[Elecraft] Calling CQ on PSK-31

[Wes Stewart]

Personally, I don't have the patience for PSK (I don't care to hear what
 kind of computer you're using and your dog's name on the first over) so
 my experience is limited.

That said, although I know PSK has a reputation for being a mode where you don't need higher power or good antennas, your power is 10-20 dB below what the other guys are probably running and your antenna is another 10-20 dB below a dipole in the clear.

When you answer someone he is more likely to pull you out than he would be if he was looking around for a QSO.  Another factor if there are a lot of signals on the band is the poor (IMHO) practice of running the receiver with wide open i-f bandwidth.  If there is a strong signal in the pass-band the AGC will tend to suppress the weaker signals.  Of course, there is nothing you can do at your end about this.

You are between a rock and a hard spot.  You need to call long enough for someone to find you and their decoder to lock on to your signal and not so long that guys like me who find you think, "Will this guy ever stop calling
 CQ?"

Also, I assume that you're calling on a band that is open.  The bands are open more that a lot of people think, as a check of beacons can show; however, calling CQ with QRP and poor antennas will not bring much success without a lot of patience on your part.

Hang in there or QRO.

Wes  N7WS




--- On Tue, 5/11/10, Frank MacDonell <kd8fip at gmail.com> wrote:

I have a K3/10 with a 66' dipole in the attic and I am running 5 watts
with incredible reach. From Detroit, I am reaching FL, WA and Ottawa.
But my contacts have been when I answer a CQ. When I call CQ, I do not
seem to get a call back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. The Reflector
is an incredible resource.

-- 
Frank KD8FIP