Hi Jim and group
Since you have dragged me into this debate Jim I feel obliged to respond.
To date you have not caused me any bother from your WSPR activities. This is probably due to your low TX power and antenna efficiency plus the distance separating us.
Nobody has a right to "A Frequency" on any band even though the RSGB would have you believe differently, especially on VHF but that's another issue. You have no need IMHO to feel you are a Johny come lately to 500kc/s it's your band as much as it is any one elses who satisfy OFCOMs requirements (I feel a bit of a fraud about that myself at times).
None of that is at issue, what is at issue is the mode that carries no identification what so ever, so how would Dennis actually know who is sending? Also weak signal modes is a misnomer in that weak to whom? The bloke 20 miles away it probably is weak but to the poor devil only a fraction of a mile away its a rock pounder! On HF where there is only short distance ground wave and fairly wide bands these constant carrier, unattended, switch on and forget, non two-way communication modes co-exist quite well with other traffic. However on 500 kc/s we have the benefit of very extended ground wave but the disadvantage of a very narrow band to operate two-way communications along side a constant carrier mode with no common means of contacting each other. AM, CW, FM and SSB are all transparent modes so if the channel (and that's all we really have on 500, not like in Norway) is
congested it is easy to ask a fellow op to stand by and that's what we do on CW and with the other transparent modes. We also don't need about 500 quids worth of computing gear to do it. And in any case even that would not help in the case of WSPR because it is not a two-way comms. system!
The argument will go I am sure, that us CW merchants should buy ourselves better CW filters and that my be the solution but please remember those of us who build and use cw tend to use simple gear but even with your (not you in particular but figuratively) FT1,000,000MFJ's will have the front end de-sensed by a whopping signal 1.5kc/s from the working channel. So that's the issue Jim.
IMHO it's not a compatible mode.
When I applied for my NOV I asked for it on the basis of working CW, QSOing in the Amateur fashion with some QRSS activity. I did not ask to use a constant carrier mode 24/7. I asked for CW thinking every body else was asking for the same, looks like I was wrong!
I am please to see the Norwegians seem to have got it completely right 17kc/s band with CW only.
This is not a debate the Europeans (apart from OZ,ON and now LA) or the USA or the Canadians can enter into because none allows two-way comms on 500kc/s. Those countries other than UK that do allow two-way comms on 500 are only sparsly populated with ops and do not see the issue from first hand but purely from a theoretical perspective and thats not the same thing.
73 es cul on TB AM or 500 cw Jim de petefmt.
From: James Cowburn <[email protected]>
Subject: LF: RE: Re: RE: Re: G3XIZ - 1000 th MF QSO
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, 10 November, 2009, 18:40
I was speaking figuratively as you are so near and on my xtl frequency. My comment was directed at Chris' statment in email subject1000 QSOs, who also suffers and others who have complained about beacons in general. In fact the band is often dead for hours on end and it is nice to find any signal, beacon or QSO, especially when testing. My point is that is there should be room for both beacons and QSOs, then follows a suggestion that LFrs may like to come to some agreement about reserving a section for each mode.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 4:51 PM
Subject: LF: RE: Re: G3XIZ - 1000 th MF QSO
Hi Dennis
I did not realize I was causing you QRM. A quick e-mail would have alerted me to it, rather than me being a “pain”. I’m happy to work out a compromise where we operate at separate times or if you suggest a different frequency for me to work on. Just drop me a line with your ideas on this.
Jim
Dr. James Cowburn G7NKS
Most wspr stations seem to congregate at the top end of the band and are not too much trouble. Jim G7NKS is the biggest pain as he sits on my xtl frequency and is so close. Maybe a compromise would be for people using beacons to keep to one segment of the band (hopefully not 502.2 kHz -hee)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 6:03 PM
Subject: LF: G3XIZ - 1000 th MF QSO
LF
It was a red-letter day today as I achieved my 1000th QSO using 600m.
This includes 72 cross-band contacts, virtually all of which were 600m / 80m.
Rog GW3UEP was my 1000 th QSO with runners up G3XPU - No. 999 and EI0CF - No. 998.
QSO break-down according to mode: 928 CW, 34 RTTY and 5 QRSS
600m STATIONS
My personal 600m (EU) spreadsheet lists a total of 59 stations and many of these go back to the start of the UK 600m allocation in March 2007.
Of these I have worked or heard only 15 in the past month (excluding beacons).
Many stations on my list came up only briefly and were never heard of again: G3KZU, G3YHV . . .
Others were once very active but have subsequently gone QRT: G3UNT,
G3VTT, G4GDR. . .
MOST FREQUENTLY WORKED
With so few active operators it is obvious that one will work the same stations many times and the top 10 stations account for 70% of my total contacts.
My most frequently worked stations are:
GW3UEP - 120 G3KEV - 102 M0FMT - 90 G3ZWH - 80 (alas now SK)
G3DXZ - 67 G4GDR - 60 EI0CF/ GI4DPE - 51 M0JXM - 48
G3UNT - 45 G3VTT - 38
CROSS-BAND AND EU STATIONS
There are a few 'regular' stations who listen to 600m and enjoy a cross-band QSO:
DK6NI, F6CNI, F6ACU, OH1LSQ, PA0LCE, G3TVF . . .
and our few EU MF friends are still active:
ON4KTJ, OR7T and OZ8NJ. .
.
WSPR ON 600m
I personally find it sad that the present level of enthusiasm for the WSPR mode was never achieved for hand sent Morse (CW), which after all is the mode which I call to mind when thinking of the old MF marine band.
If the WSPR 'enthusiasm' phase lasts, with more and stronger stations operating 24/7 in the narrow 3 kHz segment which is the 600m band then I guess it may be time for me to QSY.
73 Chris G3XIZ
