WQ6X Works a Weirdly Wiley Weird Prefix (RTTY) Contest

All three WPX contests (RTTY, Ssb & Cw) have in common various flavors of weirdness; hence the "Weird Prefix" moniker.  For 2022, the RTTY GiG exemplifies what we can likely expect to occur in
the March (Ssb) and May (Cw) variants of the WPX concept, considering the considerable increase
in Solar Flux index (SFI) numbers between this time in 2021 (72?) and this last week (~114).

An increase in SFI numbers brings with it more frequent/reliable band openings on 10 & 15 meters.  With more bands open, opportunities to work some stations multiple times (across multiple bands) increases exponentially.  If you look at past WPX scores during the last two solar cycles, you will notice an increase in point scores, commensurate with where we were in the sunspot cycle at that time.  Unfortunately, an increase in SFI also means an increase in the frequency of solar storms. 
Although the frequency and severity of storms increase during an uptick of the SFI, the storms
seem to NoT last as long.

While I am BORED with including "5NN/599" as part of a contest exchange, I DO like the challenge
of accurately sending/receiving Serial #'s, finding it an interesting challenge to get it right every time.  There is of course operator controversy as to whether we should send "599" or "5NN" largely based historically on the 60+ yr. old fact that sending "599" with mechanical teletypes rather than sending "5NN" (requiring a shift-key sequence in the middle) is more efficient.  However, with today's digitally produced RTTY, the argument is superfluous.

• When you receive an exchange like "599 599 599" or "599 599", is this all a signal report,
  or is there a serial number in there somewhere.
• However, when I send "5NN 599 599" or "5NN 599", we can determine, with just a glance,
  what sets the [alleged] signal report apart from the Serial # to me, sending an extra byte or two of data is NBD (No BiG Deal) thanks to our 2-Ghz+ computers processing the RTTY data.

Instant visual readability is what is important.  Noise and fading can often obliterate a
shift-character (byte), making a group of characters look like numbers.  Example: "216X"
for "WQ6X".  Sending "5NN" (instead of "599") allows it to stand out as such (and therefore
be IGNORED).  I even wrote an entire Blog about this.  [CLICK HERE] to read it.

An advantage of RTTY over Cw is that I don't have to think in order to make sense out of what is
being sent.  Even if I "Zone out" for a few seconds, the data is still lingering in the RTTY decoder
RX-text window.  With Cw, if I miss it, I need to ask for a (time-consuming) repeat.  A downside
to RTTY is that during signal-fading (lacking an adequate S/N ratio) most decoders are unable
to translate the barely readable signals into anything but "garbage"; whereas, with Cw, my ears
can often eek out enough intelligence that my brain can deduce the rest.

In an attempt to solve the "RTTY fading problem", the antenna cabling was re-routed,
allowing a quick switch between the 8JK Cobra array and what I call a Cobra "Trapezoid".   
The 8JK array being a tuned-feeder system is routed through the MFJ-949E tuner, while the Cobra Trapezoid being coax fed, runs directly to the ANT-2 socket on the back of the FT-2000 transceiver. 
The antenna tuning unit of the radio "remembers" which antenna was selected on which band, alleviating my need to remember to switch to the proper antenna; an insignificant (yet crucially important) operator action.

Both evenings, after 07:00z was quite a disappointment; 20-m was NoT open on the Waste Coast, 40-meters was open to JA (altho there were only a handful of active stations), and 80-meters was technically wide-open but no one playing there except for a handful of already-worked W6/W7 stations with an occasional W8 or K3 popping thru, nearly S-9.  Having the weekend littered with solar storms was probably the contributing factor to poor nighttime propagation.

While the array of audio filters and DSP units at the station work extremely well for Stereo-Cw/Ssb, until I figure a way to intercept the RX-audio line to/from the RigExpert decoder unit, the external filters simply make things SOUND more appealing (psychologically) in the wireless headset, currently they do nothing to improve actual signal decoding.

However, with the FT-2000, most of the DSP filter action occurs in the I-F sections of the transceiver, rather than in the AF stages (as implemented in the older FT-1000mp).  The FT-2000 includes a variable Contour control (the MP offered only 4 switch-selected settings), along with an incredibly deep-notched Manual Notch Filter (MNF).  The Shift/Width controls on the 2000 are far more intuitive than the previous radios, providing a graphical representation of "where" both knobs are set to.

Also unique to the FT-2000 is the front-end VRF filter (essentially a pre-selector) allowing signal peaking or de-emphasizing at the RX front-end, allowing for a significant improvement of the transceiver's dynamic-range.  Then again, turning on the IPO (which turns OFF the internal
front-end pre-amps) or adding 6/12/18 dB of front-end attenuation can resolve many front-end overload situations.

All of these features transform the FT-2000 transceiver into an obviously improved candidate for exemplar RTTY operation, beyond all the FT-1000mp provided WQ6X operations from 6+ years.  Both radios run full-duty RTTY @100-watts, showing only a (nearly unnoticeable) increase in chassis heat - both radios built the chassis around a heatsink.  In contrast, the ICOM-7000 (a backup radio used mainly for SWL'ing) can only run RTTY at 50-watts max. w/o overheating.

In numerous contest write-ups over the years, I've described various forms of intentional QRM encountered; especially on 40-meters, after 07:00z.  In this year's WPX RTTY contest the QRM
came mainly from stations who specifically invade the run frequency and [blindly] start calling CQ. 
I purposely choose "oddball" frequencies, so when a station zero-beats me (exactly down to the last-Hz), I KNOW it was intentional, not accidental.  If the CQ'er were off by (let's say) 50-200hz, it could be seen as "coincidentally accidental".  Otherwise (and more likely), intentionally chosen.  I have a special RTTY decoder Button [QRL] that sends "QRL / PSE QSY".  After sending that 3-times, if the IDIOT persists, I have another decoder Button [LID] that sends "QRL / QSY - LiD".   That usually results in a clear calling frequency.

On the flip side, I encountered stations with S-9 signals busily work other stations.  As soon as
I call-in they stop transmitting, ignoring me and any other callers on the frequency.  After making 5 calls, if there is no response, I press the [QRL?] decoder Button "QRL? QRL? QRL?" 3-times.  If still no response, I consider the frequency open and call CQ; often to have the station return and send ME "QRL/QSY".  HuH?  The TRUTH is the station was busy doing other things (possibly SO2R) and lost the frequency.

When it was all over, I DiD what I always do after EVERY radiosport contest:

• Snapshot Screen stats for the WQ6X Contest Blog
• Create a CABRILLO .Log file.
• Post a score write-up on the 3830Scores Website.
• Submit the Cabrillo file to the contest host.
• Write-up the nuances of what happened for WQ6X.Blogspot.com

With the WPX GiG over a week behind us, it is safe to assume that all relevant LoGs have been submitted and their scores posted to the 3830Scores.com, the posted results would seem to indicate:

- 35th place Overall

- 27th place for North America

- 23rd place for USA

-  2nd place for the Left Coast (W6 / CA)

NoT BaD for just screwing around.

DiD YOU work the WPX (Weird Prefix) Contest?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?