[50mhz] SSB-CW auto-offset

[Bill VanAlstyne W5WVO]

Many rigs nowadays have a VFO offset that kicks in when you auto-switch from SSB to CW, such that the beat tone the other guy hears in his SSB receiver passband is audible (i.e., not 0 Hz). I've had Yaesu and Kenwood radios, and they all do this, optionally. You can set the auto-offset frequency to whatever you want, within some given range. Cool feature.

BUT... Is there a standard for the auto-offset frequency? The radios I've used all have a factory default, of course, but it's never the same number -- usually somewhere between 600 Hz and 800 Hz. There should be a standard, at least for 6M weak signal work. 

Here's why. Let's say I'm trying to connect with a very weak signal on the calling frequency (50.125000), and we can't copy each other on USB. He switches to CW, and his automatic offset is 600 Hz, so he is now transmitting on 50.125600. I hear him as a 600 Hz tone in my USB passband -- but not strongly enough to copy, since I'm still listening to 2.2 kHz worth of band noise. (Remember, he's real weak.) 

So now I too switch to CW, to narrow the bandwidth and get rid of a lot of that noise. Except my CW auto-offset is set to 800 Hz! So I'm now listening on 50.125800, which is 200 Hz off from the frequency he is transmitting on. If my CW filter is set for 500 Hz, I'll probably hear him and can retune to zero him in. If it's set for 200 Hz, I might hear him, and I might not. If my filter is set to 100 Hz, I won't hear him at all. I'll have to tune around for him and try to find him. Arrrggghhh! Not what I wanted.

I'm interested to know if anyone on this reflector has any knowledge of a de facto standard for CW auto-offset on the radios that support that. If not, what do y'all think it should be? What audio frequency do think is the easiest to copy through noise?

Those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about with all this CW stuff, feel free to delete.  :-)

Bill / W5WVO