2017 - this year I am 50 years on the air using RTTY which is still doing great if you can use all your fingertipps. The last years I prefered SSB instead of RTTY as I did in 1976 already DXCC No 20 worldwide of RTTY-Journal under W8CQ/W3KV.

Picture showing "Elbphilharmonie" (left) 2015 under construction - opened 11th January 2017 - and "Cap San Diego" (right) in Hamburg harbor. There is hamradio activity in the Shack.- My family is from Hamburg since 1830 founding their business there.

I was getting too much QSLs back from France were a lot of Hams were not member of REF or could not afford paper cards and membership! - I do not like E-QSLs, 5by9-QSOs and read the rest under QRZ.com. As a Radio Teletype Operator since 1967 I am using my 10 finger tipps. Please use yours instead of functions keys F1 to F12!

DL8VX is member of DARC, Amsat life member No 602, ARRL, German Amateur Radio Teledata Group, e.V. founding member of Swiss-ARTG 1971 (HB9P) in Zürich, founding member of France Pack 1984 in Provins South of Paris.

Im Juni 2017 kann ich den 52. Jahrestag meiner Lizenzierung unter dem Call DL8VX feiern. In diesem Jahr bin ich in der Betriebsart RTTY nunmehr 50 Jahre qrv, zu der ich nur durch Zufall kam mit einem E-127/KW4 und einer T-37i, Siemens.

Some more details in English: DL8VX was founding member, first chairman and also last chairman of Deutsche Fernschreib Gruppe (DAFG), in international use: German Amateur Radio Group (G.A.R.T.G.) 10th october 1970, Kempen/Niederrhein and  founding  member of Swiss-ARTG in 1971, Zürich, Switzerland.

DL8VX, alias F0BT 1966 in Amboise, departement 37, founding member of France Pack, a french Packet Radio Group together with F3PI, Michel Baudot, Paris  and LU2ESB together with around 50 other french OMs in Provins east of Paris in 1985.

The activity of DAFG/GARTG e. V. was ending 1988 by members voting. That has been the end of publishing the "RTTY" Journal ending with RTTY 1/1989. --- Hams interested in these Journals please contact DL8VX for more details. ---

1967 till 1988 DL8VX was editor and bulletin-station of the RTTY-NEWS a RTTY-newsbulletin on 40 & 80 m on sunday for over 20 years. DJ1XT, William in Gelting and few times later DK2ZL, Heinrich in Künzelsau transmitted my bulletin called the RTTY-NEWS on sunday 80, 40 and 20 m in 45,45 baud and last years when 75 baud machines were available. These RTTY-Bulletins were repeated by several stations on 2 m and 70 cm:

DL8QP (Silent Key 2015) Uwe, Bad Rothenfelde, 2 m direct qrg! There were a lot of  stations repeating these bulletins most of them were staying short. Homepage of DL8QP is qrt now, sorry!

Very active on 70 cm in the 80-ties has been Josef, DL6OR in Kempen/ Niederrhein via 2nd European F2 repeater on 70 cm. Josef called Klaus, DL5EJ for help for his RTTY Bulletin with weather informations.

Klaus got a LO-15 Telex from Josef, DL6OR (Silent  Key) in Kempen/Niederrhein and was punching the weather forecast tapes for the bulletin via RTTY repeaters in Kempen (70 cm, F2) and Heidenau (30 km south-west of Hamburg), DB0YR (Output 145.995 MHz in FSK) with a lot of fun. DL5EJ, Klaus is doing this for 40 years with MP3 and Pdf datas via own homepage.

Since1976 I am holding RTTY 100 countries DXCC of RTTY Journal (W8CQ, Dusty) No.20 in the world and second Station in Germany. My friend Uli, DK3CU, Scheessel is keeping No.8 as first RTTY station in Germany. - Uli and myself supported several RTTY stations in Europe that time with RTTY machines and RTTY converters like ST-5 to get new countries on the air. A very difficult task as Telex machines were very heavy- 40 to 50 kg a piece!

A few RTTY awards at my early teletype activities: december 3, 1970 Worked All Continents (WAC) in 2xRTTY, ARRL, signed by W1LVW, Secretary, numbers were not  published that time! ARRL was against RTTY, so was DARC, RSGB and others! B.A.R.T.G.: "QCA" RTTY Award No 1: DL1VR, Herbert, Munich! --- No 47: DL8VX with endorsements 100 countries dated 21 April 1971 signed by Ted Double, G8CDW & BARTG president and their famous award manager Ted.

WAC in 2xRTTY (Merit Award) for DL8VX, 12 Dec. 1975 No 20 on 20 metres worldwide. Also 12 Dec.1975 in RTTY, No 5 worldwide on 15 metres. Awards signed by W3KV. WAC 40 m that time 1973 was not achieved, as the ZL2 rtty qso on 40 m was not confirmed. ZL2ALW was Silent Key and his card missing! 10 m that time: Africa was missing in RTTY and Sid, G4CTQ, better known as ET3SID, was not QRV on 10 m!

My first German RTTY Award 1970 was EURD III, No 2 worldwide. A lot of European countries (remembering by heart) SP, YO, ZA, CT and EA were forbidden. USSR: Only 5 RTTY stations  in UA were allowed! I worked them all! EURD was very difficult to get. EURD II or I at the beginning, no more countries qrv that time in Europe! I made these awards just to show the RTTY flag, no more. I never was an award hunter, but I am proud having fought for RTTY mode in these early days as a German RTTY pioneer, hi. - I am "fighting" for RTTY in 2017 for 50 years - starting in 1967!

I have also been GARTG's contest manager for worldwide SSTV and Hellschreiben for 1980-1989, but never had time to do own contesting in SSTV - only some SSTV QSOs with a SSTV set of my friend DL2RZ, Volker near Kiel.

So like we said that time: let's always have a clear print!

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added by DL8VX