Well, it was not really a GREAT experiment in the grand scheme of things... but it worked . Phil KA1GMN proved my earlier point about ALE.. despite a lack of overall "robustness" comapred to other digital modes... it IS USEFUL for finding people. Today I was scanning multiple frequencies and bands ...every 2 seconds, and my station heard a call for me from KA1GMN... The software cause my rig to stopp scanning, our stations LINKED , we used the AMD mode in ALE for brief keyboard chat, determined that we could have an easier time with another mode, chose ALE400 and had a nice long QSO with great copy.
So, ALE does provide a useful way to contact friends and an alternative to traditional CQ methods. Andy K3UK
