I doubt that statistics on logging accuracy over the past few years
would suggest anything about people's ability to zero beat and therefore
make QSOs. I have often worked people who are much more than 400 hz off
frequency on CW and some on SSB who are several khz off and I find them
only because of splatter that seems to come on every time I stand by for
a call. Many people have no idea of how to set their offsets and others
just forget about the RIT or clarifier having been used before. Every
time I change rigs, I have to get a local friend on an 80 meter CW
traffic net to tell me where my signal is when I think I am zero beat to
his so I can adjust the RIT/clarifier on my rig accordingly. Some guys
don't seem to understand that they can compensate for their rigs and
their ears not being in sync by the regular use of the RIT/clarifier
when they are calling other stations. Of course, there may be a few
rigs that still disengage the RIT/clarifier when the frequency is
changed and those with such a rig have even more of a challenge to get
on the frequency of the station being called.
But, the reason that statistics for recent years wouldn't tell us
anything is that the logchecking for accuracy has so significantly
improved in recent years, resulting in operators' being more careful in
logging, that it would offset any trend to the contrary by people who
don't know how to operate their transceivers and "zero beat" the station
they are calling.
73,
John, K4BAI.
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