[Elecraft] Lids running RTTY on the JT65 Frequency

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> Because I find a clear, unused frequency, with no one transmitting on
> it within a JT sub band, and I find a full sub band for RTTY, and
> transmit there does not make me an intentional QRMer... It makes me
> an efficient user of spectrum space.

What you find as an "unused frequency" in the JT sub-band is *not*
necessarily unused - and you know it.  What may appears to you to be
unused is someone listening to the 48 second transmission from another
station you can not hear.

Unfortunately,  the RTTY Contesters have been trained to believe any
frequency that has not been used in the last 100 ms is "unused" and
they are free to "press F1".

 > I will slide lower than the .76 and do JT as well, so does that
 > make me an intentional QRMer?

Although very little JT65 is done below .076, what does happen there
is always done with listen first - the waterfall shows any activity.
However, RTTY contesters do not looking at the frequency over a two
minute period to make sure there is no JT65 or JT9 activity there ...
they only care about "their 400 Hz slice for the last two seconds at
most.

RTTY contest participants need to be taught about the characteristics
of other data signals.  They need to avoid those narrow centers of
activity where other digital modes concentrate rather than simply hit
F1 on any frequency that shows no activity in the last second.  Contest
sponsors need to educate their entrants - including score reductions,
if necessary, to get the point across.

> Pretty soon you have 3 or 4 pencils taking up the entire drawer with
> empty boxes.

The JT65/JT9 frequencies *were not empty* of JT65/JT9 activity this
past weekend.  If you have any doubt, research the spots activity for
those modes on HAMSPOTS.  Centers of activity concentrate specific
modes in specific areas - they do not promote inefficient spectrum
use unless you consider any frequency that is not used 100% of the
time to be "inefficient spectrum use."

73,

   ... Joe, W4TV


On 2015-01-05 10:48 AM, David Cole wrote:
> OMG Joe!  You are flat wrong here!
>
> We all need to live together, this sort of thing is going to happen, so
> get used to it.  I have heard JTers lower than the allotted 2 KHZ they
> have as a suggested frequency, and I don't consider them causing
> intentional QRM, I consider them correctly using the spectrum allowed to
> them.  I will slide lower than the .76 and do JT as well, so does that
> make me an intentional QRMer?
>
> All of the digital subbands are suggested, not mandated, as you know.
> You have a few impolite people transmitting on top of each other, mode
> does not matter!  That's all it is, impolite people not listening
> improper to transmitting.
>
> Because I find a clear, unused frequency, with no one transmitting on it
> within a JT sub band, and I find a full sub band for RTTY, and transmit
> there does not make me an intentional QRMer...  It makes me an efficient
> user of spectrum space.
>
> I try and not do this of course, but to be honest during a contest if no
> one is there and the entire RTTY sub bands are full, I will slide into
> the JT subband, assuming there is a clear 200 hz., and I am not next to
> someone.  If I see that it is getting crowded in the JT bands, I'll
> slide back out to leave some room for them...  None of this makes me an
> intentional QRMer.  It makes me a polite used of the spectrum.
>
> We are going to have to get away from all of the "this mode goes here,
> and that modes goes there" mindsets...  It wastes spectrum, as evidenced
> by your reaction to RTTY in the JT sub bands.  THis is just like putting
> little boxes in a drawer, and saying just red pencils go box A, and blue
> pencils go in box B, and green ones go in a box C...  Pretty soon you
> have 3 or 4 pencils taking up the entire drawer with empty boxes.
>
>
>