K3ZO said:
PED is really as far as I am concerned strictly a CW speed test,
whereas the N0SS-type tape simulates real on-the-air receiving conditions
to a much greater extent.
KL9A says:
The N0SS pileup tapes are great, and are definitely a good thing to use to
get practice for on the air action. However... they do not prepare anyone
for the insanity of a huge roaring pileup. Try PED in the Auto Pileup mode.
(code 0 in the .ini file.) The faster you work the stations, the bigger the
pileup gets. It is much harder than real life because you can't work guys
on the edge, or tail enders. It does help you pick through the QRM of those
really loud pesky (insert favorite EU country here) stations that won't stop
calling. PED is far from being only a speed test. You can also add in
noise, QRM, and fading... to simulate those really bad freqs or weird
conditions. Usually though, when you have a huge pileup, guys are loud. I
would probably be safe assuming that most stateside stations never get a
huge pileup. But I know PED has helped me a LOT when those EU's go nuts
(over a KL9... weird I know). If you're in a "high rate" area of the world,
or plan on going to one, I suggest trying out PED a few times in autopileup
mode. You will be surprised how much it helps when you get to the real
thing.
-Chris KL9A
http://www.qsl.net/kl9a
kl9a@qsl.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Laun K3ZO" <aalaun@attglobal.net>
To: <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 6:30 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] WRTC, PED, Pile-up Tapes
>
> Since these days I only look at the cq-contest digest every so often
rather
> than having each message dumped in my in-box, I am a little slow in
> commenting on this one, but did want to get my two cents' worth in since
> the subject is obviously of great interest to me.
>
> First of all, it is an error to lump PED together with the kind of pile-up
> tape that Tom N0SS puts together for the KCDX gathering at Dayton each
> year. PED is really as far as I am concerned strictly a CW speed test,
> whereas the N0SS-type tape simulates real on-the-air receiving conditions
> to a much greater extent. As Tom says, it is really a bit of a misnomer
> to call his test a "pileup" test because no more than two stations are
> transmitting at any given time on his tapes. With the added QRN,
> occasional chirpy or AC-type signal thrown in, etc, it does simulate very
> well what I found on the air in my various overseas assignments in years
> past. Actually with almost every contester now having access to a
> modern-day store-bought rig, the N0SS tape probably more closely resembles
> the CQM Contest of 1970 than it does any contest of today.
>
> While I think the N0SS-type tape provides the best "level playing field"
> that has ever been found -- as long as all the headsets are working the
> same --
> I have no opinion on whether or not it should be included as a permanent
> feature in WRTC. I do think it was interesting for the Slovenians to have
> included it in theirs, just as a variation on what had been done before.
I
> am sure there is no clear "right" WRTC model but that as, hopefully, WRTCs
> continue to take place every two or three years, there will be a
> convergence of ideas within the contesting community as to what its
> permanent features should be.
>
> I do think WRTCs are a much more accurate measure of on-the-air skills
than
> ARDF activities. I have been critical of the resources IARU has put into
> ARDF over the years because to me ARDF is not "real ham radio." I'm sure
> the various commercial and governmental interests who covet our
frequencies
> would be delighted to have us get more involved in ARDF so we would
> hopefully (in their view) come to care less and less about using the
> on-the-air spectrum we currently have available to us.
>
> 73, Fred Laun, K3ZO
>
>
> --
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>
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