Hi Stefan !
Hi Rik, Steinar, Wolf, MF !

WSQ ... a real alternative to *CW*

An Alternative ? Yes, definitely! A Replacement for CW ? Never meant to be !

... as a _permanent used_ QSO data mode

It was also the discussion if it/there will be a real alternative to *CW*.

... a _LOT of CW activity_!

What is the preferred mode?

73 de dg3lv Tobias

Am 13.03.2015 um 00:10 schrieb DK7FC:

Hello Tobias, LF,

Recently my smartphone reminded me on an entry i made last year. We
discussed about the new WSQ mode and if it will be established as a
_permanent used_ QSO data mode. It was also the discussion if it/there
will be a real alternative to *CW*. I said i'll come back to you in a
year to see what happened. Now this time is over.
So, what do we see? Today is a quiet normal day, no special condx, no
special day (weekend or so), no special stations on the band (actually
we are all special :-) ) or activity announced but there was a _LOT of
CW activity_! (LOT is relative of course :-) ) See the attached image
from my MF grabber giving an overview of the MF CW range this evening
(first half of the evening).

Now, take a look at http://www.dxsummit.fi/#/?include=472kHz What do you
see? What is the preferred mode?

I think the situation is clear now. Actually it has been clear a year
ago as well ;-)

73, Stefan


Am 06.03.2014 15:41, schrieb Stefan Schäfer:

Am 06.03.2014 14:42, schrieb Tobias DG3LV:

The lack of QSO-activity of any mode is a social "problem" in my view.

Agreed. And that's why contests are so popular on the HF bands.
Actually many people don't know what to talk except "599 tu". Same in
SSB of course. That is the actual problem. And as long as this problem
exists, every QSO mode has to die after some time. Honestly, since the
last few years there have been several new (and of course better and
better and really better (like washing agent :-) )) QSO modes or non
QSO modes. They come and go. They are interesting for some time until
they become boring. Then the next one has to come. And the intervall
becomes shorter and shorter.

But somehow, there is that mode: CW. Take a look at
http://www.dxsummit.fi/CustomFilter.aspx?customCount=50&customRange=472 and
you will see that there is permanent CW activity, all around the year.
Do you remember, it is more than 10 years ago that a CW exam was not
part of the HF licence in Germany. And many of the class2 amateurs
(VHF/UHF licences) gibed "Hahaha, now CW will die out soon". But
somehow it does not, even without a new software update :-)

And that is the difference: In digimodes you press e.g. F3 to start
your call. In CW you do it by the "language" itselfe, which is fun for
itselfe! Thus, calling CQ for hours is possible without becoming
boring, just because it is music what you're listeng to! A non-CW man
never understood what that means to talk with your fingers. You can
sit at home, alone, and play your guitar and be happy, without someone
responding or applouding :-)

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.

Which is not the problem. You usually have only even one XYL, evening
by evening. Often you can hear her but sometimes you can't understand
her :-) Always the same suspect.

After some time its getting boring and unpolite to have a QSO several
times a day without any "news" to tell.

Same with some XYLs after some years? :-)

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.

...but there are several OMs who are happy to receive a signal to
copy! I've got several SWL reports, even by mail (not e-mail), of OMs
who are obviously fascinated by these "beacons" and ask for a QSL.
EA3LA, that's a good example. He took a video and uploaded it to
youtube. So obviously he must be fascinated, NOT bored by that
"beacon"! BTW if my power would be 20 dB down, he would hear NIL and
maybe says "the band is dead" and tell it to his friends in the local
club.
And, calling CQ is not a beacon at all, as long as someone is
listening between the calls and is ready to answer an audible signal.

There has to be a critical mass of people to keep a mode running.

Oh yes, same for CW, as we can see on LF :-(

People have to know about any new mode, so a high level of publicity
is mandatory to acheive that critical mass.

But in digimodes, where the above described effect (fascination of
listening to CW) is not present, that critical mass can never be hold!
Because, as you say, it's all the time the same if you don't know what
to tell. So, after a few QSOs, newcomers tend to become bored.

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.

Then let us wait another year and have a conclusion then :-) Maybe i
am wrong, which would be good :-)

73, Stefan/DK7FC