Re: [RTTY] LID Operator Calling CQ

[Kok Chen <chen@mac.com>]

On May 8, 2004, at 9:22 AM, Richard Kriss wrote:

> Due to the lack of a good Macintosh OSX RTTY software package I happen 
> to be
> one of the operators that prefers to answer CQs.

I use MacOS X 10.3.3 and run barefoot into wire antennas most of the 
time, and I both S&P and CQ.

I find that the only way to get your score to something not 
embarrassing for a contest like the Roundup is to CQ late at night on 
40m and 80m.  Often, there are JA who get on just for fun or to work 
RTTY states, so I also let out some CQ on 15m and 10m when the band is 
open in that direction.  I usually leave 20m CQing to the big boys and 
leave 160m to the really big boys :-).

> During the VOLTA contest I noticed a station sending what seemed like 
> an
> endless stream of CQs that never seemed to really listen.

Could be a multitude of problems rather than being directly LIDdish.

- The most likely case is that their noise level is very high.  Using a 
larger gap between CQs does not mean that they will hear you anyway.

- Their squelch is set way up so only the stronger stations can break 
through.  With a teeny tiny signal, I am often the receiving end of 
this.  Lengthening the CQ gap again won't cure this problem either.

- You are hearing and answering his image and he does not hear you.   
Especially if he is also inverted.  If he is inverted, move about 4 kc 
down (you are hearing the unsuppressed USB for AFSK) and you might find 
the real signal.  If he is not inverted, try moving 2 kc up (you are 
hearing the second harmonic of an LSB AFSK signal).  This has happened 
to me so many times it is not funny.  The way I end up finding out is 
that he finally responds to someone and you can't hear the person he is 
working even though you should.

- He is indeed firing the next CQ off too rapidly.  For this case, you 
can anticipate the end of his message and prematurely sending a 
slightly longer response.  This too has happened to me, and the cure 
does work.  To survive, us mostly-S&P guys have to adapt to what the 
calling station demands.

- It is indeed a LID who has put a brick on the key.  My homebrew 
contest program has a "set CQ with N-second gap" menu setting -- I 
actually compute the CQ message length based on 45.45 baud, add the 
desired gap time and set up a repeat timer based on the sum -- I am 
sure all contest programs have more or less the same facility.  I have 
heard of people using that to hold a frequency when they don't have a 
gallon jug handy and need to leave the operating chair.   For this 
case, there is no countermeasure; you can only wish that their linear 
amp blows up or their RG-8 melts.

73
Chen, W7AY

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