Hi Steinar !
"But maybe you prefer sitting before your laptop..."
Yes, I do ! Loooking at the spektra and waterfall of the entire 630m
Band from 472 to 479 kHz on the wide screen of my SDR-TRX gives me the
best impression about any activity on the band.
I can see an operator calling CQ at transsonic speed with no gaps
between letters nor words, i can see him occupying the frequency of
primary user "BIA" by lengthy CQ-loops. His CQ-QSX calls on 476 to 478
kHz are noticed as well as his ragchew QSOs with fellow LF-enthusiasts.
FLdigi and CW-Get are decoding well, who wants to spend some money will
get an almost perfect decode by CWskimmer.
WSQ is a different story. The program appeared to be an early alpha
version with no choice of soundcard, no choice of decoding frequency and
not any filtering of unwanted signals like constant spectral lines. Wolf
DL4YHF ist doing his best to make an usable program out of the initial
ideas. The version from yesterday (5.3.2014) looks promising.
The lack of QSO-activity of any mode is a social "problem" in my view.
As the number of joining hams in a mode usually is limited, there are
always "the same suspects" who can talk to each other or even can hear
each other. After some time its getting boring and unpolite to have a
QSO several times a day without any "news" to tell. So the number of
QSOs is decreasing by the time, and people start to run endless CQ-loops
to gain a QSO by force. Some are not answering another ham calling CQ
but starting a CQ of their own instead. The subbands fill up with
"beacons" by that.
There has to be a critical mass of people to keep a mode running. People
have to know about any new mode, so a high level of publicity is
mandatory to acheive that critical mass. (but exaggerating technical
data up to the sky is not helpful, as we have seen in the past)
Those who read this reflector are informed very well about any tests,
but who in the outside world will notice ? It will take a time to
establish a new mode for everyday use. There is a good chance that WSQ
will become an effective keyboard to keyboard mode that is used
frequently. Just a fortnight ago we first heard about it by you, its
definitely too early to dismiss it.
sorri, long answer to a very short question...
73 de dg3lv Tobias
Am 05.03.2014 22:11, schrieb Steinar Aanesland:
"But maybe you prefer sitting before your laptop" an unnecessary
comment. If you want to play with CW , fine. I have absolutely no
interest in QRO. I love playing with intelligent and sophisticated
modes that makes it possible to use LOW power. Not only on MF, but also
on HF. That is MY hobby .
Bytheway, my intention was not to create a heated debate, but to answer
a rhetorical question. I have no problem with some people's lack of
interest. I fully respect that.
LA5VNA S
On 05.03.2014 19:40, C. Groeger wrote:
Chris,
Why not learning the code, buying a tx with reasonable power and having fun in
CW?
The code is same as spoken language and you can talk to other hams in real time!
But maybe you prefer sitting before your laptop...
I do crossband QSOs with hams with no tx on mf but with serious interest in
this band...
73, DF5QG
Christian Groeger
Chris <[email protected]> schrieb:
Hi All,
There have been questions lately about lack of activity, Steinar suggests "Yes, lack
of interest".
I am not so sure that is the case.
I agree with the comments about too many modes and would also add lack of
publicity as to where each mode resides on the LF bands. The casual listener,
who might well take an interest but is not on this reflector, is likely to
quickly lose enthusiasm.
Also, whilst I am all for the spirit of experimentation, just maybe the
increased use of much lower frequencies has added to the problem by spreading
activity so thinly.
Another BIG problem, often overlooked by people making comments about other's
lack of receive capability, the increasing noise/crud level from things like
TVs, LED lights etc.
Then there's the CW operator who sends so fast you can't even read his callsign
(DF5QG - sorry!) and only appears to listen on another band, a band I don't use.
Wolf has been doing a great job with WSQ, several of us locally have been
testing his modified version which works well - on topband. I would suggest
this mode is potentially ideally suited to LF and gets us away from the
'beacon' modes so frequently criticised on here.
I am frequently monitoring the 472kHz band - when LED lights permit - and look
forward to things settling down as the year progresses.
Vy 73,
Chris, G4AYT, Whitstable, Kent, JO01MI.
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