[Lowfer] QRSS Alternative (LONG)

[lowfer@mailman.qth.net]

Bill, John, Group,

I appreciate all your input on this topic.  It should be stated that this
format could be improved upon, I don't think it is in its final form.
So what are the pros and cons of using this format in its present state?

For the sake of this discussion I will leave out the variables of power, and
antennas.

What are our goals with respect to LW transmissions, reception, BW, SNR,
etc?

Bill WA mentions:
      don't lose site
> >of the real reason for these digital modes - being able to extract
> >information in super-low level signals. I therefore ask if it is easy to
> >identify your characters in marginal signal levels or when the signals
are
> >normal in strength but the noise level is high.


My goals in this experiment were to:

1)Try to reduce the time it takes to send a given string of letters.  In my
case W1VLF contains a lot of 3x components(dashes),so some form of DFCW
would be of a great benefit.  Again 60 minutes at QRSS 60 CW, and 26 minutes
at 5 tone,
This allows 2x the "ID power" in a given period of time.  Or  2 times the
element length in a given period of time.

Is this worth a little effort on the part of the "organic Microprocessor"

What would you give for 3 DB?

Would you spend many hours winding a coil...?
Would you spend many hours optimizing your loop?

2) I don't believe bandwidth is an issue.  Yes this system uses 5 tones an a
total of .8 HZ , compared to the 160 to 190 KHz available this is very
small.  Maybe you cannot display 5  or 6 signals on the  ARGO screen
simultaneously  but again what you pay to push the envelope?

3)As far as readability goes.....if there is ever a signal received at
either 0 Hz or .2 Hz  there can be no question that it is a dot.
Regardless of the fact that it may not be there for the full element time
period.  If a signal ever appears at the .8 Hz freq. there is not doubt that
is a space.  There is a burden put on the party transmitting to hold the
.2hz or better tolerance, but this would not be a problem for any reasonable
timebase.


4)Stability is not as much of a concern with the RX station aswell.  ARGO
discerns .2 HZ quite easily as shown by the capture of USA that Jay has so
kindly hosted for me.

5) There has been discussion here  in the past about Selective Voltmeter
(level meters).  Seems like there were quite a few people out there using
them as receivers,  the HP 3586B(quite common) has an internal tracking
generator, easily locked to GPS, has .1 Hz steps and is HPIB programmable.


John Davis comments:

>I would add the further thought that the proposed format is only a couple
of
>frequency shifts away from the complexity of JASON mode.

Sorry ,  but I am not sure how many frequencies Jason uses.   However with
all due respect I strongly disagree this format  is only a couple of freq.
away from the complexity of JASON.

There are very few rules needed for the reception of this format. by eye.
This assumes that standards have been set for element length, spacing  etc.

Rule 1  The bottom 2 frequencies are reserved for dot elements

Rule 2  The next 2 higher  frequencies are reserved for dashes

Rule 3  The highest 1 frequency is reserved for  inter letter spaces.

Rule 4 The first element in a letter,  will use  the highest allowed
freq(for a dash ) or the lowest allowed freq ( for a dot)   Successive same
element with alternate between their allocated 2  frequencies.


The rest is CW

>  With five frequencies to deal with, the proposed method complicates the
reading of
>>what is fundamentally still Morse.  Add a few more frequencies and it
>>becomes readable only by machine--but with the advantage that each pair
>>gives you an entire character, not just a single element of Morse.

No additional equipment, or software is required to decode this format by
eye.

I guess it all boils down to what would you pay in terms of effort , for the
extra DB, or the added through put in the system.

None of what I have written above is intended to be offensive to the parties
quoted.  My apologies if it is found to be.

Paul C
W1VLF