[Meteor-Scatter] Perseids and operating procedures!

[Shelby Ennis, W8WN]

At 09:31 2002-08-15 +0300, you wrote:
>There has been a lot of discussion and debate about what is the best and
>ultimate real meteorscatter operating mode. I myself will continue working
>them all (SSB/HSCW/WSJT) but I suspect that WSJT will take time from SSB,
>since I have found out I'm not very good on SSB. Also I tend to think that
>the really weak ones come better on HSCW.

Each has definite advantages.  SSB during the peaks of big showers, 
HSCW/WSJT all other times.  HSCW more fun, WSJT less tiring and easier on 
the ears (and slightly more efficient).

>There has been a suggestion that we should start using the same procedure in
>WSJT than in CW to indicate the frequency shift. So CQA would mean +1kHz up
>and CQE +5kHz up (How to indicate negative shifts?). But why should we use
>the letters, why not indicate the shift itself (CQ 2UP or CQ 3DWN)?

This is what we are now doing over here.  Our calling freq is 144.140 for 
FSK441 (and 50.270).  I spent a lot of time calling CQD5 (CQ, listening and 
answer down 5 kHz).  Etc.  Worked fine.  A number of other stations did 
similarly.  Only one or two very new stations (who had not read our 
Procedures paper) had a problem with it, and they quickly figured it out.

>There was another issue that I also would like to raise up. It seemed to me,
>that many (nonexperienced?) stations wanted to make only fast and easy qso:s
>causing lot of fuss on the band.

Yes, I think we had that problem with some new stations over here.   Even 
near the peak of a major shower, at non-optimum times it often takes 10-20 
minutes between bursts.  I lost 3 contacts, probably because the same thing 
happened.

>But all in all - MS is fun! It was great to make 1700km QSO with stations
>running only 20Wtts. Perseids brought me two new DXCC:s this year (GW and
>HB9) even if I had to go to work for monday.

Congratulations.  Very good for low power!
73, Shelby, W8WN