K7CA reports on First QSO on HS CW Scatter with K0GU

From: k7ca@accessnv.com
To: rein0zn@ix.netcom.com (Rein A. Smit )
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 22:17:02 +0000
Subject: Re: HS MS

My sked with K0GU was my first serious attempt at a high speed scatter qso.
My equipment is:

1.5kw (8877)
A homebrew 42 ft long yagi at 60 feet high
A memory keyer to input the transmit data into the Windows95 program called "Sound Recorder". This Program increases the signal output from the keyer up to audio signals representing morse code of about about 200 wpm.
A Windows95 program called "Media Player" runs the audio in a loop which is connected directly into the Mic jack on the transmitter for transmitting.
The "Sound Recorder" program records the audio signals from the receiver output and plays it back at lower code speeds.

I began by transmitting "K0GU K7CA DM26" over and over during my 1 min transmit period.

Since bu using this method, I could not listen to what was recorded while transmitting, I waited until I got a good ping, then during my next transmit period I slowed down the ping and listened to it to make sure I had the calls and grid square.

He was also sending "rrr", meaning he had copied my info already.

So I began sending "r73 r73" over and over on my tx period.

Then I received other pings, when decoded said "r73", and that was the contact.

I made 2 mistakes on that first qso which were:

1. Received audio pitch was a bit low that made making the transferred slowed-down tone almost too low
2. If he would have been transmitting at 400wpm, I would have received all the required information earlier. So next time I will be transmitting at 400wpm and will change the received freq to raise the audio tone on the received signal. I'm going to work towards simultaneous tx and audio decode which would make things much easier. 73, Al, K7CA Return