FAQ ON HSCW MS OPERATION. Or, all you never wanted to know about High-Speed CW MS Operation (Rev. 04/07/98, v. 4 - W8WN) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- JUST WHAT IS HSCW? HSCW (or HSMS) is the technique of using very high-speed CW Morris code to communicate and exchange short bits of information by using the many, many underdense "pings" caused by the tiny meteors that constantly bombard our atmosphere. (Note that the procedures and standards in this FAQ are based upon North American HSCW operation, which sometimes differ from European HSCW MS. If you live in Europe, the Region 1 HSCW Procedures are found at http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/vhfc/iaru.r1.vhfm.4e/5B.html). HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM, SAY, SSB MS OPERATION? During the peak of a major shower, when overdense trails produce frequent signals for several seconds, short-sequence and/or break-in SSB may be more efficient. But at all other times, when overdense trails are not available, HSCW is able to use the occasional and sometimes frequent underdense fractional-second pings to transmit the same amount of information. JUST HOW FAST IS HSCW? IS IT MUCH FASTER THAN SSB? Here are some examples: (lpm = wpm x 5) [lpm, letters per minute; wpm, words per minute]. Typical CW 25 wpm 125 lpm Fast CW 50 wpm 250 lpm (Limit of "regular" MS) SSB 250 wpm 1250 lpm Slow HSCW 300 wpm 1500 lpm Kinda slow HSCW 400 wpm 2000 lpm (used for CQ's in North America) Faster HSCW 800 wpm 4000 lpm (common schedule speed) Still faster HSCW 1200 wpm 6000 lpm (used for many skeds now) Very fast HSCW 1600 wpm 8000 lpm Ultra fast HSCW 3200 wpm 16,000 lpm (not recommended, S/N Ratio bad. But has been done!) You can see that even slow HSCW is as fast as most SSB operators can talk, except maybe for those whose occupation is auctioneering! And receiver tuning and signal strength requirements are not as tight. SO JUST HOW SHORT CAN THESE PINGS BE AND STILL GET USABLE INFORMATION ACROSS? Very short! In fact, for HSCW, pings or bursts longer than two or three seconds are exciting but are almost a nuisance! We'll leave it up to you do the actual math. But a 1/10th second ping can propagate a complete set of calls at the medium or higher speeds! This might produce a full syllable on SSB! YOU CAN'T COPY THAT BY EAR! AND THE CW DECODERS I'VE SEEN COULDN'T HANDLE ANYTHING LIKE THIS. HOW DO YOU DO IT? Right. The idea is simple. Use a device to slow the code down to something readable. Then copy by ear what has come through. SOUNDS TOO SIMPLE. HOW? For over 20 years the European MS operators have been modifying standard audio-cassette recorder motors so that their speed could be varied. This worked well enough for speeds up to about 1500 lpm. Now there are computer programs that will do the same thing much better and at much higher speeds. SO THE MACHINE DOES ALL THE WORK? Hardly! It takes the incoming signal, saves it, slows it down, plays it back at a slower speed, and probably heterodynes it to a higher pitch for easier copying. The operator must still do the actual decoding of the signal. The computer or other device slows the speed down, but it is still up to the operator to dig it out of the noise and actually copy it. This is a skill that does not readily lend itself to a machine! While a machine could possibly be built to do this, the technical requirements would be very tight. The brain substitutes for all of this expensive and unavailable equipment! I HAVE TROUBLE WITH 5 WPM CODE. GUESS THAT LEAVES ME OUT. Not necessarily. Using CoolEdit, a .WAV file editing program, it is possible to display and read the code visually off the screen. Or by using MSDSP, you can slow it down by 180 times! But here's a real, recent example (12/97). Our daughter Val, WD8KVD, licensed about 18 years ago, came for a visit. She didn't like code, had only half a dozen CW QSO's as a Novice. Her real interest was emergency/public service work. But seeing HSCW at work here fascinated her. She learned to use MSDSP in 15 minutes and also discovered that she still remembered some of the code. In three schedules, she made three HSCW QSO's (the first two at 5000 lpm, or 1000 wpm) because she could slow the code down. Since the signals were often down in the noise, she could also play back a ping a second time to be sure what she had copied. (On her third schedule, she transmitted at 8600 lpm and received at 8500 lpm, making her not only the fastest woman in the world on CW, but at that time holding the absolute world record for HSCW speeds. The full account, with JPG photo, available on the W6/PA0ZN HSCW Hub Web site. HOW DO YOU GENERATE CODE AT THAT SPEED? MY KEYER GOES UP TO ONLY 99 WPM. There are several computer programs that will generate HSCW code. Programs commonly used for transmit-only at HSCW speeds include MSSOFT, CWKey, and PCKEY. MSSOFT can be found on the OH5IY Web site (this program has many other parts besides the transmit portion and is needed for any type of MS operation). This is used by many of the European HSCW operators. PCKEY, which runs under DOS or a DOS window of W3,1, is perhaps one of the simplest to run and is very versatile. The documentation is not in English, but the Help screen is. It can be downloaded from the KD5BUR/KM5PO Web site and others. CWKey, used by many EME operators, is currently being modified to also run at HSCW speeds. It is available on the W5UN Web site. Also, there is one (MS_DSP by 9A4GL) that both transmits and does the receive conversion. A programmable keyer, the CMOS Super Keyer 3 (August 1995 QST), is capable of speeds up to 5000 lpm. And some are using CoolEdit, an audio wave file editing program, in a Windows-95 environment, for both transmitting and receiving. (By the time you read this, the above notes may be out of date. See further questions below, the "Semi-Technical FAQ", and the links and notes from the main HSCW Web site on these and still other programs). HOW DO YOU KEY THE TRANSMITTER? I DIDN'T THINK RIGS COULD BE KEYED AT THOSE SPEEDS. Few rigs can be keyed in the standard fashion at much more than 100 wpm (500 lpm); some won't sound good even that fast. The standard practice is to key a pure 2000 Hz audio tone and inject this into the mike jack. (Note - the speeds, tones, and procedures in this FAQ are the North American version. In Europe speeds are usually somewhat slower and some of the procedures and standards differ). SO IS THIS ACTUALLY SSB PHONE OR MCW OR WHAT? It's CW, but with the zero-beat frequency offset from the dial reading by the frequency of the tone injected into the mike jack. Recall that on SSB, a single tone simply gives a steady, pure carrier output. Key this tone and you have a CW signal! In fact, this is the way a number of older SSB transmitters generated a CW signal! (By the way, this is designated as J2A emission). YOU SAY YOUR ACTUAL TRANSMIT FREQUENCY IS OFFSET FROM THE DIAL READING? ISN'T THAT CONFUSING? Yes, it can be, and this cannot be helped. But remember, with modern rigs, when you switch to CW, your signal is also shifted about 800 Hz off frequency. More on the frequency determination problem is covered in a question below and also under the "Procedures", available at this Web site. HOW LONG HAS HSCW BEEN AROUND? I HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH ABOUT IT BEFORE. It actually started clear back in the 1950s with the pioneers of MS operation. They would transmit at higher speeds, record bursts onto reel- to-reel audio tape, then slow it down for playback. This was limited to a maximum of only a 2-times speed reduction, however (or 4 times, for those who had a 15-ips machine). This was too cumbersome and never caught on. But then about two decades ago the Europeans pioneered the technique of modifying the motor speed controller of a cheap audio cassette recorder. Because of the availability of SSB, this never was done much in North America. But in 1997, with the appearance of two computer programs that would emulate and go far beyond the capability of the modified audio recorders, HSCW suddenly surged into prominence over here. SORRY, BUT I DON'T OPERATE VHF DX AND DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS. We're sorry, too, for you really don't know what you're missing! But this FAQ was designed at the request of several VHF operators who have been on VHF DX for awhile, but had no knowledge about HSCW MS operating. A background on VHF and its many propagation modes has filled many books. If you can find one, Ed Tilton's "The Radio Amateur's VHF Manual" is still probably the best, even though it's many years out of print. Another necessary book is "Beyond Line of Sight", edited by Emil Pocock. WHAT KIND OF RIG AND COMPUTER DO I NEED FOR ALL THIS? The radio equipment is much the same as needed for any other type of VHF DX operation. If you can operate SSB MS, aurora, or tropo DX, you probably have radio equipment that is suitable for HSCW MS. A common setup would be a multi-mode two-meter transceiver, 150-watt amplifier, and medium-size horizontal beam. (All DX operation on VHF is done with horizontal polarization). Of course, more power is helpful. But HSCW has been successfully done with less than 10 watts into a medium-size Yagi at each end! For the computer, a '386 or better should work, with the usual peripherals. However, nearly all of the software available at this time does require a true Sound Blaster audio board. (See some of the other questions for HSCW methods without a computer. Also, see the "Semi- Technical FAQ" for a more complete discussion on computers). HOW DO I SLOW DOWN THE CODE TO A USABLE SPEED? For over twenty years the Europeans have been modifying cassette audio recorders. This works OK for up to about 1200-1500 lpm. (This would appear to be a simple, inexpensive method of receiving HSCW. And you are limited to a maximum speed of about 1200 lpm. But it has worked for many years in Europe. If you have a computer, this is the recommended method at this time. If you do not and would like an evening project, give the modification a try. Conversion information is available on the N1BUG Web site). There is a German Digital Tape Recorder (emulator) kit available which is becoming popular in Europe. Because of its price and the fact that it is designed for European style HSCW operation, at this time none of the DTR's are known to be in operation in North America. See the Web sites for more. Most North American operators use the computer and a true Sound Blaster 16 audio board. JUST WHAT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE? The program used by most is MS_DSP (or MSDSP) by 9A4GL. It both transmits and receives, and has many enhancements. It currently is a beta version with some bugs. See the "Operating Tips" and other helps concerning MSDSP on the W6/PA0ZN Web site. A second program, and the first one out, is SBMS, by DL3JIN. It is a receive only, no frills program, that runs either under DOS or in a full-screen DOS window of Windows. Some have had problems understanding the need for the virtual RAM disk, and there is a simpler method of setting it up. Read the documentation carefully or see the "Semi-Technical FAQ" for more on this. A program used by several operators is CoolEdit96. This is a wave file editor. But it can be used (under W95, with a fast computer) for both sending and receiving. While more awkward for many (and it requires the version of the program which runs under Windows 95), many are using it quite successfully. This is the "visual" means of decoding the HSCW, as it is sometimes called. See the K0SM Web site for more. The two programs, PCKEY and MSSOFT (with its many other features) do not receive but transmit only. See the other questions here, the "Semi-Technical FAQ", and the links from the various Web sites for more. SO DOES THIS SOFTWARE ACTUALLY WORK? Most definitely! But at this time (early 1998), all available software is in a state of development and flux. Whatever we recommend now may be out of date in another 6 months! Check the several HSCW Web sites to see what is current and follow the links. I DON'T USE A COMPUTER. DOES THIS MEAN I CAN'T WORK HSCW/HSMS? Not if you are willing to spend a little time in the workshop. HSMS was popular in Europe for many years before computers were in any of their ham shacks. For receiving, an ordinary (and inexpensive) cassette tape recorder can be modified to record the CW at high speed and play it back at a slower speed. The exact modifications and operating procedures vary from unit to unit, and it is not possible to give exact details here. See N1BUG's Web site for further information. The basic technique is to add a motor speed control, which can be as simple as half a dozen components. The motor is then run as fast as possible while recording, then slowed down to play back the HSCW at slow speed. The speed reduction possible varies from unit to unit and depends also on the motor speed control methods employed. However, you should be able to handle 1200 LPM, and some machines will handle 2000 LPM. Not having a computer is no reason to give up the idea of working HSMS! SOUNDS FASCINATING, BUT I REALLY DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT METEOR SCATTER ITSELF. Meteor scatter operation is unlike any other type of operation! If you are not familiar with it, you will have problems understanding what is being done on either SSB or HSCW! There are two articles that are necessary for understanding what MS is all about. The primary article is still the one by Walt Bain, W4LTU, published in QST for May 1974. A second necessary article is by Michael Owen, W9IP, published in QST in June 1986. Sorry, but without these two articles, you will always find yourself wondering just what is happening! If you don't have access to QST that far back, these two articles (plus many others on MS and most other types of VHF propagation) have been collected and reprinted in "Beyond Line of Sight", edited by Emil Pocock, W3EP, and available for $12 US plus S & H from ARRL (Book #4025). Joe Reisert also had a major article on meteor scatter in Ham Radio, June 1984. Getting and studying these articles is worth more now than trying to improve your equipment, if you are unfamiliar with MS operation, or with VHF DX in general! (Several more references on Meteor Scatter are given in the "Semi-Technical FAQ"). IS ALL HSCW MS ON TWO METERS ONLY? Most MS operation of all types is done on two meters. At this time (early 1998), HSCW operation on 50 MHz is becoming common. It appears that six-meter HSCW will be an interesting "Rover" mode of operation. Tests are expected soon to see if HSCW would allow double- hop MS during showers on six. MS operation on 222 and 432 is much more difficult, and because of this has been done almost exclusively during showers. For more, see the article by W4LTU mentioned previously. But there should soon be regular HSCW operation on all four of these bands. HOW DO I CONNECT THE COMPUTER TO THE RADIO? For receiving with a computer, you simply run an audio line to the input of the Sound Blaster audio board. A series cap to both drop the level and to block lower pitches will probably be necessary, but see both the "Semi-Technical FAQ" and the MSDSP "Operating Tips" for some details on this. Check also both the N1BUG and W6/PA0ZN Web sites for possible circuits. (If possible, use the computer audio board's Line Input. The SB audio's Mike input will also work if you need the gain, but you may not have quite as much control). For transmitting, two different methods are used. Two computer programs (MSDSP and K7CACW) produce their own keyed tones, but by very different methods. These tones can usually be fed directly into the mike jack (again through a cap to block DC voltages and to pass only the higher tones). Several other programs produce a keyed output at the RS-232 port. This requires a simple interface and an audio oscillator that produces clean sine waves. The most common oscillator uses an XR-2206 function generator IC. These schematics, and others, can be found on the N1BUG Web site, More information is also available in the "Semi-Technical FAQ". I DO NOT WANT TO USE A COMPUTER TO SEND. WHAT KEYERS ARE OUT THERE THAT CAN SEND HSCW? ALL I KNOW OF ARE LIMITED TO ABOUT 100 WPM. There are rumored to be several. But the only one we know of that is used widely is the CMOS Super Keyer 3, mentioned previously. The Europeans are said to have modified several other programmable keyers, but no information is available at this time. But check the N1BUG Web site, or contact the manufacturer. (MFJ says their keyers cannot be modified). WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY SEND? The usual sked exchange is about the same as in any other MS. Exchange of calls, exchange of MS-style signal report, confirmation of reception, and usually (though not required for a contact) "73" or similar to let the other station know that it is complete. In North America, a one-minute period is used, with the Western-most station calling the first period on the hour and half hour. CQ's are normally called on 144.100. However, during times of expected heavy activity, the CQ-Letter system is used, where a letter is added to tell where the QSO will actually take place. For example, CQF means that the station who hears and replies to the CQ is to call AND LISTEN exactly 6 kHz higher than where the CQ is being called. See the "Procedures" posted on the main HSCW Web pages and elsewhere. On 6 meters, 50.300 is the HSCW Calling Frequency. CAN I USE THE INTERNET TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING? Yes, but be careful here! This could be a loaded question, and could result in an important DX contact being disallowed if it is needed for an award (contest, VUCC, WAS, etc.). Some years ago a ruling was made that it is NOT legal to have any other means of communication (i.e., Internet chat page, HF, landline, etc.) during a sked. Once a sked (or random contact) is started, it must be continued until the end, whether successful or unsuccessful. If, at the end of a sked, contact is then made with the other station by another means, they then confirm that much of the data has been exchanged, and it is agreed to continue the sked, the ruling stated that the contact must be re-started from the beginning. SO HOW MUCH CAN THE INTERNET, HF, ETC., BE USED? On HSCW, nearly all skeds are made using the Internet (via the HSCW Reflector, the "Hot Rocks" Web page, and several similar methods). The "Hot Rocks" page (and others in that series) have become very popular for making skeds and finding out what the other station heard. This (and the HF Net that is currently being discussed for 14.345) should be used to request and make skeds, and to see what the other station(s) have heard. But to use it (or HF, the landline, etc.) during the middle of a sked is not cricket. Note that the main exchange of HSCW information, questions, sked requests, and everything else takes place ONLY on the HSCW REFLECTOR. If you 're interested at all in HSCW, you really should sign up for it. Simply send a message to majordomo@tree.net and put as the text subscribe hsms WHAT SHOWERS ARE GOOD FOR RUNNING HSCW? Showers? The Europeans have a saying, "We make our own showers!" They mean that there are so many on HSCW in Europe and it is so effective in utilizing only the few random pings from sporadics that they do more during non-shower periods than we usually do during major showers! Of course, having the extra meteors of a shower is certainly a help. Not just the 3 or 4 "major" or most popular showers, but even the minor showers can be plenty of an enhancement for HSCW. Again, see the articles by W4LTU and W9IP, etc. WHY AREN'T THE OTHER DIGITAL MODES USED THIS WAY? Good question. There would appear to be several reasons. FM packet, as usually used on VHF, is a strong-signal mode. Even during the peak of the biggest showers, it is next to impossible to complete a QSO using it (though it has been done a few times). Some of the more "robust" digital modes used on HF would appear to have a much better chance. But remember that with HSCW, you are dealing with only a few fractional-second pings near the noise level, during non-shower periods, any day of the year. As the late W1FZJ always said, "The best filter is the one between the ears." The human brain can take the place of whole racks of multi-megabuck equipment. Besides, for many, it's more satisfying, keeping the operator as the most important part of the "decoding equipment". HSCW allows the operator, with a little help from his friendly station computer, to make VHF DX contacts at times when nothing else can do it. HOW DO I SET UP MY RIG? Put it on USB (for both transmit and receive), normal SSB filter, turn OFF any audio compressor, AGC to Fast or OFF. If you have an IF Shift control, move it so that the no-signal white noise is higher in pitch (the signal you will be working with needs to have a tone of 1500-2000 Hz). The frequency setting, since you are sending CW in USB mode, can be confusing. The "Zero Beat" frequency is the USB dial frequency plus the injected tone frequency. Thus, as an example, for a schedule on 144.157, and using a 2000 Hz tone (standard but not universal in North America), you would put the transmitter dial on 144.155. The receiver dial would also be set on 144.155, then the RIT would probably be moved slightly, to perhaps 144.155.5, until it was determined by the tone of the first pings exactly where it should be put. So frequencies may be specified either by the "ZeroBeat method" (144.157 ZB), or by the "dial setting method" (144.155 +2000 Hz). Both are, and no doubt will continue to be, in common use. While the "Zero Beat Method" is preferred, either is OK. But you MUST state which you are using! True, this is confusing. But this is the least confusing way of doing it at this time! Several methods have been tried to "simplify" this, and they have failed! So understand what you are doing, then each time state the method used. For more on frequencies, as well as the "CQ-Letter" system which is in common use, and other possibly confusing items, see the latest revision of the "Procedures" paper on the main HSCW Web site. THIS MAY SOUND DUMB, BUT COULD THESE PROGRAMS HELP WITH A SSB SKED? That's really a very smart question. Many times it's difficult to be sure just what information was actually on a weak SSB ping. If you're alert enough to save it into a buffer of MSDSP or SBMS, you then can immediately replay it (at normal speed, of course) to be sure of what you thought you heard. MSDSP V. 0.51 should be used for this, as V. 0.70 may not be as suitable. WHERE DO I LEARN MORE? Check the W6/PA0ZN Web page at URL http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/ws1_15.html (and follow the links to other pages). And remember to check them occasionally, as HSCW is growing so rapidly that it has been impossible to keep up with the developments. If the bug is biting, join the HSCW reflector and read the constant flow of messages as skeds, technical questions and tips, etc. are exchanged. And look at the "Hot Rocks" Web page for postings of skeds or CQ periods going on in real time. (Again, follow the links). A full-length article was published in QST for April 1998. Articles in other magazines are expected later in the year.