[digitalradio] Re : ROS is bigger and better
That's true Skip, it is historical, its a leftover. How many people have we heard in the last 10 years in Europe, with such a vitally important message, that when conditions are too poor to continue to use telephony they conclude by using Morse code ? Er one maybe ? Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re: ROS is back bigger and better !!!
And the same common sense attitude which occurs in Canada is also applied to the use of frequencies in the UK. There are sections of the bands which are agreed internationally and everybody accepts it. Although it rarely happens I don't agree with the ruling that operators of Morse code are permitted to transmit where they please anywhere on any band. Why ? Why should such a ruling still exist, for what purpose, other than to irritate those using telephony ? G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re introducing the KJ6VW...........
Hello Andy, It was interesting reading the description of the half square antenna you made, particularly the comments on the comparison between vertical and the half square. Being unable to hear European stations may partly explain why, when conditions do improve a little, I always keep seeing the same PSK stations from the US, and the ones which can see me on their screens are most often very weak to my QTH Considering the huge number of PSK users in the US I've often wondered if my R5 is deaf, or lots of US operators are using wet string ! Regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re: The worlds nastiest PSK signal
I see some like that, and surprisingly they are often like London buses, you have two or three appearing at the same time ! The other day an horrendous load of krap was being generated by a German station and I told him three times, in an hour, about the poor quality of his transmission. But he continued on regardless, and made contacts and I don't think anybody else mentioned it. Its quite obvious then that I'm too fussy ! Regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : new question
Do any Old Buffers in the UK remember the original Ros, the one by the name of Edmundo Ros ? He used to have a small band, had a half hour a week on the old BBC radio and his band played at social gatherings where the young rich and gay used to dance the hours away. Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : testing confirms ROS,,,,,,,,,,,
Well, would you believe it ! So what happens now ? Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re: why does the ARRL.......
Unfortunately lots of people have had bad experiences with Pactor and,naturally, like when you've been bitten by a big dog you don't forget it ! I used to enjoy using pactor with my PK232 during the 90's but many times my contacts were totally wiped out by a roving Pactor message system which used to drop on top of any QSO, I got so angry about this I gave up using Pactor. There nothing wrong with Pactor as long as the users stay in their pen, its the same with RTTY stations, some used to persist in using the only frequency used by PSK operators. Contacts using thirty watts and less of PSK are demolished when RTTY comes even anywhere near to where they operate and people get angry. As always, consideration for others on the bands is the way radio amateurs of all nations should show their amateur radio spirit and goodwill. Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : 3rd generation digital radio
I believe a substantial number of American radio amateurs regard using radio tranceivers and their associated pieces of equipment in an entirely different way to their counterparts in Europe. The two continents are entirely different and consequently the people who live in the two continents are different. In America great stress is put upon emergency survival, luckily in Europe we don't have to contend with regular tornado's and hurricanes, ice storms which destroy electricity supply to vast areas of the country, and huge amounts of melting snow which can raise river depths by tens of feet and cause flooding and hardship to many many thousands of people. Situations such as these occur rarely, if at all, in Europe, the continent is more densely populated and services to support the population are provided by professional trained personnel in every country at a substantial cost to its citizens. Luckily most of us in Europe regard amateur radio as a hobby, somewhat akin to fishing, we sit there, put out a call and don't know what we are about to catch, its a lucky dip ! Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : Ten years of the digital group
How can we celebrate ? Someone could arrange a Special Event Station, we could all sit in front of our computers decorated with coloured birthday balloons, wearing paper party hats, and blowing those paper tubes which go Wooo, and send strips of paper all over the place and then send Happy Boithday messages to each other. Ya..hooo ! Regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : 1976 FCC
Warren K5WGM. You wrote that English is not your strongest point. Well it seems to me you did it pretty good, you expressed yourself magnificently ! Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : A new concept..........
That's OK, if people wish to use all the different digital modes. I just hope they don't decide to park themselves in the narrow PSK segments while they're trying them all out, calling CQ and getting no response. Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] I'm curious about this Mix W oddity
Its happened so often that I'm now curious to know why a CQ response from a user of Mix W, always a Russian or an east European station, begins halfway down the screen. Each line of information is often two or three lines apart which means that sometimes the whole screen is jumping around with important information vanishing up the screen ! I now prevent this happening by clearing the receive window if my call appears halfway down the screen, the following text will then continue properly, where it should, at the top of the screen. What causes this and why does it only happen with Mix W ? Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : I'm curious about this Mix W oddity
The effects that you both have described are not similar to the events which happen when the station replies in a QSO. Nothing other than a normal everyday ham radio response appears, except that on occasions the response begins in the lower half of the screen. Insted of having the normal spacing like this, the following line would be as the above spacing the response begins in the lower half of the screen. When the text reaches the bottom of the screen it then makes, maybe, two or three jumps to get to the top. Its very irritating and that's why I clear the screen when it starts. Perhaps Mix W is not used much in the US, or if it is perhaps its a problem which only occurs in the cyrillic version. Perhaps its the way the user has set it up, and its been done cack handed ! Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : 10/12 metre openings
Both bands were open in Europe, but didn't produce anything of interest. The same people who operate on 40, 30 and 20 metres just turned their attention to 12 metres, there was no, what we could call, DX. Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re: which digi software ?
Hello John, I also use Airlink Express, the smaller version and have been for some time now. As you say its easy to use, has an attractive operating page and a number of items which are helpful. I like the call grab which puts the call into the call box and the call recognition which shows a tick if the call is already in the log. Something unusual is that the software also picks up IARU locator squares and displays them in the grab box, so if QSB loses the information it will still be displayed The smaller version doesn't have a log sheet as extensive as the larger one in which US states, counties etc. can be entered from the mouse. Its an excellent well thought out software and so easy to use. Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : tandem ride
That's quite a sophisticated system you've made, very interesting. What is also interesting is that the list had only one European station, so these tiddly little sunspots are not really helping us to get across the pond. Kind regards,Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : DX'ing and long winded
Many PSK users don't seem to have macro's for quick contacts, they only have their standard issue words and information macro, which as you say includes claptrap to fill space on the screen. Everyone should have some special macro's ready for quick in an out contacts, with only the important information,using CW type abbreviations and have a quick finish eg.. OK Bill, TNX GL GDX CUL 73 Mel G0GQK SK. US contacts are always different than all the others, usually polite but long winded, then comes the fade out before they tell me where they live ! Kind regards,Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] A jolly good idea !
I agree, its about time somebody invented an automatic overdrive controller for PSK transmissions. I don't listen to them though, I switch the sound off, but seeing them is more than enough for me ! Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : Interface within the rig ?
Considering that PSK 31 has been used for almost eleven years by many hams, I think the tranceiver manufacturers missed the opportunity to add this facility to their equipment many years ago. Interest in all forms of digital communication methods grew steadily during the first years of the new century and including an interface would have encouraged hams to buy a particular model. My shack has a rats nest of cable which is unsightly. The inclusion of D-star was obviously considered to be an asset for the sales of Yaesu, perhaps it is popular in Japan, but I believe a PSK interface would have helped to sell more Yaesu equipment worldwide. Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : The most used digital software
That was an interesting comment made by Vlad,and I know from the many contacts which I've had with Russian stations that perhaps 90% of them use Mix W. I hazard a guess as to the reason, but suggest that its because it was created by a Russian software programmer and that its language is Cyrillic. Having looked at logging software designed for Russian amateurs it perhaps would be as difficult for most Russians to understand English, as it would be for me to understand Russian! Many of the suggested RTTY software programmes are now quite old and I've found that for ease of use, and with many different features, Airlink Express software, which includes PSK variations, is easy to use and the latest version has a substantial logging system which should be satisfactory for many hams Kind regards, Mel G0GQK
[digitalradio] Re : Ten top tips
1 Take your time in setting up your digital station, read all the insructions, check everything twice to make sure its done properly 2 Make some good macro's which provide the essential details for those who you contact. Your callsign, name, QTH, US county, IOTA No, IARU locator square. 3 Spread your name, and QTH around the macro's, if your contact doesn't read it the first time because of QSB, he'll read it again later, so he won't have to ask you to repeat it. 4 Make certain your transmission is good,no ALC showing, switch off the processor. Don't transmit one of those really bad wide, splattery nasty PSK tracks, and ask your contacts if your transmission is good. If you get a marginal report, don't ignore it, check where the problem is and put it right before you go on air again. Mel G0GQK
