[Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Well...my experience is that with a dipole on 20m all you need is 25w to work anyone. I have worked many at 10w and an outside dipole. With my K3/10 my max power out is 16w carrier and having no problems doing psk-31 using a HighGain TH3mk4 triband beam. IMHO running above 25w on psk-31 is unnecessary (on 20m). I can not provide an opinion for other bands as all my psk-31 has been on 20m. However, I will soon be running psk-31 on 600m running up to 80wn (ERP~3w). 73, Ed - KL7UW WD2XSH/45 -- Message: 17 Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 15:46:09 -0400 From: "Tom W8JI" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 To: "Elecraft" , "Frank MacDonell" Message-ID: <4304e524f84a4bffbaf21d6e44788...@radioroom> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Frank, There are multiple reasons you are not getting a response. While it is true PSK is only a few dB better than CW under ideal conditions, some tend to pretend PSK is magical and very low ERP will work wonders. Unfortunately very weak signals are still very weak signals. They will just be buried in the noise on the other station's display. Even if they are printable when found, no one will see you. Length of CQ is especially a factor when a signal is really weak. It's kind of like a world where everyone is equal and held to the same low level, except with 5 watts and an indoor antenna you are probably among the lowest of the equally weak signals. You just won't stand out at all. CQing is not the way to go when the signal is barely above noise. Have fun calling people, that will be the best way with an indoor antenna and 5 watts. CQing will be frustrating. 73 Tom 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 == BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 144-600w, 432-100w, 1296-60w, 3400-fall 2010 DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubus...@hotmail.com == __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Phil Hystad-3 wrote: > > On May 11, 2010, at 9:14 AM, Jon Perelstein wrote: > >> Just because I can see it on the waterfall doesn't mean that I have any >> idea if it's a CQ or not. And if it's a short CQ, by the time I click >> over to it, it's gone. > > Which is a good reason to buy an Apple Mac and help to increase my AAPL > stock value even more... > > The CocoaModem digital interface application that runs only on the Mac has > a very nifty feature. Even if a waterfall trace of a message is over, as > long as it is in the displayed buffer you can click on it and see the text > of that stream for the amount of the buffer contents that is retained. > The built in PSK31 modem in KComm for Windows can do that as well. (Actually it is a feature of the PSK31 DLL by AE4JY and not anything clever I did.) KComm also has a "PSK Browser" that decodes all the signals in the passband (and reports them to PSK Reporter if you want to do that.) Of course that doesn't help get other people answer *your* CQs. Perhaps an increasing use of PSK Browsers means that people don't tend to bother with weak stations that aren't DX? Adding "QRP" (but please not "/QRP") to your CQ calls might help a bit. I ran just 4W of PSK31 and an attic antenna for many years with my QRP K2 with quite a bit of success. But there were more sunspots around at the time. I admit that frustration with conditions over the last couple of years was why I got the 100W PA for my K3 (not being able to do anything about the antennas.) It made a heck of a difference to my success rate. No problem getting replies to my CQs now. If you must run QRP then as others have suggested, replying to other people's CQs is really the way to go. - Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. * G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html * KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Subject-Re-Calling-CQ-on-PSK-31-tp5036866p5038387.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Frank, There are multiple reasons you are not getting a response. While it is true PSK is only a few dB better than CW under ideal conditions, some tend to pretend PSK is magical and very low ERP will work wonders. Unfortunately very weak signals are still very weak signals. They will just be buried in the noise on the other station's display. Even if they are printable when found, no one will see you. Length of CQ is especially a factor when a signal is really weak. It's kind of like a world where everyone is equal and held to the same low level, except with 5 watts and an indoor antenna you are probably among the lowest of the equally weak signals. You just won't stand out at all. CQing is not the way to go when the signal is barely above noise. Have fun calling people, that will be the best way with an indoor antenna and 5 watts. CQing will be frustrating. 73 Tom --- On Tue, 5/11/10, Frank MacDonell wrote: I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector is an incredible resource. -- Frank KD8FIP __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 (beacons)
"The bands are open more that a lot of people think, as a check of beacons can show; however, calling CQ with QRP and poor antennas will not bring much success without a lot of patience on your part". And for propagation purpose,I have running on 7107 Khz for the last 2 months my K3 as a beacon with only 5W about 18 hours a day.I have received lots of reports by email from Canada,Venezuela,Colombia and many states as well.Use it if you can hear it.73 AD4C " __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
On May 11, 2010, at 9:26 AM, Wes Stewart wrote: > That said, although I know PSK has a reputation for being a mode where you > don't need higher power or good antennas... That very well might be the reputation but I would take exception to that notion. Antennae systems *always* matter - especially on the digital modes. Regarding the original poster's question, I am on the digital modes a lot – almost every day. Finding stations to answer my CQ is highly variable. Los Angeles County in California isn't exactly rare DX. :-) A strong, sharp, clean trace in the 'fall will attract more responses. An overdriven trace will be shunned but mostly I find it is a matter of patience and looking on the right band at the right time. Julian, G4ILO's excellent suggestion to incorporate http://psk.gladstonefamily.net/pskmap.html to find out where people are listening and when will go a long way in helping you discover places and times you might be heard. The cool thing about PSK Reporter is that it is a tireless listener. It will log stations for you will you work, sleep or are otherwise engaged. The other day I noticed on PSK Reporter that central Eurasia was coming in at around 11pm local on 20m the last few nights. I called CQ and got 16 consecutive responses from European Russia, Asiatic Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and the Ukraine! A little mini pile-up. I felt like a big gun or a rare DXpedition. All this with 35 watts and a doublet. Additionally don't just sit on one frequency calling CQ. If one isn't working it may be that there is another, louder local station that you can't hear at all covering you up. Move, call QRL and try again. Another country heard from. 73 de Eric, KG6MZS __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Let me amend that to "...power is 10-12 dB..." --- On Tue, 5/11/10, Wes Stewart wrote: That said, although I know PSK has a reputation for being a mode where you don't need higher power or good antennas, your power is 10-20 dB below what the other guys are probably running and your antenna is another 10-20 dB below a dipole in the clear. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
LS, W5QD writes in reference to short PSK31 CQs: "... unless the other station has a pan adapter, the likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty small unless it's a contest or QSO party situation." LS, Some PSK31 decoding software is designed to simultaneously copy multiple PSK31 signals, each on a separate line. I've used Digipan for years. When it decodes the letters "CQ" from a station, the entire line background color changes from white to another color on each line with a "CQ' in it. So even a 1x1 CQ will show up boldly using Digipan. Other software may also have this feature. A simple click on that line will quickly put you on the correct frequency to answer the CQ. If you haven't yet used Digipan, give it a try. It's a free download from www.digipan.net . 73, Rich - K1HTV = = = From: lstavenhagen Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 LS, W5QD writes in reference to short PSK31 CQs: So unless the other station has a pan adapter, the likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty small unless it's a contest or QSO party situation. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
This is pure speculation. I've observed the same thing running QRP on digital modes. I believe it could be a simple matter of the QRP signals being less bright on the typical waterfall compared to someone running 30-50 watts, and it's probably only natural that someone looking for a QSO will click on the brighter signals. Even though copy may be 100% on the dimmer trace, folks wanting a solid connection will gravitate to the bright traces. There is probably no way to confirm this, but I also have had better luck responding to someone else's CQ, and usually they have no problem with my signal. Parker WD8JOL K2 2636 __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Personally, I don't have the patience for PSK (I don't care to hear what kind of computer you're using and your dog's name on the first over) so my experience is limited. That said, although I know PSK has a reputation for being a mode where you don't need higher power or good antennas, your power is 10-20 dB below what the other guys are probably running and your antenna is another 10-20 dB below a dipole in the clear. When you answer someone he is more likely to pull you out than he would be if he was looking around for a QSO. Another factor if there are a lot of signals on the band is the poor (IMHO) practice of running the receiver with wide open i-f bandwidth. If there is a strong signal in the pass-band the AGC will tend to suppress the weaker signals. Of course, there is nothing you can do at your end about this. You are between a rock and a hard spot. You need to call long enough for someone to find you and their decoder to lock on to your signal and not so long that guys like me who find you think, "Will this guy ever stop calling CQ?" Also, I assume that you're calling on a band that is open. The bands are open more that a lot of people think, as a check of beacons can show; however, calling CQ with QRP and poor antennas will not bring much success without a lot of patience on your part. Hang in there or QRO. Wes N7WS --- On Tue, 5/11/10, Frank MacDonell wrote: I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector is an incredible resource. -- Frank KD8FIP __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Format your CQs so they include DE (i.e. your call twice after the DE.) Then use this site http://psk.gladstonefamily.net/pskmap.html to see whether anyone received you. - Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. * G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html * KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Calling-CQ-on-PSK-31-tp5035676p5036362.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Ah, very good point, tnx Steve. My CW bias and PSK beginnerism is showing here hi hi... 73, LS W5QD -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Calling-CQ-on-PSK-31-tp5035676p5036150.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Panadapter? You can see most of the PSK section of any band on the software's waterfallAssuming you're using software ie. MIXW etc. Steve N4LQ - Original Message - From: "lstavenhagen" To: Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 9:55 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 > > Just a thought from a PSK beginner, a 3 by 3 CQ in PSK31 is really short > if > you do the (IMO) right thing and listen carefully in between each CQ. Just > a > few seconds. Same with a CQ in CW at 20wpm or more, you're only on the air > for a really short time. So unless the other station has a pan adapter, > the > likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty > small > unless it's a contest or QSO party situation. > > Fortunately, there's not much shortage of other stations calling CQ if the > band is open and during active times (i.e. in the morning or the evening > when folks are coming home from work) so there's still plenty of > opportunities to make QSO's. As pan adapters come into more widespread > use, > it'll be easier to browse the band for other stations too. > > So as my elmers used to tell me years ago, be patient and keep > listening... > > 73, > LS > W5QD > -- > View this message in context: > http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Calling-CQ-on-PSK-31-tp5035676p5036056.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > __ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
Just a thought from a PSK beginner, a 3 by 3 CQ in PSK31 is really short if you do the (IMO) right thing and listen carefully in between each CQ. Just a few seconds. Same with a CQ in CW at 20wpm or more, you're only on the air for a really short time. So unless the other station has a pan adapter, the likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty small unless it's a contest or QSO party situation. Fortunately, there's not much shortage of other stations calling CQ if the band is open and during active times (i.e. in the morning or the evening when folks are coming home from work) so there's still plenty of opportunities to make QSO's. As pan adapters come into more widespread use, it'll be easier to browse the band for other stations too. So as my elmers used to tell me years ago, be patient and keep listening... 73, LS W5QD -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Calling-CQ-on-PSK-31-tp5035676p5036056.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
I suppose if I had that problem, I would establish a QSO with someone who had a good signal then ask them to stand by while you call CQ and ask them to listen and respond to it. That might eliminate the luck factor. Steve N4LQ - Original Message - From: "Frank MacDonell" To: "Elecraft" Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 8:13 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 >I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts > with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. > But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not > seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector > is an incredible resource. > > -- > Frank KD8FIP > __ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31
I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector is an incredible resource. -- Frank KD8FIP __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
