[TenTec] Other "Interference"

[Mike Brown K9MI]

Being an ex-digital op due to a bum wrist, I am relatively sure the
digitial signals in the cw portion of 40m are probably not from a
domestic station. Of course, I don't know this for a fact, but I
doubt it is.

40 meters at night is such a mess in the 7-7.1 region because the
band is open to many parts of the world at this time, and every
reigon seems to have a different band plan for 7 mhz. I don't know
if they ever will get this straightened out. I have always thought of
this as the "all-mode" portion of the band.

Having played around a bit with PSK 31, I aggree on your statement
that these modes are not bothered by QRM as some others are.

I hadn't heard about "freebanders" being anywhere other then 10
meters. That is scary. I always get bent out of shape when trying to
work a new country on 10m cw when an AM "freebander" finds
his way onto the frequency.

This cb thing is really out of hand. I have a new neighbor who operates
on a legidimate CB channel, but uses an SB 220. He sort of let that cat
out of the bag when he came thru my pc speakers the other night saying,
"ok, I have the sb 220 on now, how's my signal?".....ha

Ok, enough ranting for now...73,  Mike K9MI


----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Donovan
To: tentec@contesting.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2001 7:48 AM
Subject: [TenTec] Other "Interference"


      A recent post on the so-called "freebanders" on 30m mentioned the idea
of "other"kinds of interference in the CW portion of other bands.  It would
seem that most of us are primarily CW ops ( an assumption on my part ), so I
wanted to get your opinion on some "other" interferene I've been running
into on an increasing basis in the CW portion of the 20 and 40 m band.
      Late at night I go into the DX portion of 20m, but you will usually
find me between 14.035 and 14.050, and between 7.025 and 7.040 on 40m,
definitely out of the digital portion of either band. I'll have a nice QSO
going, and out of the blue appears the burbling sound of digital HF.  It is
unmistakable.
      The "Gentleman's Agreement" notwithstanding, it is a reality that the
bands are crowded, and at times we operate wherever we can find a reasonably
open frequeny. On 40m the frequency doesn't have to be open at all for
someone to start sending CQ out of the blue.  Have any of you noticed the
increased activity of digital signals below the digital sub-bands? What
bothers me more than their presence is the fact that they are so resistant
to QRM, so much so that they often just start transmitting, seemingly
without any awareness of any other signal on the frequency or even nearby. I
was working a station with an honest 599 recently who was totally buried by
a digital station, and we were certainly out of the digital portion of the
band.  I don't care that they are there, I just wish they had a way to ask
"is the frequency in use" and would do so before they start their digital
burbling. Anyone else notice this?