[MRCG] Clatternet Times Freqs and problems

[Tim]

Hi John - similar observations here as well.  Maybe everyone was off "a
little" as the CV-2455 was not decoding signals very well this session.
Its filters are non-adjustable (and sharp!) and the radio is tuned in 1 Kc
increments so it is really Fixed Tuned..LOL  If anyone is off, including
me, no copy and I was having a little problem even with Marks print, but
the signals dropped after awhile.  Someone (weak) was either tuning or
calling during Mark's net callup but their Mark or Space tones were on top
of one of his - the whole signal was 850 Cps offset and drifting around a
bit (using fldigi and a sound card as a receive backup to ascertain all
this).  Everything gets confusing with low SNR....I'm pretty sure we are
"Space High" but I haven't verified that with my own signal....

When you were tuning up a half hour before net time I was copying your
signal OK.

"Netting" with Net Control is obviously key.  I notice that during the MRCG
AM voice net that many stations do not zero-beat with NECOS sufficiently
that a USB radio (like the PRC-74 manpack I am testing) needs to be tuned
for many stations once it is netted.  OK with wide AM receivers, but
noticeable none the less...Maybe a Drill Sergeant would be useful...LOL

Net start time:  earlier would help this time of year.  Plus it would help
Jim W6JVE in Fayetteville to check in and then get some sleep!  We sure
appreciate his participation! (check out the photo on his QRZ.COM webpage
listing....) - John - I think you said you had antenna issues on 80 meters
- so 7087 should be workable propagation wise for everyone...

Good fun!  Tim
N6CC

On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 9:43 AM, <boatanchor at martasystems.com> wrote:

> Mark -
>
> I think moving at least an hour earlier would be better given the
> conditions at this time of year.
>
> Scott (his callsign is now WB6AS) and I ran some pre-net tests and finally
> we were able to copy each other. When the net started, it seemed things
> were not as we expected... freqs were off. Seems we need to do more testing
> - using our calculated L.O. freq (1/4 carrier) doesn't put us in the same
> place as NF6X.  Note that both of us are using modern synthesizers for
> L.O., not the T-195 PTO.
>
> Interestingly, tuning NF6X into the Dovetron, then adjusting my
> transmitter L.O. synthesizer to match on loopback puts my L.O. at 1772.396,
> which doesn't fall on either the Mark or Space carrier frequency, but it's
> closer to the Space. Tried this multiple times to verify. I was originally
> thinking that the T-195 resting freq would be Mark, but then convinced
> myself that maybe it's supposed to be Space since we're running Mark-Low
> and I modified the switchbox to use the other side of the loop keying relay
> contacts (the T-195 doesn't have provision for selecting polarity). The
> mystery is why the L.O. isn't on either one of them.
>
> Gotta love this - lots of knobs and complications.
>
> John WB6AZP
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Mark J. Blair
> Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 03:10
> To: MRCG Mailing List List
> Subject: Re: [MRCG] Clatternet
>
> Clatternet was challenging this weekend! The RTTY gods were grumpy this
> time. Folks who at least partially checked in included:
>
> NF6X (yours truly, acting as net control)
> W6JVE (from Arkansas! Good copy)
> K6FWT (Tx only, and 120 Hz high)
> N6CC (solid copy until the path died out)
> WB6AZP (solid copy in pre-net tune-up; band died by net time; 120 Hz low +
> drifty)
>
> I gather than Scott KG6EMD tried, too, but I didn't copy him. There were
> some wide-shift signals just barely audible above the noise floor, so maybe
> one of them was Scott?
>
> Anyway, what do you folks think about the current net start time of 19:30
> on 40m band? Do you think we should move the time and/or band? I think I
> should be able to hit anything 80m or higher with my current setup. I can't
> Tx on 160m yet, because my antenna is a bit too short to tune up there.
>
> --
> Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
> http://www.nf6x.net/
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> MRCG mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrcg
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:MRCG at mailman.qth.net
>
> Website: http://www.mrcgwest.org
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> MRCG mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrcg
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:MRCG at mailman.qth.net
>
> Website: http://www.mrcgwest.org
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>