I think that I have mentioned some of this before, but unless you have a
club of some kind where interested hams join and buy in to a concept,
a numbering system may not be something that many will gravitate toward.
In terms of digital operation, we digital operators are an extreme
minority of the total of ham communications and unlike CW and SSB, we
have many modes that can not talk to each other so realistically most
hams who are starting out are going to use the easiest mode that is
generally available on all soundcard multimode digital software and that
is PSK31. It is also much narrower than most other digital modes so it
fulfills its proper place as a spectrum efficient mode for keyboarding.
This is especially true if you do not have difficult ionospheric
conditions. Since so many hams tend to operate PSK31, it has a critical
mass much of the time on the HF bands and there are specific narrow
watering holes where PSK31 is found. This is even true on bands that you
might think were closed to propagation, e.g., 28.120 MHz which has
surprised me many times.
Since there are so many other S.C. digital modes, some of which are
difficult to determine the mode, or with some of them, e.g., Olivia, you
may know it is Olivia, but are not sure of the speed. (At least I am not
always able to determine a given mode by sound and waterfall display.)
Many of the newer modes were interesting to try out and there would be a
flurry of activity, but for basic keyboarding, which is what most
digital operators do, PSK31 works well enough much of the time.
Personally, I like MFSK16 as it is still moderately narrow and it was
added to Ham Radio Deluxe/Digital Master 780 along with other modes. I
also kind of like DEX (Domino EX), especially with FEC, but DEX 11 and
FEC is not available on my version of DM780. Some of the digital modes
are too slow for me, 30 -40 wpm, don't work into the noise all that
well, and may not handle multipath all that well. etc.
What might work is to make a contact on PSK31 and then ask the station
if they want to try some other modes. I would much rather be on almost
any mode other than PSK 31. Of course you would usually want to move up
a kHz or two depending upon activity. I often place my dial frequency a
kHz or two above the point that most PSK31 operators would select and
then put my center frequency at 1500 Hz since that is optimized for my
rig. Although I listen a lot more than I call CQ, I have been able to
find operators with non PSK31 modes, by calling CQ in the mode of my
choice. It may help to use the FAX ID in the waterfall. Have you tried that?
73,
Rick, KV9U
va3jno wrote:
Well, I posted a message titled CQ DRCC this morning saying I was on
frequency until and looking for DRCC and FH numbers.
Unfortunately, by the time the message was approved, the time had
expired and I had gone to do work around the house. I guess I posted
the message about the time that Andy was headed to work so he didn't
see it in time to be of use.
I have also in the past self-spotted on the W6RK data mode spots page
and not had anyone come back to my CQs.
Is there little interest in actually having QSOs in digital modes
other than PSK, or am I simply not posting/spotting in the right
places? Where would such activity be best?
73, Jim VA3HJ
