[CQ-Contest] Zero Beating (slovenly or not)

[Bill Tippett]

K7QQ:
 >Quack agrees with W5VX on this one , calling off a bit makes it easier to
pick them out.  I normally use 1000hz or if its really crowed and strong
I'll cut down to 600 but thats enuff, and you were issued ears to separate
the diff tones.  When one is off to the side he is much easier to read thru
the mess.

         I agree but it depends on how crowded the band is.
On 10m I often ran my TS-930S using SSB filters with Width
set to give a very wide shape factor and ~1000 Hz BW.
Same for the FT-1000MP...SSB filters but Width narrowed.
I know that K3ZO does something similar.  Unfortunately
you CANNOT do this trick in a contest like the CQ 160 CW
where running stations are typically packed together
like sardines every 500 Hz, but it works really well when
a band is not so crowded.

         A trained human ear has ~50 Hz bandwidth so it is
fairly easy to separate multiple signals even inside
1000 Hz bandwidth.  This is how the guys who win the
Dayton pileups do it (e.g. K3ZO)...and they are also
good at copying multiple signals on different frequencies
simultaneously.  Programs like Morse Runner are excellent
practice for this if you need to improve your ear/brain's
DSP.

                                 73,  Bill  W4ZV