Calling CQ on PSK-31
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I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts
with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector is an incredible resource. -- Frank KD8FIP ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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I suppose if I had that problem, I would establish a QSO with someone who
had a good signal then ask them to stand by while you call CQ and ask them to listen and respond to it. That might eliminate the luck factor. Steve N4LQ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frank MacDonell" <[hidden email]> To: "Elecraft" <[hidden email]> Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 8:13 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 >I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts > with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. > But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not > seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector > is an incredible resource. > > -- > Frank KD8FIP > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Frank MacDonell
Just a thought from a PSK beginner, a 3 by 3 CQ in PSK31 is really short if you do the (IMO) right thing and listen carefully in between each CQ. Just a few seconds. Same with a CQ in CW at 20wpm or more, you're only on the air for a really short time. So unless the other station has a pan adapter, the likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty small unless it's a contest or QSO party situation.
Fortunately, there's not much shortage of other stations calling CQ if the band is open and during active times (i.e. in the morning or the evening when folks are coming home from work) so there's still plenty of opportunities to make QSO's. As pan adapters come into more widespread use, it'll be easier to browse the band for other stations too. So as my elmers used to tell me years ago, be patient and keep listening... 73, LS W5QD |
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Panadapter?
You can see most of the PSK section of any band on the software's waterfall....Assuming you're using software ie. MIXW etc. Steve N4LQ ----- Original Message ----- From: "lstavenhagen" <[hidden email]> To: <[hidden email]> Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 9:55 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31 > > Just a thought from a PSK beginner, a 3 by 3 CQ in PSK31 is really short > if > you do the (IMO) right thing and listen carefully in between each CQ. Just > a > few seconds. Same with a CQ in CW at 20wpm or more, you're only on the air > for a really short time. So unless the other station has a pan adapter, > the > likelihood of them happening to hear you during those times is pretty > small > unless it's a contest or QSO party situation. > > Fortunately, there's not much shortage of other stations calling CQ if the > band is open and during active times (i.e. in the morning or the evening > when folks are coming home from work) so there's still plenty of > opportunities to make QSO's. As pan adapters come into more widespread > use, > it'll be easier to browse the band for other stations too. > > So as my elmers used to tell me years ago, be patient and keep > listening... > > 73, > LS > W5QD > -- > View this message in context: > http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Calling-CQ-on-PSK-31-tp5035676p5036056.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Ah, very good point, tnx Steve. My CW bias and PSK beginnerism is showing here hi hi...
73, LS W5QD |
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Format your CQs so they include DE <call> <call> (i.e. your call twice after the DE.) Then use this site http://psk.gladstonefamily.net/pskmap.html to see whether anyone received you.
Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222 KX3 #110
* G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html * KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html |
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In reply to this post by Frank MacDonell
Personally, I don't have the patience for PSK (I don't care to hear what
kind of computer you're using and your dog's name on the first over) so my experience is limited. That said, although I know PSK has a reputation for being a mode where you don't need higher power or good antennas, your power is 10-20 dB below what the other guys are probably running and your antenna is another 10-20 dB below a dipole in the clear. When you answer someone he is more likely to pull you out than he would be if he was looking around for a QSO. Another factor if there are a lot of signals on the band is the poor (IMHO) practice of running the receiver with wide open i-f bandwidth. If there is a strong signal in the pass-band the AGC will tend to suppress the weaker signals. Of course, there is nothing you can do at your end about this. You are between a rock and a hard spot. You need to call long enough for someone to find you and their decoder to lock on to your signal and not so long that guys like me who find you think, "Will this guy ever stop calling CQ?" Also, I assume that you're calling on a band that is open. The bands are open more that a lot of people think, as a check of beacons can show; however, calling CQ with QRP and poor antennas will not bring much success without a lot of patience on your part. Hang in there or QRO. Wes N7WS --- On Tue, 5/11/10, Frank MacDonell <[hidden email]> wrote: I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector is an incredible resource. -- Frank KD8FIP ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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On May 11, 2010, at 9:26 AM, Wes Stewart wrote: > That said, although I know PSK has a reputation for being a mode where you don't need higher power or good antennas... That very well might be the reputation but I would take exception to that notion. Antennae systems *always* matter - especially on the digital modes. Regarding the original poster's question, I am on the digital modes a lot – almost every day. Finding stations to answer my CQ is highly variable. Los Angeles County in California isn't exactly rare DX. :-) A strong, sharp, clean trace in the 'fall will attract more responses. An overdriven trace will be shunned but mostly I find it is a matter of patience and looking on the right band at the right time. Julian, G4ILO's excellent suggestion to incorporate http://psk.gladstonefamily.net/pskmap.html to find out where people are listening and when will go a long way in helping you discover places and times you might be heard. The cool thing about PSK Reporter is that it is a tireless listener. It will log stations for you will you work, sleep or are otherwise engaged. The other day I noticed on PSK Reporter that central Eurasia was coming in at around 11pm local on 20m the last few nights. I called CQ and got 16 consecutive responses from European Russia, Asiatic Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and the Ukraine! A little mini pile-up. I felt like a big gun or a rare DXpedition. All this with 35 watts and a doublet. Additionally don't just sit on one frequency calling CQ. If one isn't working it may be that there is another, louder local station that you can't hear at all covering you up. Move, call QRL and try again. Another country heard from. 73 de Eric, KG6MZS ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by n7ws
"The bands are open more that a lot of people think, as a check of beacons can show; however, calling CQ with QRP and poor antennas will not bring much success without a lot of patience on your part".
And for propagation purpose,I have running on 7107 Khz for the last 2 months my K3 as a beacon with only 5W about 18 hours a day.I have received lots of reports by email from Canada,Venezuela,Colombia and many states as well.Use it if you can hear it.73 AD4C " ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by n7ws
Frank,
There are multiple reasons you are not getting a response. While it is true PSK is only a few dB better than CW under ideal conditions, some tend to pretend PSK is magical and very low ERP will work wonders. Unfortunately very weak signals are still very weak signals. They will just be buried in the noise on the other station's display. Even if they are printable when found, no one will see you. Length of CQ is especially a factor when a signal is really weak. It's kind of like a world where everyone is equal and held to the same low level, except with 5 watts and an indoor antenna you are probably among the lowest of the equally weak signals. You just won't stand out at all. CQing is not the way to go when the signal is barely above noise. Have fun calling people, that will be the best way with an indoor antenna and 5 watts. CQing will be frustrating. 73 Tom --- On Tue, 5/11/10, Frank MacDonell <[hidden email]> wrote: I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa. But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector is an incredible resource. -- Frank KD8FIP ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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