LF,
One of my objectives listed on my application for a NoV for 500kHz was to
assist other UK stations in their own experiments, acting as remote eyes
and ears, and it was in this role that I accepted Graham's request to join
him and others using ROS.
The mode has had a huge amount of press - negative and positive - and
being a one-person development (and closed source) is certain to be
controversial.
After installing the software on my NetBook (Samsung NC10 - the only
Windows PC I had available) I was initially bewildered by the look, feel
and configuration of the beast.
The continuous appearance of information relating to bands quite unrelated
to the band you've selected is annoying and, on the small screen of a
NetBook, very distracting - taking up valuable window space.
The MF mode, with it's 2 symbol rates, is nicely compact, in 100Hz
bandwidth, and the modem seems very sensitive - often (on a quiet band)
giving 100% copy of signals that were inaudible in the speaker and
invisible on a separate RX/waterfall (the netbook screen is too small to
allow me to use the ROS waterfall).
In the presence of lightning static crashes I found it less sensitive,
often failing to lock on weak signals, but coping only with those that
were both audible and visible.
As a QSO mode - yes it probably does very well, but the user interface is
awful - little documentation to get the casual user started - and the
continuously and pointless spots of other bands is enough to drive one to
distraction - and there is no way of storing a sequence of spots on the
band you're operating on, which means you can't easily digest just who has
reported your last transmission before it disappears, replaced by a spot
on 50MHz...
I am always interested in digimodes for QSOs, not just for beacons, but
ROS falls short, I'm afraid.
Mal's reported problems with both ROS and WSPR decodes failing might be
more a problem with his computer - as most people manage to decode WSPR
signals from the very weakest (just visible) at -30dB up to the very
strongest (bright white trace) at +10dB or more. Failure on stronger
signals is generally a timing issue - soundcard sample rate errors - and
failure to decode in general is a PC clock timing issue - the PC /MUST/ be
synchronised to UTC - via NTP/Dimension 4 or whatever. Window's own
inbuilt "network time sync" just isn't good enough.
Now - anyone want to try some other datamode (FSK only, Class-E amp) tests
this weekend?
For tonight I've got a CW beacon running on 501.5kHz but would be happy to
try a CW QSO if anyone hears me. Can't do x-band - no HF antenna....
Regards,
John
GM4SLV
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