For WQ6X it's JARTS - Pacificon - JARTS

During recent weekends, WQ6X has been back in RTTY run-mode, which can ONLY happen

using the FT-2000 @W7AYT's QTH in the SF East Bay.  48-hour contests like the JARTS RTTY
affair offer-up numerous opportunities for band openings as well as plenty of time for things like
sleep and the Pacificon HamFest, just a few miles away in San Ramon.

Being a Japanese sponsored contest, the operating exchange is identical to the All-Asian GiGs in June and September: 5NN + AGE.  Not surprisingly, the mean-age for Japanese amateurs was 72+.  To make things more easily read visually WQ6X sent: 5NN (55) (55).  Enclosing the age in (parens) makes it easier to double-click JUST the number and paste it into the Age data-entry field of the N1MM+ logging software.

The JARTS radiosport contest brings several ways to earn contest points:

• 3-points each for QSOs on different continents
• Country Multipliers (M1)
• Prefix Multipliers (M2)

Running the N1MM+ software enables all 12 function key macros, while the RTTY decoder window provides another 18 more macros for less-used character strings.

When in frequency-run mode, I chose frequencies that are so unique that other OPS won't pick by accident (Ex: 14088.88, or 21.111.11, or 28092.92).  Therefore, when a station's CQ call lines up perfectly between the "goal posts" w/perfect decoding, I know that choice was intentional - NoT a FLUKE.

One of the ways to reduce RTTY congestion is to run from frequencies above the +100-Kc mark in the bands (Ex: 14.101+, 21.100+ & 28.100+).  These frequency areas not only often quieter QRM-wise, it often seems that atmospheric noise is less at these frequencies, altho admittedly this is a subjective observation.  Unfortunately, it doesn't occur to some operators
that there might be stations "above 100".

In between RTTY GiGs, I found a few hours to wander over to the PACIFICON Event held nearby
at the Marriot Hotel in San Ramon.  It's always a kick to meet up with friends old and new, see the vendors newest radios up-close and personal and schmooze with representatives of nearby radio clubs, being that I am President of the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA).

When it was all over WQ6X put in a reasonable showing - most notably on 10-emeters. 
Oh, how I love high SFI periods of the sunspot cycle - especially for RTTY operations.

DiD YOU work the JARTS RTTY contest?

Is WQ6X in YOUR log?