[Meteor-Scatter] Re Using WSJT/FSK441 advice please

[Stephen Ayling]

Hi,
I was very pleased to get such a big response to my recent request for help
regarding using the Yaesu FT290R with WSJT/FSK441.
Many thanks so far to F6DRO, PA1BVM, G0GMS, OH6MAZ, W8WN, K2TXB, G4ZTR,
DJ8MS and DF2ZC, for their very useful advice and suggestions.
Summarising your feedback, although I am stuck with the fixed agc in the
'290, though not an entirely satisfactory situation to be in, it is not the
serious limitation I thought it might be; more critical is frequency
setting. There are circumstances when the decoded DF value can be misleading
and mask excessive tuning errors; the spectrum shape and position are more
"trustworthy" indicators of tuning error.
This was demonstrated to me during a qso last night with Reg, G3UTS, which
we eventually completed, having the benefit "talk-back" via a chat room on
the web to exchange DF values etc. To begin with, pings from Reg were quite
detectable but did not make any sense on the decode. The spectrum sloped
heavily upwards from left to right such that two tones were entirely absent
from the display. Reg reported I was transmitting about 450Hz low, DF on
Reg's signal was almost +400Hz. During the qso I adjusted RIT step by step,
making fine adjustments, based on DF and spectrum display, each time I got a
ping from Reg. Finally, the decoding was very consistant, and the spectrum
was symmetrical with all 4 tones nicely placed.
So it seems I can live with the agc always active; though I should not put
too much dependence on decoded DF, rather use the spectrum display as my
main guide for making rx tuning adjustments.
Some of you asked me various questions. Sorry if I don't come back to you
all, as I think I now have the problem licked, thanks to all your help !
My vy 73 de Steve, SO5AS, ( KO02jd ).