have a dog in this show, but I don't see how anyone has been tossed aside. Other digital modes have counted for what used to be somewhat misnamed "RTTY DXCC" for a long time. So changing the name of the award doesn't change the award, or the rules that have applied to it during most of the time that you have been working toward RTTY DXCC.

This certainly doesn't take away from the accomplishments you have made, and those contacts still were made and still count to the award.

Those that choose to seek an award their own way are doing what thousands of hams have done before -- sought an award their own way. I am a QRPer and I sought my Worked All States award with 250 milliwatts. I was not cast aside because the WAS award recognized all of the different ways that WAS can be achieved. I picked one way and applied it to my own award.

That award means a lot to me, and if ARRL had a separate 250 milliwatt QRP WAS award, or 250 milliwatt CW HF WAS award for people using wire antennas up no higher than 50 feet, that would not mean as much to me as my own sense of knowing what I did.

Good luck with working the new ones on RTTY. I watched some of the HQ staff work ST0R on RTTY, so there are new ones to be had!

73,
Ed Hare, W1RFI
ARRL Lab
Technical forums moderator
Aug 9th 2011, 14:40

K1KOB

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
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Total Posts: 0
We tried years ago to change the name of "RTTY DXCC AWARD". But the ARRL said all the new digital modes were under RTTY ! They weren't RTTY. Now it looks like all the oldtimers have gone QRT. So the easiest way is to put ALL (except CW) digital modes under the same award, and name it "DIGITAL" Thanks ARRL for waking up after all these years. I've been a ham for 52 years and have the following DXCC awards.. mixed, phone, cw, 10 meter, 80 meter, 40 meter, 20 meter, 15 meter, rtty, and 5 band. Its been a lot of fun, but why should I call PKT or PSK31 RTTY ? Remember when an invading army counted as the country they were invading ? Again, chasing DX is fun. My modest totals are 340/349.
Have fun.... Ralph K1KOB
Aug 9th 2011, 19:40

N6ML

Joined: Jan 26th 2007, 11:03
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Total Posts: 0
I always understood the term "Radio TeleTYpe" to refer to any mode where text is modulated into a radio signal, even though we generally assume it to refer to FSK Baudot.

So, now .. if I make a QSO using a digital voice mode, does that count for Phone or Digital DXCC???
Aug 9th 2011, 20:41

K1ZZ

Joined: Apr 23rd 1996, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Digital voice is phone.

Dave K1ZZ
Aug 16th 2011, 14:55

VE3IAE

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Dear Dave,

Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that the change of the award's name did not meet a support in the international RTTY community, to say the least.

Is there any possibility to return back to DXCC RTTY? If so, what has to be done, especially among foreign supporters of RTTY DXCC? Will any petition help? If so, what should be the number of signatories in order to consider the petition serious enough to reconsider the ARRL decision?

73,
Vladimir VE3IAE
Aug 16th 2011, 19:05

0007012532H80

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
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Total Posts: 0
I would like to see the ARRL go the other direction for DXCC awards. How about increasing the variety of awards possible instead of decreasing them? Especially in this age of computers, it should be easy to issue any combination of bands and modes the submitter requests. If someone wants an award for 10 meter FM DXCC, why not? Or 6 Meter RTTY? Or 160 Meter PSK31? Or 15 Meter AM Phone? This could be an additional source of income for ARRL with a modest charge for each new certificate. If desired, the ARRL could limit applications to LotW QSLs to streamline the process even further. Once the basic programming is done, the issuing of certificates would be a snap.
Aug 17th 2011, 05:29

WC1X

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Why, after the huge upturn in worldwide RTTY contesting during the past several years, would ARRL decide to eliminate the RTTY designation from awards? I suspect the Newington decision makers do not operate RTTY at all.
Aug 17th 2011, 23:21

VE3VID

Joined: Dec 16th 2009, 15:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I really enjoy digital modes, and RTTY in particular. Perhaps because it has a lot more history than PSK and OLIVIA that I've enjoyed.

** Question to the ARRL Moderator: Would ARRL consider a RTTY endorsement crest for the Digital DXCC Award?

This might be one possible solution. I for one would like to distinguish my DXCC if I had completed it in RTTY alone.

VE3VID David
Aug 24th 2011, 20:11

K1ZZ

Joined: Apr 23rd 1996, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Sorry to have been offline for a while -- I was attending meetings outside the country.

The recommendation for the name change came from a committee of volunteers representing the 15 ARRL divisions and Canada. Again, only the name was changed -- not the requirements for the award. DXAC members are listed at http://www.arrl.org/dxac -- 73, Dave K1ZZ

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