September 30, 2011

HRD DM780 - variations of the 73 macro

We enjoy working digital modes like PSK31 and RTTY using Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) DM780.  We are always looking for contacts using the Log Book of the World (LoTW).  DM780 comes with useful macros that are easy to customize.



It is fun to close out a qso using the native language of the country where your contact resides.  Additionally, we find it helpful to let contacts know that we prefer LoTW QSL's.  Below are three HRD DM780 macros that we created to illustrate how incorporate various languages.  To use these just copy/paste the macro text into a new DM780 macro that you create.


#++
#
#   English version end of the QSO, 73 and thanks for the QSO.  LoTW preferred.
#   by NJ2X
#--
#
<his:callsign> de <my:callsign> <add-log>73 <his:name> and thanks for the <qso-mode> QSO <qso-mode-count> de <his:band>. LoTW preferred.
<his:callsign> de <my:callsign> sk <stop>



#++
#
#   Spanish version end of the QSO, 73 and thanks for the QSO.
#   by NJ2X
#--
#
<his:callsign> de <my:callsign> <add-log>73 <his:name> y gracias por el agradable <qso-mode> QSO <qso-mode-count> de <his:band>. LoTW preferido.
<his:callsign> de <my:callsign> sk <stop>




#++
#
#   Portuguese version end of the QSO, 73 and thanks for the QSO.
#   by NJ2X
#--
#
<his:callsign> de <my:callsign> <add-log>73 <his:name> Muito obrigado pelo muito agradavel <qso-mode> QSO <qso-mode-count> de <his:band>. LoTW preferido.
<his:callsign> de <my:callsign> sk <stop>

Good DX and 73,
NJ2X

Related articles:
HRD DM780 - variations of the 73 macro
HRD DM780 Macros: Curse or Blessing?
HRD DM780 Calling Macro




© Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Shack Slide Show from KC9MAV

Found this interesting slide show of pictures of various shacks compiled by KC9MAV.  Nice work Dave!  73 NJ2X



September 29, 2011

Gunsite / Yavapai Radio Club Observe NRA Birthday

An ad caught our eye in the November, 2011 QST.  Looks like an exciting special event to add to your operating calendar.  Does anyone know if the great Jeff Cooper was also a ham?

Gunsite / Yavapai Radio Club Observe NRA Birthday
Celebrate NRA's 140th birthday on November 17, 2011 as the Yavapai Amateur Radio Club operates a special-event broadcast station from the famed Gunsite Academy in Arizona.  This FCC-licensed amateur station, using the call sign, K7NRA, will operate from 8AM to 5PM MST on the following frequencies: 7.250, 14.050, and 21.355 MHz.  All amateur radio stations, especially those operated by NRA memebers and Gunsite alumni, are urged to participate.  A unique NRA/Gunsite QSL Card will be sent to stations contacted for the event.  For more info, visit: www.w7yrc.org/.



September 27, 2011

SPLATTER = "Nasty Stuff"

We made a nice contact today on 20m PSK31 with a YL (Mary).  Mary commented that our signal was very clean with "none of those lines and nasty stuff" on the waterfall.  We traded anecdotes of our recent experiences observing poor quality PSK signals that were overdmodulated and as a result created interference for neighboring PSK stations.

Splatter is a type of interference to stations on nearby frequencies.  Splatter occurs when a transmitter is overmodulated.  The goal is to make sure your signal is never overmodulated.

Splatter is easy to identify and in many cases just as easy to clean up.  The waterfall screen used for digital communication with tools like DM780 provides an excellent way to visualize the effects of splatter.  You are seeing splatter on the waterfall whenever you see a signal with ghost lines on either side of the original signal.  In general, the wider the ghost lines appear the worse the offending signal is splattering. 

Example of splatter.  Here are two strong PSK31 signals.  Notice the ghost images on the left signal - indicating splatter?  Notice how nice and clean the right signal is?



If you have a particularly horrible example of splatter on a waterfall in the form of a screenshot, please do send me an email with it and a short description of what you observed.  I will compile the worst of the worst for a future post here.

You can check if your signal is splattering by asking a contact you are working to check your signal for splatter and overall quality.  If the report comes back indicating your PSK signal is splattering, try turning down the signal input into your transmitter until the splatter is eliminated.

Power doesn't cause splatter; however, remember also to use the least amount of power necessary to work your contact.  PSK31 and JT-65 are remarkably effective at minimal power.  QRP operators do quite well making DX contacts on PSK31 and JT-65.

September 26, 2011

Good weekend for DX

Hurrah for sunspots and solar flares.  The daily sunspot number mean for the week of September 15 was 137.  Propagation inducing sunspots helped make this past weekend remarkable.  10m, 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m, 30m were all alive with easy contacts to Europe and North America.  We made several nice contacts on PSK31, CW, and RTTY.

NJ2X Electromagnetic Radiation Symbol


We picked up a WI station on 20m PSK31 leaving only three more states to go in order to complete 20m PSK31 WAS (all via LoTW QSL's).