CONTESTING

This month, the ARRL RTTY Roundup marks the traditional opening of the winter contest season over the weekend of January 4 and 5, 2020. As noted in last month’s column, this competition allows all of the digital modes, including FT4 and FT8. Using one of the WSJT-X modes automatically places the entry into the “unlimited” category because multiple signals are simultaneously decoded. Although FT4 and FT8 are wildly popular throughout the year, experienced contesters have found that significantly more QSOs per hour can be completed using traditional RTTY. This is true even with the faster FT4. Enjoy the weekend whether you choose traditional RTTY, FT4, or mix the two.

VHF contesters also are likely to be using WSJT-X modes in the ARRL VHF Contest over the weekend of January 18-20. The WSJT-X modes, including MSK144, are more popular during VHF contests than during HF contests, and we expect the same pattern to continue this year. Quite often, the “JT” in “WSJT” — Joe Taylor, K1JT — shows up during the contest to work stations so keep an eye out for Joe.

CQ’s own CQWW 160-Meter Contest will round out the month with a bang on January 24-26. Sunspots are expected to be at the lowest point we are likely to experience for