[CQ-Contest] Can you not hear me now?

Thu Jun 15 23:24:28 EDT 2017

JT9 also uses a lot less bandwidth. I'm not sure if many on 6 are using it
though

Ria, N2RJ

On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 11:12 PM Dennis Younker NE6I <NE6I at cox.net> wrote:

> Regarding the question of QRM on 50.276, it's pretty much non-existent
> unless you have a strong station nearby that is causing
> overload/de-sensing.
> The mode is narrowband in that the audio tones are shifted only about 175
> Hz. The JT-65 software is capable of decoding signals as close as 1 Hz away
> from each other (and sometimes less), meaning if one station is using an
> offset of 1,000 Hz and another is using 1,001 Hz, the decoder is still
> quite
> capable of decoding both. It's quite amazing actually.
>
> Because the software can also decode signals well below 0 dB S/N (down to
> -28 actually), contesters, DXers, and casual operators alike can work other
> stations when even CW can't get through. Typically barefoot and with
> smaller
> antennas. Sure, there are big guns on the band like any other band, but
> most
> are running modest stations.
>
> It's an amazing mode, and during the contest last weekend, 50.276 was
> filled
> with stations. The week prior, stations in the mid-west were working both
> Europe and Japan at the same time. Crazy wild conditions! JT9 actually
> steps
> it up a notch with a more narrow shift and the ability to decode still
> deeper.
>
> The down side is that these QSOs take four minutes. You're not going to
> work
> 60 an hour but you may be working stations when the other modes are
> resulting in endless, unanswered CQs.
>
> --Dennis NE6I
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
> Ria
> Jairam
> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 2:51 PM
> To: Zack Widup; CQ Contest
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Can you not hear me now?
>
> The world above 50MHz is well ahead of the curve when it comes to
> assistance, weak signal modes and other technology. For example in some
> contests you can use chat rooms and telephone to solicit contacts, a
> definite no-no in HF contesting.
>
> But there are different challenges on the UHF/SHF bands and I'm only now
> getting into that.
>
> 73
> Ria, N2RJ
> On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 5:25 PM Zack Widup <w9sz.zack at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I was curious about the same things. I have not yet used JT65 but I
> > got very interested in it after a presentation at the VHF Weak-Signal
> > Forum at Dayton this year. I have downloaded the software and want to
> > play with it.
> >
> > Would I use it in a VHF contest? I don't know yet. So far I have
> > entered most VHF contests as a Single-Op QRP Portable. I don't take a
> > computer along.  I log on paper and then enter the log into the
> > computer when I get home. A computer running JT65 would be something
> > else to drain my battery, and I am usually trying to conserve battery
> > power as much as possible.  I've been on a pretty tight budget the
> > last couple years and don't want to buy another battery. But I do want
> > to experiment with JT65 at home and see how I like it.
> >
> > 73, Zack W9SZ
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 12:15 PM, John Geiger <af5cc2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > You bring up a good point about digital modes Tor.  From watching
> > > the DX cluster, it seemed that quite a few stations probably spent
> > > most of the contest on 50.276 running JT65.  Also, how do you keep
> > > from QRMing each other when several stations are all on 50.276?
> > >
> > > 73 John AF5CC
> > >
> > > On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 2:45 PM, RT Clay <rt_clay at bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Somewhat off-topic, but with meteor scatter (even when using
> > >> MSK144),
> > you
> > >> usually CAN hear the other signals. The advantage of MSK144 over
> > >> ear
> > copy
> > >> is that it can send information in very short meteor bursts that
> > >> are not long enough for SSB.
> > >> An equal problem on VHF seems to be that many people are going to
> > digital
> > >> modes by default, even when signals might be very strong. This
> > >> makes
> > qsos
> > >> take much much longer than necessary (one transmission on JT65 for
> > example
> > >> takes 1 minute). I made one MSK144 qso during the contest with a
> > >> station
> > >> 800 miles away on 2m. He was 56-57 (via tropo) and the qso would
> > >> have
> > been
> > >> much easier and faster on SSB. He could have probably worked many
> > >> more stations by calling cq using SSB.
> > >>
> > >> Similarly, 50.276 is now jammed with JT65 during 6m openings.
> > >> Nearly all of the qsos I have made there have been with signals
> > >> strong enough for
> > easy
> > >> CW/SSB copy, but using JT65 forces each qso to take several minutes
> > just to
> > >> exchange a report and grid.
> > >>
> > >> Tor
> > >> N4OGW
> > >>
> > >>     On Thursday, June 15, 2017 7:16 AM, James Cain <
> > >> jamesdavidcain at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>   The latest ARRL Contest Update newsletter summarized some 3830
> > >> ARRL
> > June
> > >> VHF  Contest comments as follows:
> > >>
> > >>  "In the soapbox comments from the most recent June ARRL VHF
> > >> Contest
> > many
> > >> stations were reporting the use of the MSK144 digital mode for
> > >> making
> > QSOs
> > >> where a SSB or CW path did not appear to exist. MSK144 can be sent
> > >> and received using the WSJT-X program by Joe Taylor, K1JT. MSK144
> > >> uses exchange  sequences as fast a five seconds to take advantage
> > >> of
> > propagation
> > >> that might
> > >>  occur due to meteor scatter."
> > >>
> > >>  Way back in the ancient days of radio there was a saying:
> > >>
> > >>  "You can't work them if you can't hear them."
> > >>
> > >> Maybe we need an updated saying:
> > >>
> > >>  "You can work them even if you can't hear them."
> > >>
> > >>  K1TN
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> > >>
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