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Re: [RTTY] [rckskimmer] Frequency accuracy of WZ7I RCKskimmer spots

To: <rckskimmer@yahoogroups.com>, "reflector RTTY" <rtty@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [RTTY] [rckskimmer] Frequency accuracy of WZ7I RCKskimmer spots
From: "Dave Hachadorian" <k6ll.dave@gmail.com>
Reply-to: Dave Hachadorian <k6ll.dave@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2014 11:24:20 -0700
List-post: <rtty@contesting.com">mailto:rtty@contesting.com>
I just turned on the radio at 1800Z, and saw the following spots from WZ7I-#:

1800Z  W1AW/7 21080.9  My K3/mmtty reports 21081.13

1802Z EA1HNP  14087.5  My K3 reports 14087.66

At 1805Z, WQ1H spotted W1AW/7 at 21081.1, agreeing with my K3.

In the last few minutes WZ7I-# also reports AG3V, WB4GLI, KI0KB, W6SFK, IK2RPE 
cq’ing on 21080.9.  These are actually stations working W1AW/7.

I guess I don’t understand what’s going on.  W1AW/7 is still there with a good 
pileup, so here is a chance for others to report some measurements also.

Thanks.

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ


From: Wes Cosand 
Sent: Friday, January 10, 2014 8:32 AM
To: rckskimmer@yahoogroups.com 
Subject: [rckskimmer] Frequency accuracy of WZ7I RCKskimmer spots

  

Hi Folk: 

I have received several emails suggesting that the spots from the WZ7I RTTY 
skimmer may be significantly off.  While it is not my aspiration to be a 
fiduciary frequency reference, I want to be accurate enough for the reported 
signal to fall within your RTTY passband filters.  That is not the case for 
some users.

During RTTY Roundup I used QS1R units for 40, 20, and 15 meters.  Each of the 
QS1R SDR units send RF to 16 instances of HDSDR.  Each instance of HDSDR is 
calibrated using the built in exalted carrier single sideband calibration 
facility against WWV.  Audio then goes from HDSDR to RCKskimmer.  Some users 
suggested that RCKskimmer must be introducing some systematic frequency error 
since spots from all RCKskimmer spotter stations seemed off.  

This week I used both RCKskimmer and MMTTY to monitor the W1AW bulletin Baudot 
transmissions on 80, 40, and 20 meters.  The frequencies reported by RCKskimmer 
were well within 100hz of the published frequency, Using LSB fed to MMTTY and 
observing the crossed ellipse display, the VFO dial frequency was quite close 
to the 2125hz difference from the published Mark frequency one would have 
predicted. 

During Roundup I was using a 25 year old Ten Tec on 10 and 80 meters so there 
is greater opportunity for inaccuracy on these bands.  Also RCKskimmer 
generates a low number of spurious spots by some mechanism I do not understand 
but they are usually out of band.  For any given 2.4 khz band segment there is 
some low but significant probability of making an error when I type the 
reference frequency into RCKskimmer or into HDSDR while setting up the 
receivers.

The W1AW digital bulletins are transmitted at 6 and 9 PM EST during weekday 
evenings.  The frequencies can be found at 
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-operating-schedule

If anyone has suggestions for how the skimmer spots can be improved I would 
certainly welcome an email.  I am aware of the issue of spots that are 
generated by stations in S&P mode.  Hopefully we can improve our skimming tools 
over the next few months but I, at least, am having fun with the present 
software.  Hope some of you are as well.   ... chuckle....

Wes, WZ7I
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