W7IUV wrote:
>Bill's comment about computer aided QSO's set me off,
>because I have been exposed to this attitude quite a
>bit over the last year and I find it annoying. It
>shows a complete lack of understanding of how the new
>digital modes work.
Larry, I believe I understand how QRSS works
but it absolutely cannot be done without other means
of communications. The reason is that the 0.033 Hz
bandwidth VA3LK used to make the first transatlantic
"QSO" on 137 kHz requires very precise setting of the
receiver. Furthermore that mode sends at 0.8 words
per hour, so it would take 1.25 hours to send "W7IUV"
just once! As you point out, there hasn't been much
success to date with digital modes on 160 which I
feel may be due to at least two unique problems.
1. Extreme amplitude QSB and thus the need to complete
QSO's in seconds rather than minutes (or hours for really
narrowband modes like QRSS).
2 Phase QSB which may confound phase-sensitive modes
like PSK.
For whatever reason, I've never been interested in
computer-to-computer modes (QRSS or Internet Q's)
which exclude "my" computer (between my ears). So far,
I don't see digital having huge success on the low bands
except for modes like QRSS that absolutely REQUIRE
coordination via other communication means like Internet.
I don't know much about VHF modes other than QRSS,
but from what I've seen on Packet, it appears some VHF
folks are years ahead of us in making "Internet QSOs".
Let's listen to a QRSS pileup on 160 for P51AA!
Assume for simplicity it takes only 30 minutes to decode
a call...oops that's someone calling the P5...got to listen
another 30 minutes to the next waterfall blip. Aha...now
I've got him...so I call him (which takes another 30 minutes).
Now P5 is answering someone (which takes another 30
minutes) but darn, it's W8JI! I have to wait another 30
minutes for Tom to complete his exchange, then another
30 minutes for the P5 to confirm and start listening
again. But oops...did I neglect to mention the opening
only lasted a grand total of 5 minutes around my sunrise
...and that was about 3 hours ago! Oh well...
I don't know about you but this is definitely not
interesting to me. I like the FIRST digital mode (i.e. CW).
It works best given the unique characteristics we have
to deal with on 160. If I should lose my hearing I'll take up
photographing Auroras before I spend the rest of my years
watching the moss grow on QRSS waterfall displays. My
eyesight would probably go as well and then I would have
to depend on you guys on the Internet to tell me "GOOD
CONTACT!" via some sort of tactile feedback...maybe an
automatic kick in the posterior?, :-)
73, Bill W4ZV
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