[RTTY] PSK and waterfall

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> One guy trying to work a DX recently had 13 printable signals 
> at the same time! I was using HamScope's ability to copy 
> multiple signals, and there were 13 traces all with the same text.

That is not a matter of power level but of improperly setting the 
audio drive to the transmitter.  A high power signal cal be just 
as clean as a QRP signal if the operator takes precautions not to 
overdrive the radio and keeps his processor turned off. 

> But...the worst problem is some PSK'ers using extremely high 
> power! I watched some recently, and there were folk quite plainly 
> saying they were running 600 watts!

So what?  A clean signal is a clean signal.  There is no difference 
between a 600 watt state several thousand km away and the 10 watt
station on km down the road.  Both will cause the same AGC issues 
in my receiver if I am using a 2.4KHz receive filter.  

I would rather deal with a clean 600 watt signal than an overdriven 
and clipped 10 watt signal from a neighbor.

73, 

   ... Joe, W4TV 
   

> -----Original Message-----
> From: rtty-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:rtty-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of pcooper
> Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 8:59 AM
> To: rtty at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [RTTY] PSK and waterfall
> 
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I don't think this topic is worth too much mileage here, but 
> it has raised a couple of interesting points.
> 
> RTTY interference is certainly going to cause loads of 
> problems if it is that close to a PSK signal, but from what I 
> have seen lately, RTTY is the least of their problems!
> 
> I used PSK to work a few of the recent DXpeditions, as they 
> were using PSK and not RTTY at the time, and for me - any 
> digital mode is good when it comes to new ones!
> 
> But...the worst problem is some PSK'ers using extremely high power!
> I watched some recently, and there were folk quite plainly 
> saying they were running 600 watts!
> Perhaps if they could see what happens at the other end, they 
> might drop it back a little. PSK was devised to be a low 
> power mode, and is really excellent fun at 10 watts or less.
> Back when PSK first became available using Windows, I was 
> regularly making contacts with less than one watt.
> 
> One guy trying to work a DX recently had 13 printable signals 
> at the same time! I was using HamScope's ability to copy 
> multiple signals, and there were 13 traces all with the same text.
> 
> Jim said they aren't using contest grade rigs. Well, I guess 
> many don't, but that is why PSK is centred round specific 
> frequencies. You can get an awful lot of PSK signals into a 
> small but of bandwidth.
> 
> It also raises another interesting point.
> PSK ops tend to split into two quite distinct groups.
> There is a proportion who use RTTY, and then use PSK to work 
> DX, new ones etc etc, and have a bit of fun occasionally on 
> another digital mode.
> Then there is another whole group, which tends to be larger 
> (in my opinion) that ONLY run PSK, and maybe one or two of 
> the other odd digital modes.
> It is mostly this latter group that simply download the 
> software, and run with everything wide open, including power!
> Take a look at 20m PSK signals, and see just how many run the 
> mode with CAPS lock on! 
> If only they could work out that CAPS take longer to send! 
> That alone gives me the impression they didn't read the manual.
> 
> Sorry....... Just had to get that off my chest!
> 
> 73 all
> 
> Phil GU0SUP
> 
> 
> 
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