[FARC] PSK Questions

[Kirk Talbott]

I have some questions about PSK31 and Slow Scan TV for the group.

One:  Hams on PSK31 use a Morse code shortcut language.  For example, a 
typical CQ looks something like this. "CQ CQ CQ de W4XXX W4XXX PSE k."  I 
know what the "de" and "k" stands for but what does "PSE" mean?  Another 
example is the signoff.  "KB3ONM de W4XXX W4XXX 73 sk sk sk."  What does the 
"SK" mean?

Two:  On my software, WinPSK, there are some numbers displayed at the bottom 
of the screen below the waterfall window.  One is IMD the other PPM.  A read 
a little about IMD and found that it stands for Inter-Modulation-Distortion. 
Ok, but what does that mean?  My interpretation of the reading I've been 
doing, a high numbered IMD means you're distorting and splattering all over 
the place and low a number means you're getting close to a perfect signal. 
It's kind of like mic gain in SSB phone. And like SSB phone, too low a mic 
gain means you're not putting out enough "punch" in your signal. Does too 
low an IMD number in PSK31 mean the same thing?  As for PPM, I have no idea 
on what this means and can't find any info on it.

Three:  I had one of my contacts give a signal report that went something 
like this.  "Your RST is 599, and the waterfall display shows a near perfect 
signal."  Ok, I understand what "599" is, but the reference to the waterfall 
display and the near perfect signal has me baffled.  What are they looking 
at in the waterfall that shows a near-perfect signal? My software, WinPSK, 
is freeware and pretty limited.  So maybe it doesn't show what other more 
sophisticated programs do.

Four:  SSTV seems neat, but I can't seem to receive a signal strong enough 
to get a decent picture.  The letters TV in SSTV seem a bit of a misnomer. 
You can't really use video in slow scan TV....right?  What I see mostly on 
SSTV are pictures that look like travel agency posters; beaches and palm 
trees, mountains and lakes, etc. with call signs written on them. Is this 
all there is to SSTV?

Since June 26 I've had 38 PSK31 contacts.  I was going like gangbusters 
there for a while.  July 4 and yesterday, I couldn't get one contact. On SSB 
phone I didn't even hear one person on 20 or 10 meters, and I heard only 2 
people on 40 meters.  Sometimes on PSK31 I can contact Texas on 15 watts 
output, but then need 75 watts output to communicate with Florida.  HF is 
really "fickle" isn't it.  Analogous to fishing.  Throw your line in the 
water and sometimes they're biting and sometimes they're not.  F. Gump had 
it right about a box of chocolates and it applies to HF. "You never know 
what you're going to get."

73
KB3ONM
Kirk