WQ6X fakes yet another State QSO Party WeekEnd

The 3rd weekend in September beginning 12:00z (5am) on Saturday brought us the beginning
of intertwining several state QSO parties, front-ended by the Scandinavian Cw contest. 

With access to WA6TQT's STN-1, the possibility of running QRP was very real; the challenge of course would be inserting my 5-watt "pipsqueak" over the poles, deep into the depths of Scandinavia, despite the incessant signal fading and the unpredictable atmospheric noise on the other end.  Just because I can hear them LOUD and CLEAR is no guarantee they can hear me - our signals likely travel different paths to reach their destination.

The proposed operating agenda for the weekend included:

1. [X] - Scandinavian Activity Contest
2. [X] - Iowa QSO Party
3. [X] - Texas QSO Party
4. [X] - New Hampshire QSO Party (NHQP)
5. [X] - Washington State QSO Party (Salmon Run)
6. [X] - NA SPRINT RTTY Contest

Friday evening was spent creating n1MM logs for each contest and importing N1MM function key macro files across the internet from the office computer in Alameda.  Operating STN-1 remotely
from my station setup in Concord gives complete access to the array of filters that make up what
I call "Stereo Audio" - the partial of a book I am authoring on the subject.

With a solar flux (SFI) of only 97, signals on 20 & 15 meters were often marginal at best - 10-meters has been a reliable no-show for weeks.  Stereo-CW (with its enhanced audio peaking) made weak Scandinavian signals highly readable, using the aux. notch filter to "shape" the noise accompanying the desired signal(s).

When 20-meters faded to EU, it was time to look for IA, NH and TX stations.  Only the TXQP could
be heard; 15-meters was all but dead until a handful of [non-Scandinavian] EU stations BOOMED in.  Unfortunately, USA was nowhere to be heard - perhaps the stacked yagi arrays (despite being fixed at 3-degrees) were skipping clear across the Atlantic "pond".  The reprieve came at 16:00z as the Washington state QSO party ("Salmon Run") started up from empty bands to a mild Washington
state pandemonium.

The overall operating goal was to tune the bands (checking bandmap spots) looking for stations to work, remembering to load the correct contest log before calling a station.  Just in case, the SAC contest setup for sending "5 N N  CA" (which was used in all the state QSO parties).

Running out of WA stations to call, it was time to call CQ on Ssb to see who we can "scare up".

The problem was that whether on Cw or Ssb non-Washington stations would call in even tho the
CQ message made it clear that I was in California (i.e. not Washington).

• On Cw: CQ WA WQ6X /6  WQ6X /CA
• On Ssb: CQ Washington State QSO Party - Whiskey Quebec 6 X-RAY,
  Washington Queen 6 X-RAY - QRP in California

I can't make it anymore clear than that.  While I was tempted to pen another "Why you should not call me" BLOG, I will spare you (altho to see an example of this kind of Blog [CLICK HERE]) Bottom-line, nearly 2/3's of the Ssb QSOs were accomplished by calling CQ, NoT from searching and pouncing (S&P).

Wrapped around the state QSO parties was the 24-hr Scandinavian Activity Cw (SAC) contest. 
In this event, the goal is to work only Scandinavian stations.  From time to time the decision was
made to call CQ SAC, looking for Scandinavian station who are S&P'ing rather than calling CQ.

While there was a SPRINT RTTY contest at 00:00 (5pm).  Unfortunately, I could not get the ad-HOC approach that usually works for remote RTTY to actually decode incoming signals altho transmitting RTTY worked FB.  After an hour of troubleshooting, the decision was made to get back to TXQP and WAQP while looking for a 40-meter opening to Scandinavia on Cw.

On Sunday, the goal was to continue TXQP and WAQP, switching between antennas pointed
90-degrees (TX) vs. 0-degrees (WA).

DiD you work the state QSO parties and the SAC Cw contest?

How many MULTs made it into your LoG?

XYZZY

WQ6x Wonders Woozily about the 4th Weekend in August Radiosport

From my perspective, this weekend was about making a presentation on Worked All States for the monthly meeting of the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA), The 10:30 AM presentation inserted nicely into a weekend with 3 minimal events:

• [X] - The Romanian YO DX Contest
• [X] - The Hawaiian QSO Party (HIQP)
• [X] - The Ohio QSO Party (OHQP)

 The 4th weekend in radiosport often varies depending
on whether or not there is a 5th weekend in August.

Prior to the W-A-S presentation, 20-meters produced a handful of contacts. 
After the ARCA meeting, I ran the YODX GiG and the opening scout for stations in
Hawaii (HI) and Ohio (OH). The Ohioans run their GiG until 04:00z (9pm PDT) - there
is NO "Sunday Do Over".

During the last hour of OHQP I utilized pre-defined function key macros to call "CQ OH".
Unfortunately, my CQ's brought in a slew of non-Ohio callers.  Out of frustration I posted
yet another Blog on the subject of why you should not call me.  ([CLICK HERE] to read that.)

Many Ohio stations don't have an "8" in their callsign, adding to the confusion.

In response to my "CQ OH", calls were received from the following Ohio stations:

K9NW, K1LJ, W4KD, WA3KYC and AB3AH.

K3YP/ASHT is the correct way for an Ohio station to send their callsign.

With OHQP over (at 04:00z), the focus returned to 20-meters and the YODX contest. 
The YO DX GiG resulted in 78 QSOs in the log with 2/3's of those being 4-point EU
QSOs and a few 8-point YO stations.

At 12:00z, YODX was over.  Technically, the Hawaiian HQP had another 16 hours to produce KH6/WH6 QSOs.  Unfortunately, that is not what happened at all.  For most of the day, no Hawaiian stations were heard.  I saw RBN spots for KH6KB and briefly KH6TU.  WH6R was spotted for a few minutes and briefly W1AW/KH6.  The problem was, if you missed those brief windows of opportunity or propagation was POOR during those moments, then for all intents and purposes, Hawaii on the air was not happening,  (Where were the usual Multi-OP stations like KH6LC?)

Late Sunday afternoon, KH6KB finally made it into the 20-meter log.  Later @3:45z, with 15-minutes to go, KH6KB was heard at the bottom of 40-meters.  While he was LOUD in Ramona, my attempts to work KH6 for a 2nd time.  All too often at 04:00z propagation to Hawaii is one-way - Bummer Dewd.  

With one more hour I coulda worked one more station. Instead of submitting a 1-QSO 3-point log,
my hope was to submit a 2-QSO 6-point log.  Oh, how CRUEL life can be.

WQ6X Works Weekend 4 and offers More Reasons why "YOU should NoT call Me"

If you have been following the WQ6X Blog over the years, you probably recognize the topic
variations on why "you should not call me".  ([CLICK HERE] to see where all this comes from.) 
Every time I post a new Blog in this arena, I keep thinking I've nothing more to say on the subject.
Then August contest weekend #4 happens.  As I worked my way through the process, the decision was made to document how I transformed an annoying operating experience to a "well-oiled" solution.

During August weekend #4, my radiosport time was focused on YODX Cw Contest and later the Ohio QSO Party (OHQP).  During both contest events, from time to time, I would run out of stations calling CQ that I could hear.  At that time, I pick a unique run frequency and put out a CQ for that particular contest.
For the Ohio QSO Party my CQ was EXPLICITLY CLEAR: CQ OH  WQ6X/6  WQ6X/CA.
Unfortunately, more non-Ohio stations called-in, than actual stations in Ohio.

This leads me to ask ONCE AGIN the key questions that this blog is all about.

• Do You know what "CQ OH" means?  - If NoT, then You should not call me.
• If You DO know what "CQ OH" means and you're not in Ohio?
  then You should NoT call me.
• Have you read the OHQP Rules?  If NoT, then You should NoT call me.
• If you HAVE read the rules, do you get that I am a California looking for Ohio station?
  If NoT.... you know the drill...
• Do you understand that "/6" and "/CA", mean that I am in California, not in Ohio?
  If NoT..... you need to review the State and Call Area ABBV's.
• If You DO know this is the OHQP and that I am a California station, what is your
  purpose for calling me?  I can't add you to my log so it means nothing. 
  When I say you're FIVE-NINE (5-9), I say that to EVERYBODY.  If you ARE REALLY 5-9, then your signal is blanketing the weaker signals (possibly from Ohio) disrupting an otherwise smoothly running RUN frequency.

As you can see from the blog picture above, an integrated set of function key definitions were derived

to make this unfortunate situation more manageable.

When I call "CQ OH....." I am looking ONLY for Ohio stations who will give me "5-9" and "XXXX" (their 4-letter county abbreviation) - state QSO parties are REALLY that simple.  Are YOU capable of following directions during a radiosport weekend?

In addition to Ohio QSO Party (OHQP), there was the Romanian YODX contest which I ran on Cw:
Similar to the QSO party, running out of stations calling CQ, I found a "quiet" frequency and put out
a CQ YODX for myself.  I used 2 variations:

• CQ YO Test  WQ6X  WQ6X
• CQ Test YO WQ6X  WQ6X

Again, we ask the fundamental questions:

• Do you know what "YO Test" or "Test YO" means?
  If not, then you should NoT call me.
• If you have not read the YODX rules, then you should NoT call me.
• If you HAVE read the rules, then you know I am looking for "5-N-N and Serial#".
  When I ask for your NR?  I do NoT want your state, I want a QSO number.
  If you don't know what a Serial/QSO number is, then you should NoT call me
• If you DO know that I want a Serial #, then why are you sending me your state?

Have I left anything OUT?

To wrap-up this little rant, I leave with the ending to the last Blog on this topic:

Bottom-line is to take each situation as it presents itself and then move forward. 

There is a time and a frequency for you to call me.  I look forward to adding your
callsign to my contest log - just doit in the right way at the right time.

Still Continuing Reasons why YOU Should NoT Call ME

Often, when I run a contest frequency I get:

• the WEIRDSET Calls at

• the WEIRDEST Times for

• the WEIRDEST Reasons

• Creating the WEIRDEST Results

Why would stations literally BLINDLY call me? 
Are they:

• DRUNK?

• UNCONSCIOUS?
• OBLIVIOUS?

• 1/2 Asleep?

• LoST?

• ConFused?
• Under Hypnosis?
  
•  FILL-IN the BLANK

One thing is certain, even if they send me the WRONG exchange information, I will enter what it SHOULD BE into the log.  They are so clueless that they will never figure out how to submit a log.

Let me be clear here: I love putting VALID QSOs into the log - 1-point is better than 0-points.
However, it often seems like the stations who don't have a clue require 2x to 3x the time and
effort to get that QSO point, then it does with callers who call-in, send a QUICK exchange and
then quickly move on.

I have written about this Ad-nauseam ([CLICK HERE]) and yet new variations on the theme
manage to surface in nearly every contest weekend.  And then of course we have the Tune-Up
turkeys who are always oblivious to who is actually using a frequency and for what purpose.

The OP's who really amaze me, are those who reply to my contest CQ and then go into RAGCHEW mode.  I at least am usually able to determine "Name and State" which we are looking for in GiGs like NAQP and some state QSO parties.

Successful radio communication all begins with listening.  Before calling CQ, we should first listen for the frequency not being in use and then ASK if the frequency is in use.  With no reply to our query the frequency is available for whatever purpose we choose.

When calling other CQ'ers we need to first ask what we are looking to accomplish by initiating communication.  When we hear a station calling CQ we should ascertain what that station is looking for.  Assuming the two goals are compatible then give them a 1 x 2 call (their callsign once, and your callsign twice).

If the station is calling CQ for a contest intriguing but not known to me, if necessary, I will look
the event up on the WA7BNM Contest Calendar.  Using N1MM+ to run contests, after first reading
the rules, the next step is to setup a new contest event under the logger.  With logging ready to go,
I type the caller's callsign into the callsign field and press F4 to send my callsign announcing myself. 
All this can happen in under 5-minutes.

Over the years I have encountered a plethora of Japanese (JA) stations who always tune-up approx. 500-Hz offset from my run frequency - at LEAST they give me a QSO after the annoying carrier.  

Because I utilize a pair of Autek QF-1A filters to create the Stereo-CW method, the Aux. Notch filter in each unit can manually take out the carrier w/o disturbing CW copy - something DSP DNF (Digital Notch Filter) units cannot do w/o obliterating the Cw as well.  So-called "analog" technology is still quite viable in modern day radio installations.

Let's consider the other side of working WQ6X.  Occasionally a station will call-in asking what the contest is all about.  

I am quite willing to make time and explain the procedure - what I get out of doing that is a QSO-point and possibly down the line another callsign has been added to the radiosport world - future QSO points.

Bottom-line is to take each situation as it presents itself and then move forward. 
There is a time and a frequency for you to call me.  I look forward to adding your callsign
to my contest log - just doit in the right way at the right time.

QRZ?

WQ6X Offers ThoTs on the IARU HF Championship WeeKend

Being that the IARU is "subsidiary" to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the IARU HF Championship is a reminder that we should leverage the upcoming IARU HF Championship into an opportunity for global interconnectedness between all countries.  As I recall, there are teams competing from Ukraine and Russia and about 30+ other countries.

In brief, we could say that the IARU HF Radiosport contest is a perfectly unique 24-hour compromise between the 48-hour CQ WW and ARRL DX contests events.  Some of the differences include:

• IARU uses the IARU zones instead of the 40 CQ-Zones, states, or power levels.
• Being a 24-hour contest (instead of 48), there are no 2nd-day "Do Overs" - if we miss something, we miss it.
• The IARU championship leverages BOTH Cw and Ssb in one 24-hour period.
  Of course, one of the IARU contest challenges is which operating mode to use and when.
• Every 4-years the IARU contest coincides with the WRTC championship (the Olympics
  or World Cup of radiosport).

Because this is a worldwide
event, solar disturbances will distribute unevenly around the globe, favoring
(or disfavoring) different areas at different times. 

The REAL challenge for radio operators worldwide is navigating the geomagnetic effects by changing antenna direction(s) or making a sudden band change to leverage current ionospheric conditions.  

We often rely on reasonably consistently predictable propagation shifts to specific areas of the world at specific times - solar disturbances can either shift the shift or distort it altogether.

Running a multi-mode event offers the opportunity to leverage both Stereo-SSB as well as Stereo-CW methodologies.  Having decided to reprise the Ramona QTH again this year, the question becomes what power level (5-watts or 99-watts) to run. The influencing factors behind the decision include Propagation, Space-WX and Antenna settings.  

Even when they are available to me I don't turn on KW amplifiers when running Single-OP. 
For me, amplifiers are just one more thing that can go wrong.  At Anza, occasionally an amp has failed during an NX6T multi-OP run, requiring we switch to the backup station or revert to Low Power (LP); however, once you begin with HP, that is the classification the log will be submitted in after the contest.

Whenever possible in ARRL contests, I am always looking to be a part of setting Section and/or Division records.  In the IARU contest, in recent years, I have been a part of 5-records, with some
of them from running Single-OP of some sort.

This year, for me, plopped in the middle of Saturday morning is the first Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) Zoom training session during 16:00z to 20:30z of the IIARU contest - some screen juggling may be in order.  Thanks to a 32" monitor, the goal will be to position the VNC viewer and Zoom windows next to each other during those 4+ hours.  I guess we can call this SO2E (Single-OP 2-Events).

Prior to the contest, the 4-voice memories ion the remote K3 have been loaded, such that theoretically, we can Search & Pounce (S&P) w/o needing a microphone during the entire 24-hour contest period.

To use more than four voice memories,
I can turn on the VOX and use a locally
run copy of N1MM+ to play out local .WAV files, offering 8-to-12 additional verbal expressions.

When running Ssb, the N1MM function
keys F1 to F4 map to the M1 to M4 buttons
on the K3 radio series.  Voice memories
are recorded during a time when there is no internet jitter during the recording process.  Later, when jitter sets in, the memories will play correctly anyway.

Having a microphone connected to the radio along with a foot switch enables saying things that were not pre-recorded.  However, in general, using the voice memories most of the time reduces voice fatigue - especially near the end of the contest.

For Cw, the function key macros become a set of 12 messages that like the voice memories
will play out correctly even if there is internet jitter on my side of the connection.  Notice some
of the more unique function messages like "ROGER" and "WEIRD".  When operators do dumb
things, I salute them with the "W E I R D" key.  On Ssb, function key F-12 can play out the WEIRD.Wav file.  When asked if they got my exchange correctly, function key F9 sends: "R-R-R"

as in "Roger, Roger, Roger".  Otherwise, the necessary correction is sent and we go-round again.

With barely 13-hours remaining before contest start, it would seem that WQ6X is ready for yet another annual installment in the on-going saga of the IARU HF championship, with this year's attendant WRTC 50-team competition.

Are YOU geared up to run the IARU HF championship?

LooK for WQ6X on HF bands EVERYWHERE.

 

WQ6X offers REMEDIES for Reasons Why YOU Should NoT Call Me

Frustration over the 2nd contest weekend brought back memories regarding why much of the time, stations should NoT call me.  ([CLICK HERE] to see what I have previously written on this subject.

It occurred to me that the above Blogs have said all there really is to say on the subject of
Why You Should NoT Call Me.  This last weekend brought us the OP's S/E of Anza who
called in after my CQ JA NX6T NX6T call.  They heard me sending my Zone, so they 
sent me THEIR Zone. 

My opening question is of course "DO YOU KNOW WHAT CQ JA Means?"......
Instead of circling endless in that logic pool, allow me to offer some simple preventative
 remedies to the above circle.

For starters, when you hear a CQ call (Ex: CQ NA, CQ JA, CQ EU) do you understand what
they mean?  If NoT then you should NoT call in.  The correct action is to look up the CQ call
on the internet and follow the links to the rules for the event.

That's Right - it all begins with RTFR - Read The Contest Rules.  From the rules, you will know
who to call and who not to call.  Make note how many points you get for contacting stations in/out
of your country/continent

Overall things to consider include:

• Devise a band plan 
  --- Upper bands in the daytime
  --- Lower bands after sunset
  --- 20-meters and Greyline are unique unto themselves.
• If antennas are rotatable, set them to the proper azimuth heading.

If you like calling CQ, appropriate to the event, you can devise an appropriate CQ call:

• CQ GA  WQ6X/6   WQ6X/CA
  Transl: I am looking for stations in GA.
  WQ6X is in California - the 6th Call area.
  WQ6X is NoT in GA - he is LOOKing for GA.

NoW - when you call CQ, be prepared for Billy-Bob and his brother Barney to wanna
join in the fun - whatever THAT is.  Remember this: Just because you should not call ME,
doesn't necessarily mean that you should not call others.

When nothing else seems to work, consider pointing antennas in a long path (LP) direction relative
to the QTH areas you are looking for.  I've lost count of the number of times I turn the stacked yagi arrays to VK/ZL only to have OH & SM stations call in - LOUD and CLEAR!

In summary, it ALL begins with:

• Visit the WA7BNM Contest Calendar - click on a contest to your liking
  
• Visit that contest website and RTFR - read the rules of that specific event.
• Write a participation plan.  Be prepared to alter the plan details as
  the event progresses.
• After the contest, submit your log and post your score to the
  3830 Scores website.

Radiosport involvement can be a high-energy, high-functioning activity when
we have Read the Rules and organized a specific plan to make it happen throughout
the contest weekend.

StaY TuNeD for Further Thoughts on this unique topic.

Further Investigations into those ubiquitous Russian Military Beacons

Over the last 9 years, I have written extensively about the ubiquitous Russian military beacons.  Recently, using those beacons during numerous radiosport contests, it occurred to me that due to recent Russian military escalations, we are overdue for an update on the status of these beacons,
at least the Eastern Asian ones.  ([CLICK HERE] to read some of those Blogs.)

In my thinking, there are two groups of Russian beacons: those based in North/Central Europe
and the beacon trio operating in Eastern Asia ("F", "M" & "K").  I first heard the EU beacons on the University enTwente Dutch SDR.  In doing research for this new Blog entry, it made sense to return
to that SDR during the EU evening/nighttime hours to discover which ones could be heard.

On the Asian end of things, while I frequently rely on the Eastern Asia beacons
("F" (Vladivostok), "M" (Magadan) and "K" (Kamchatsky)), frequently for whatever
reason, one or more of those beacons appear on the west coast to be AWOL.
To investigate that situation, a search was made to find web SDR in and around
Asia solely for the purpose of listening for this trio of beacons.

For some time, only the [relatively LOUD] "K" beacon could be heard in California. 
Recently, the "F" beacon could be weakly heard, altho the "M" seemed dormant. 
Having bookmarked over a dozen Asian-based web SDR sites, late in the morning
(evening in Asia) I cycled thru the SDR list noting which beacons were being heard
when / where at times when the bands should be open to those areas.

As it turns out, all 3 Asian beacons are active, altho the "F" and "M" beacons are clearly
running on reduced power (compared to past years) or there are antenna problems (or both). 
Being geographically closer to California, the "K" beacon is always reasonably LOUD. 
The fact that we have difficulty hearing "F" and "M" beacons may have less to do with lack
of propagation, then it does with the beacon installations themselves.

Tuning around, it was noticed that the "A" & "P" beacons seem to be off the air.  Near those frequencies an "I" beacon and "L" beacon were heard. The "I" beacon was very weak, while
the faster "L" beacon was relatively strong.  The PRIYOM.org website is where I first discovered
these beacons.  At this time. it would seem that the "I" and "L" beacons are not yet documented.

Now that the operational status of the Asian beacons have been [relatively] confirmed, attention
can be given to Europe - the missing "A" and "P" beacons and the arrival of the "I" & "L" beacons.
Then again while writing this Blog entry, listening one the 10.871 frequency, the "A" beacon was heard, albeit barely - very weak.

This brings us to a final conclusion.  While signal levels from each of the individual beacons are certainly affected by atmospheric propagation (the main reason we listen for them), remember that these beacons are what I call self-autonomous - a human being initiates their operation and then comes back every few years to check out the hardware.

With the Japanese JIDX Cw contest coming up on April 11th, closer attention/scrutiny will be given to the East Asian beacons ("K", "F" and "M").  Awhile back, with the assistance of the Gemini A-I facility, I unearthed the mysteries regarding the "DW" (Desert Whooper) beacon. 
([CLICK HERE] to read that.)

Whether we pay attention or not, the HF radio spectrum is LITTERED with propagation beacons
that we radio amateurs (especially radiosport contesters) can take advantage of.

Have YOU ever listened to the above mentioned propagation beacons?

What Discoveries have YOU made?

SSB in Radiosport: LEARNING the ART of HoW to Listen

It is no secret that in radiosport I prefer CW contests 1st, RTTY contests 2nd and Ssb contests
a distant 3rd.  I have previously written about what makes Cw contests my favorite ([CLICK HERE]
to read about this).  With CW/RTTY contests, speaking dialects are NoT a problem - we use limited variations on English to get the message thru.  (The use of Q-Codes makes a HUGE difference.)

While it is true that Crappy Cw and off-frequency RTTY signals can make for tricky copy, RTTY signals can be tuned in using the R-I-T (Clarifier) control, and we can ask for repeats on Cw until
we get it right.  With Ssb (voice), in DX contests, repeats are all too often necessary. 
As I mentioned in the write-up on the ARRL DX Ssb contest ([CLICK HERE] to read that),

Non-English-speaking stations often think they heard me say:

• WQ4X - Whiskey Quebec Four Xray - HuH? - How does SIX become FOUR?
• Whiskey Quebec Six Foxtrot - HuH? - How does XRAY become FOXTROT?

I would then say "California - Charlie Alpha" - transl. "Charlie Alpha" is in the SIXTH (6th)
call area.  In retrospect, I should have used several of the pre-recorded .WAV files to say
my callsign in four different ways. As they say - maybe next time.

Things to do for an improved Ssb radiosport operating experience include:
For RECEIVE

• Leverage the filter systems built-in to the radio itself.
  Example: the FT-1000mp and FT-2000 transceivers I use are equipped with
  some form of a CONTOUR facility (the FT-2000 Contour control is linearly-variable)
  
  
  
  
• Implement external audio filters to contour the audio passband to improve the listening experience.
• I utilize a pair of audio mixers:
  - A USB powered unit for processing 1/8" cables to blend the input.
  - A Rockville 4-channel stereo unit supporting RCA cables.
  
  
  
• The Rockville unit combines audio from a number of different filter units:
  - A pair of Autek QF-1a units to run Stereo-Cw and Stereo-RTTY
  These filters are front ended by a Radio Shaft 16-band Stereo Equalizer
  - A pair of MFJ 752 "Signal Enhancer" units for Stereo-Ssb
  
  
  
• An MFJ-783 Super DSP filter to supplement Ssb audio in the left channel.
• A JPS NIR-10 cascaded into an NIR-12 to supplement filtering in the right channel.

For many operators the above layout may seem daunting.  In fact, once a "sweet spot" is found,
these settings can then be left for future operations.  Altho I don't use one, you might find it useful
to create an audio filter "cheat sheet" to record the ideal settings for each approach used, similar to the way we do with manually adjusted antenna tuners.

I am a hopeless knob twiddler, living under the probably delusional illusion that proper knob
twiddling can make a hopelessly unreadable signal to become readable.

It's one thing to improve Ssb reception to reduce the number of repeats.  However, if the quality
of your Ssb audio is questionable, repeats will still be necessary.  Once we have the receive-side of the equation worked out, next up is to optimize the transmit side of the operation; first mic filter wise, followed by perfecting how we actually use the hardwire to get our vocal communication thru.

The choice of microphone(s) makes all the difference.  Using a simply 4-port switch box
the following can be switched into the transmit audio line:

• A $13 Ebay-special full frequency microphone
• A Heil PRO-set
• A Radio Shaft stereo microphone (intended for reel-to-reel tape recorders)
• RTTY transmit audio from the laptop sound card

While many of the newer design transceivers come equipped with (usually menu driven) equalizer capabilities, we can front-end older transmitters and transceivers with equalizers similar (if not identical) to the ones we use on receive.  Different microphones offer different frequency response curves and output levels; a stereo equalizer can be set for two different microphones (or audio sources).

Using an audio switch box or audio mixing unit to select the microphone appropriate to the operation at that time (Ex: ragchewing, net control work or contest running).  

Of course, the efficacy of proper equalization can easily be undermined by having the mic gain and/or speech processor settings set exceedingly high.

To gain certainty on how our transmit audio sounds, listen to the audio via
the MONI circuit built-in to many transceivers. 

However, if "distortion products" enter the PA amp after the Moni circuits, the only accurate way
 to know that is an external receiver (w/the RF gain turned down to prevent front-end overload distortion). 

Another approach is to listen to your signal by way of a webSDR that can hear the signal at a decent level.  Many SDR's sport "waterfall" spectrum displays offering a visual representation of signal quality.  Additionally, many SDRs support signal recording for replay and analysis later.

The final step in perfecting Ssb audio is to rehearse/practice what you will be saying in advance of
the contest event.  While you're at it, recording .WAV/.MP3 files will not only save your voice later,
it will capture and repeat perfect pronunciation (when you eventually do get it right).

As you can see, successful listening isn't JUST about listening - there are many factors involved.

Do YOU run Ssb radiosport contests?

What do YOU use to improve audio continuity?

WQ6X Wings a WEIRD NAQP RTTY GiG and NCQP QSO Party

The 2o26 contest weekend brought us a radiosport weekend bridging Saturday (in FEB) and Sunday
(in MARCH).  The 12-hour NAQP RTTY contest always runs the 4th weekend of February, which
this year scheduled it in heel of the month of February, with the NAQP QSO Party always on the
1st Sunday of March, which occasionally follows NAQP Saturday?  Sound complicated?  I guess
it all depends on your point of view.

The weekend brought us 3 radiosport GiGs, only 2 of which were available to me.

• [X} - CQ 160 Ssb Contest
• [X} - NAQP RTTY Contest
• [X} - NCQP North Carolina QSO Party

The Anza superstation was already claimed for the weekend, so there was no CQ 160-meter
activity for WQ6X on this weekend, which is fine by me - even with a simple exchange as "5-NINE CALIFORNIA", over two evenings, one's voice can be seriously compromised over the coarse of two contest evenings.

Saturday morning, a meeting of the Amateur Radio Club of Alameda (ARCA) pre-empted an early NAQP RTTY start.  When I finally got behind the radios @W7AYT's Concord QTH, the remote location in Ramona was experiencing internet dropouts making remote running all but impossible.  Similar to the weekend before, the decision was made to run RTTY locally from the Concord location using the onsite Yaesu FT-2000, running about 75-watts RTTY.  

For 20 & 15, the 10-meter Long John yagi was tuned as a rotating dipole.  On 40-meters, a classic 8JK Cobra dipole wire array more or less did the job.  Unfortunately, signal levels were so low, in the end, only 26 QSOs (16 Multipliers) made it to the WQ6X Log.  At least it can be said that WQ6X made the scene.

For Sunday, the day opened running 16:00z TO 18:00z until there were no new callsigns to work.  Because I had a biofeedback client scheduled for my Alameda office, a break was made to get to Alameda to take care of business.  At 21:20z I was back at it, again finding new stations to work. 
On a whim, @21;34z the radio made it to 40-meters with the stacked 40-meter yagi's at the Anza location pointed directly at North Carolina to put 2-QSOs in the log - amazing for so early in the afternoon.

At 23:54z, with just over an hour left, the decision was to end the NCQP running on 40-meters. 
After nearly an hour with only 11 40m QSOs in the log, the decision was made to Call CQ NAQP. 
As it turns out, only ONE out of 6 callers was actually in North Carolina.  Out of frustration, another installment was made in the Blog series detailing why you should not call me.  ([CLICK HERE] to
read that Blog entry.)  Aside from the single NC QSO in the log, at LEAST there was a plethora of RBN SPoTs.

When it was all over WQ6X managed a 1st-place for CW-only from California.

DiD YOU work the NAQP RTTY or NCQP QAO Party?

Is WQ6X in YOUR LoG?

WQ6X Reiterates Reasons Why YOU Should Not Call me.

Running an ad-HOC North Carolina QSO Party (NCQP), near the end, I ran out of NC stations calling CQ (that I could hear at any rate), so I modified the F1-CQ macro to call CQ for NCQP looking to pick up any NC stations that (for whatever reason) are not calling CQ.  This is what I sent:

• CQ  NCQP  WQ6X/6  WQ6X/CA

TRANSLATION: I am calling CQ looking for NC stations in the NCQP.
                             This is WQ6X in the 6th call area and therefore in CA.

Now NOWHERE does the above call indicate (or even suggest) that I am in North Carolina,
that in FACT I am in the state of California.  It would seem to me that the above CQ call makes
it clear that I am calling from California and NoT North Carolina.
And yet, of the 6 stations who called me, only ONE (NC4KW) was actually in North Carolina.

It is from years of participation in other state QSO parties that I began a series of Blogs on the 
topic of Why You Should NoT Call Me.  ([CLICK HERE] to read some of these Blog entries.) 

While I have said all of this before, let's review the above reasons in the context of the North
Carolina QSO Party (NCQP).

• Do you Know What NCQP Is?  (If NO, then you should not call me.)
• Do you Know That WQ6X/6 means I am not in North Carolina? 
  (If NO, then you should not call me.  If YES, then you should not call me)
• Do you Know That WQ6X/CA means I am in California not in North Carolina? 
  (If NO, then you should not call me.  If YES, then you should not call me)
• Do You Know that even if I DO send you an exchange your callsign will then
  be WIPED and NoT added to the Log?  BoTTom Line? - You should NoT call Me.
  
• Do you know that when I am running a contest that I am NoT looking to Ragchew?
  If you want to chit-chat, then you should not call me.
• If I am asking for a particular station and YOU are NoT that station, 
  then you should not call me.
• If we have already worked on this band/mode, then you should not call me.
  
  
  
  

Now as it turns out, there was a contest known as "SST" running on 20-meters in much
the same frequency space as the NCQP and POTA events.  However, that is no excuse
for NoT listening and BLINDLY calling me.

• If you hear me call CQ for a contest event and you don't know what that is,
  then you should not call me.
• Instead, lookup the contest name (in this case NCQP) on the internet and then
  RTFR - Read The Rules.
• Another approach is to LISTEN to stations working the contest, and you will quickly
  learn the proper exchange for the event.   Then again, if I am calling for North Carolina
  and you are not in North Carolina, then you are wasting your time.

In order to become successful at ANY form of radio communication endeavor, before we thrust our callsign into an already cacophonous frequency spectrum, we should FIRST and FOREMOST
LISTEN BEFORE WE TRANSMIT.  Then, after transmitting, we should LISTEN AGAIN!

I look forward to a QSO with you in the various radiosport contests coming up. 
Listen first and then call me in the appropriate contest at the appropriate and we
can share entries in each other log.

C U Down the LoG.

Some CooL ThoTs on HoW NoT to RuN a Frequency

During any given radiosport contest, we spend an inordinate amount of time look for stations
(hopefully multipliers) running a frequency.  The idea is to "brave the pileup", slip the callsign
in once and receive a contest exchange immediately in return.  Would that it be that easy.  

All too often we end up chasing run stations that simply do NoT HAVE a CLUE how to actually
run a frequency with any kind of efficiency.  After thinking it through a list emerged on HoW NoT
to run a frequency.  Here are some examples:

• Wait only 1-Second between CQ calls
  It takes me at least 1.5-seconds to press the F4 key to send you my callsign.
  
  
  
  
• Make 10+ QSOs without sending us your callsign.
  Many contests require sending your callsign for every QSO
  or every 3-QSOS.
  
  
  
  
  
• Call for "WQ6?" and end up working KB4LID instead.
  
  
  
  
• Working too close to the band edge (Ex: 7.299) - to work you, we risk
  an O-O transmitting out-of-band violation.
  
  
  
  
  
• Signing a callsign not indicating the ACTUAL area you are from: (Ex: a KH7 in AZ)
  Some RTTY contests REQUIRE signing the call area you are actually in. 
  Ex: KH7XX/W7 if you are operating from Arizona.
  
  
  
  
  
• When you have a pile-up of stations, someone asks you to work them on another band or mode and you leave us STRANDED to satisfy his request.  Should we STAY or should we GO?
  
  
  
  
  
• Calling CQ when you already have 7+ callers frantically calling in.
  
  
  
  
  
• Running 35-WPM Cw and wondering why nobody is coming back to your
  CQ S55SS call.  When you QRS to 28-WPM, suddenly you are flooded with
  calling stations - GO Figure.
  
  
  
  
  
• NoT pronouncing your callsign slowly and succinctly.
  Bottom line - if we can't understand you, we either cannot work you or we put
  the wrong callsign in the log and we both get dinged with a NIL (NoT-in-Log)
  mistake and lose QSO credit.
  
  
  
  
• When running RTTY, always prefix the QSO exchange with the caller's callsign,
  lest some other station (with perfectly decoded copy) thinks you are working them.
  
  
  
  
• NoT understanding or using R-I-T to tune off-frequency calling stations to work
  them and then be done with them.  Using the {ClearRit} macro (N1MM+) when
  sending TU QRZ? resets the RX-VFO for the remaining callers who ARE on frequency.
  Using the Stereo-RTTY method makes it more aurally easier to tune in stations.
  
  
  
  

The above points are simply the most OBVIOUS ways NoT to Run a Frequency.
As more ideas are encountered a "Part-2" will be created along this topic line.

What are YOUR thoughts regarding running frequencies?

SoMe MoRe ThoTs on SteReo RTTY

While Stereo-RTTY (a late descendant of Stereo-CW) is hardly a new idea, recent months have
found me experimenting with different ways to actually achieve the most effective results using this method.  In summary, the "Stereo" audio approach involves using a pair of audio filters (I prefer Autek QF-1A's) to create a near 180-degree wide listening experience.  Overall, this audio effect in essence creates/generates a "bandpass filter" within which to "play around" inside.

Before writing this Blog, a SEARCH was done regarding Stereo RTTY posts in this Blogspot:

• [X] - (2o22): Stereo-RTTY: Is It Possible? (What can We Do with it?)
• [X] - (2o22): Stereo-RTTY: How can We Leverage It?
• [X] - (2o24): Stereo-RTTY Revisited (Yet Again)
• [X] - (2o20): BLAST from the Past: External Audio Filters I have Known
• [X] - (2o24): Demonstrating the Stereo-Radio concept - for YOUR Satisfaction
• [X] - (2o24): Using Stereo Ssb in Worldwide DX Contests
• [X] - (2o24):  BLASTS from the PAST: Stereo CW and it's many Variants.

With RTTY, because we use 2 (170-hz separated) tones, we can adjust the individual filters to "peak" those tones in each ear.  Stations who call in off-frequency will be attenuated to the degree that they are off frequency.  The selectivity control on most filters enables us to control the breadth and depth
of that attenuation.

Using the R-I-T control, off-frequency stations can be "centered" by peaking both tones in both ears. 
You should notice a noticeable improvement in the RTTY decoding as the tones are peaked in each ear.  Because RTTY tones are ALWAYS 170-hz apart, the external audio filters can be set to enhance the audio frequency pair of your choosing.

Experimenting with different decoders can also enhance the quality of the decoding process.
Some operators keep 2 or even 3 different decoders running (often on separate screens) with the
hope that at any given moment, one of the decoders will make sense out of seeming-gibberish to the other programs.

Like ANY of the "Stereo" methods I make use of in Radiosport, to get the most out of these methods, spending LoTs of listening time to learn the proper filter adjustments will find you more than ready when the next RTTY contest comes up.

Do YOU run RTTY?

If you're not using Stereo-RTTY, then you are missing out on leveraging 20th-century analog
technology in today's 21st-century radiosport world.  GO ahead - Give it a try.