[SADXA] Interesting VP6D Operating Practices

Wed Oct 31 00:39:43 EDT 2018

Hi Richard, 

You must have tuned in right after my experience, as I later heard the
comment he was on 190, and should be on 185. I was thinking that calling CQ
on 190 instead of 185 might have had something to do with the up 5 issue. 

Yes, I agree, I have heard many DX stations work simplex until it gets
crowded. At that time, then they define the split. 

What I did find odd, was I was calling him up 5 when he was calling CQ up 5,
and he did not hear me, or anyone else. 

But, on 190 he responded with 59+ and asked me to spot him on the cluster. 

Something was amiss?? 

Anyway, thanks for your input on this subject Richard, 

Best 73's
Bill W7EXG

-----Original Message-----
From: sadxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:sadxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Richard Solomon
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2018 1:39 PM
To: Southern AZ DX Association E-Mail Reflector
Subject: Re: [SADXA] Interesting VP6D Operating Practices

I needed them on 20 Phone,
so looked on 14.185. Hearing
nothing I tuned up to see if
anyone was calling them.

I found them on 14.190 calling
CQ, listening 5 up. No responses.

Thought it strange until he said
listening 190 ?? So I called him
and worked him on his freq. I
didn't think this was strange, many
expeditions have done this to
wring out a last few Q's.

But someone came on and told
him he was on 190. He then
said he would go back to 185
and try again.

These new-fangled radios can
confuse the best of us ( but
never me HI HI).

73, Dick, W1KSZ

On Tue, Oct 30, 2018 at 12:32 PM Wes Stewart <wes_n7ws at triconet.org> wrote:

> I have now worked them at least once on 10 through 160 on CW, 12 through
> 40 on
> SSB, 15 through 20 on RTTY and 12 through 80 on (yuck) FT8 for a total (I
> think)
> of 29 slots.
>
> Not once have I worked them on their QRG.
>
> But Bill's observation about operator experience might be correct,
> although all
> of these guys have been on other expeditions where Elecraft K3s have been
> used.
> Nevertheless, I have been using them since 2008 and I on occasion receive
> the
> "He's working up dummy" message.
>
> The reason for this has to do with the ergonomics, or lack thereof, of the
> K3.
> Most buttons on the radio are dual (or more) function, where a "tap" does
> one
> thing and a "hold" does another. Regrettably, the button that puts the
> radio
> into "split" needs a "hold."  The "tap" copies A to B.  So an operator can
> dial
> in a TX frequency on VFO B, while listening on a different frequency on
> VFO A.
> If he decides to go split, and bobbles while punching the button, he can
> inadvertently copy (overwrite) A into B and then go on to hold the button
> putting the radio into split.  The "split" indicator light will be on, but
> unfortunately both VFOs are on the same frequency.
>
> Of course, if he is tuning for callers he will know this instantly.  But
> when he
> announces that he isn't tuning and listening on a particular frequency he
> will
> never know.
>
> Wes  N7WS
>
> On 10/30/2018 11:45 AM, W7EXG (Bill) wrote:
> > Hi SADXA Group,
> >
> > While chasing the VP6D DX-pedition, I discovered some interesting
> operating
> > practices that are unexplained.
> >
> > For example, I heard VP6D on 20m 14190 kHz (S9+) last night calling CQ
> for
> > up 5, with no acknowledgment of any answering station. He kept calling
> and
> > calling CQ. Finally, I decided to give him a call up 5, and he also did
> NOT
> > answer me, even though I called and called. I decided he was listening
> > somewhere else - but where?
> >
> > Finally I called him on HIS transmit frequency 14190 kHz (AND I KNOW
> THIS IS
> > A LID practice!!).   Yup, he was listening to his transmit frequency,
and
> > gave me a 59 + report. LID operation works!!  He asked me to spot him in
> 20m
> > which I did, because he was not getting any response.  I told him I WAS
> > calling him up 5 and he did not hear me and I was ON this transmit freq.
> >
> > I dismissed this odd practice until today.
> >
> > I was on 18071 kHz, calling VP6D up 2 as requested. AGAIN -- NO ANSWER -
> > from anyone, even though I could hear the pileup. He was calling and
> calling
> > CQ. So, based on my seasoned DX experience with past VP6D stations, I
> became
> > a LID AGAIN, and called him on HIS frequency, and YES, that IS where he
> was
> > listening.
> >
> > Other stations calling realized his practice, and soon stared a pileup
on
> > his transmit frequency. WE ALL BECAME LIDS!! What fun was that!!
> >
> > I did hear one VP6D op say "I am listening UP 5 -- NO TUNING" which may
> be
> > common practice?
> >
> > I am now thinking that these ops are using radios they are not familiar
> with
> > and this may be the reason for this unexplained op practice. I think all
> of
> > us have, at one time in our ham career, "misused" the offset function,
> > especially with a new rig.
> >
> > Now we know why LIDS call on the DX station's transmit fre1quency.
> >
> > Don't get me wrong, I am NOT encouraging LID operation!!  Hi Hi
> >
> > This is one of my interesting observations of the VP6D operation.
> >
> > Best 73's
> >
> > Bill W7EXG
> >
>
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