[CQ-Contest] Fwd: [FCG] riding the RF gain...

[Georgek5kg at aol.com]

George I. Wagner, K5KG
941-312-9450
914-312-9460 fax


Return-path: <Georgek5kg at aol.com>
From: Georgek5kg at aol.com
Full-name: Georgek5kg
Message-ID: <57.2ba37ad.293c698d at aol.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 00:37:17 EST
Subject: Re: [FCG] riding the RF gain...
To: agtan at lomag.net
CC: contest at arrl.org
MIME-Version: 1.0

Art,

In recent years, I have learned to use the radio with the AGC turned off.  I 
have learned that many old time cw ops have used this technique for years.  I 
don't always do it, but find it useful in some types of condx.  If I am 
working a weak pileup, I find that it works really well in distinguishing one 
signal from another.  Of course, strong stations calling on the freq will 
blast your ears; a real problem forcing the need to ride the RF gain control.

A trick that Dean, N6BV, told me about is to keep the audio gain as low as 
possible.  It helps to differientiate one weak sig from another.  In doing 
multi-ops with other operators, I find that they generally run the audio gain 
too high, IMHO.  I try to keep the audio cranked down to where the sigs are 
barely hearable.

Something that I have come across in the past year that I really like is the 
binaural cw feature in the Timewave 599zx.  This is a subtle feature that 
tends to put the high tones in the right ear and the low tones in the left 
ear.  This gives a depth to the cw signals and in a strange way seems to give 
a separation of the tones in the brain.  I can't explain it any better than 
that, other than to say that I find it pleasant and a help in the pileups.

73, George

George I. Wagner, K5KG
941-312-9450
914-312-9460 fax


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