[RTTY] New Winlink usage

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

I saw the identical situation this afternoon on 17 meters.  5Z4/LA4GHA
had been on 18.106 working a pile-up on RTTY about 20:30z ... around
22:00 some PACTOR 2 signal fires up zero beat with 5Z4/LA4GHA making it
completely impossible for anyone to copy.  The PACTOR 2 station cranked
away for 15 or 20 minutes monopolizing the frequency.

Fortunately, the JA stations were apparently able to copy 5Z4/LA4GHA
through the garbage so the 5Z4 was not run off the frequency entirely.
5Z4/LA4GHA was strong enough on my dipole as were both PACTOR noise
generators that there was absolutely no way that one or both of the
PACTOR systems could not tell that the frequency was in use if they
had competent, functioning busy channel detectors.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


On 4/23/2014 7:43 PM, Jeff AC0C wrote:
> I saw a winlink (it was pactor of some flavor but since you can't decode
> the stuff, you don't really know) session fire up in the middle of a big
> dxpedition pileup a few weeks back - on 17m.  There were tens if not
> hundreds of guys calling the DX.  The pactor was right in the mess of
> the pileup and there is no way on earth that they had any sort of busy
> detection working.  With all these stations in action, I don't think
> anyone - anywhere on earth - could have missed that something was
> happening on that QRG.  It took a few minutes for that noise to drop
> off.  Seen the same thing on some W1AW pileups on 30m recently.
>
> If you are telling me that a guy listened before he hit send, then I
> have bridges for sale and a business card that lists me as your monkey's
> uncle.
>
> Now in fairness to WL, it could als be some guy's idea of creating
> interference and just happens so that the guy was using pactor as the
> mode. But since you can't decode pactor, the average Joe Ham has no idea
> of even where to begin.
>
> 73/jeff/ac0c
> www.ac0c.com
> alpha-charlie-zero-charlie
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Joe Subich, W4TV
> Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 2:20 PM
> To: rtty at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [RTTY] New Winlink usage
>
>
>> This doesn't, of course, alleviate the need for effective listen-
>> before-transmit on the automated station's side...  And, this doesn't
>> excuse the occasional Winlink sysop who sets up their node either
>> outside the automated subbands, or with more than 500Hz badwidth
>> configured.
>
> With Winlink.org recommending system operators disable channel busy
> detection and many system operators *advertising* PACTOR 3 and/or
> WINMOR 1600 support on frequencies outside the automatic control
> subbands, I think you are being charitable at best.  Both of these
> actions are certainly contrary to good amateur practice and are
> probably contrary to the regulations.  Considering that the actions
> would appear to be intentional, they are deserving of substantial
> monetary forfeitures and/or license suspension.
>
> 73,
>
>     ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
> On 4/23/2014 2:55 PM, Michael Adams wrote:
>> Actually, I thought the point that NQ4U was trying to make is that
>> much of the time when there's an issue with Winlink QRM in North
>> America, it's likely because an actual human simply clicked "connect",
>> perhaps disregarding warnings about the frequency being occupied, and
>> without listening an appropriate length of time to see if the
>> frequency is in use.
>>
>> This doesn't, of course, alleviate the need for effective
>> listen-before-transmit on the automated station's side...but it should
>> partially deflate the concerns about Winlink nodes connecting amongst
>> themselves in a fully automated manner, at least within areas under
>> the FCC's jurisdiction.   This also doesn't alleviate the need for
>> Airmail users to exercise extra care, using their ears since Airmail
>> lacks RMS Express' spectrum display.   And, this doesn't excuse the
>> occasional Winlink sysop who sets up their node either outside the
>> automated subbands, or with more than 500Hz badwidth configured.
>>
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