Why RTTY?

    45 Baud RTTY remains the premier HF Digital mode despite the availability of many other digital modes that all offer improvements in some area of accurate print, throughput, and expanded character sets, such as 75 Baud RTTY, ASCII, Amtor, Pactor I&II, PSK31, G-TOR, HF PAcket, Clover and more.

     With a modern TNC and software, we can shift to many of these modes with a click of the mouse. Commercial and military use has shifted to the advanced modes (and often off HF to satellites) and there are many digital subcultures that find Pactor or Clover fit their hobby interests much better than RTTY. Some Hams want to operate as many different modes as possible .. at least once. If you live on a boat at sea, Pactor II or Clover E-Mail is popular.

    But, day in and day out, if you want to work new ops, a DXpedition, WAS / DXCC, or a contest, RTTY is the the way to go. Perhaps the larger question is "Why Digital? Why not just pick up a mike?". I'll intermix my guesses on why people like digital and especially RTTY.

1. Digital is writing rather than talking. Writing gives more time to compose thoughts and express things more nearly as we want to come across. A real-time QSO permits the use of type-ahead buffers and brag tapes while still giving a genuine feeling of personal contact.

2. Digital is reading rather than hearing. No CW code talent is needed. No one can type faster than you can read. No one has an accent on the screen. No one has the voice clues we use to stereotype people. You are how you operate and what you say. Only a General license is needed for full access .. no reserved Extra bands.

3. Digital uses the home PC at it's very best. The major skill is typing which has become a common needed skill in the workplace and at home. Combined with pre-programmed buffer keys and files, hunt & peck typists get by just fine. Most software permits a record to be kept automatically of all data received and sent.

4. RTTY is technically rewarding .. A combination of equipment, antennas, software plus lots of personal skill & understanding will improve your results. It is not a one-source proprietary mode.

5. There are many software programs available that range from dumb terminals to highly sophisticated programs, computers from Commodore to latest Pentiums and Macs and operating systems from DOS to Windows NT.. Some do only RTTY, others nearly all the digital modes.

6. There is an incredible variety of equipment available for RTTY. Ancient mechanical Teletypes are in daily use. There are many varieties of commercial tuning units (TNC's) such as AEA, Kam, HAL, STC, MFJ, Timewave. There are ones that need only the PC sound card. The single most popular may be the $15 home-built Hamcomm circuit. Almost any ham radio will work with RTTY.

7. RTTY has its own ARRL and CQ DXCC/ WAS/Honor Roll programs plus many regional awards. At least one RTTY op has ALL the available countries on RTTY. In the ARRL RTTY Roundup contest, many stations each year work all 50 states in 24 hours for the clean sweep.

8. RTTY has a major contesting presence with about 25 per year on the calendar. For most entrants, contact rates approach what they would get in CW or Phone contests. One major station has a goal of 5-Band DXCC in a weekend and has come close already. Single operators routinely exceed 1000 contacts in the bigger contests, with the single op record over 3000 (WF1B from Aruba).

9. RTTY people are nice .. they like to hear new stations and help out with any start-up problems. Lids are rare, jamming is rare, and there is plenty of band space for all. RTTY is traditionally known as "The Gentlemen's (and Ladies) Mode" and nastiness is extremely rare.

10. RTTY has a history .. it has been on the amateur bands for about 50 years now and is still growing .. in fact, this may be the Golden Age for RTTY right now. There are major resources on the Internet such as reflectors, Web pages, current articles and reporting, and download sites. We have our own RTTY Journal periodical, and frequent articles in the ARRL QST and National Contest Journal. Many countries have their own RTTY groups. There is a special RTTY group activity for Dayton Hamvention each year.