Echo

[KA9VQF]

At one of the places I rented I set up my shack in a large downstairs closet. The room probably was intended to be a storage or sewing room or something when the house was built because there was no closet in it and it was to small to fit even a single twin sized bed in. There was no light fixture nor electrical outlets. There was a very small window that let some light in.


The landlord had no problem with me installing an over head light fixture and switch and several outlets in the walls so I did. I installed additional outlets in all the rooms in the house and overhead lighting in all the rooms I could without tearing out drywall, along with an additional fuse box, he wouldn't pay for a proper breaker box so I put in separate 4 fuse box I already owned, that way I had one for the downstairs and one for upstairs..


When I first got my station setup and going there was a distinct echo in the room. A lot of folks commented on it, especially when I would talk to folks on the local 2M repeater. A lot of them seemed to think I was using a chicken band echo mic or at least an amplified CB mic with the rig. It didn't matter that I did not even own an echo mic, they were convinced.


As time passed I put up shelves on two of the walls from about desk height nearly to the ceiling and installed a curtain over the window and the echo effect was nulled by the additional junk in the room. Personally so long as I can understand who I have a QSO with I don't care much what they are using for equipment even if they are using a nasty old CB echo repeat box. If I feel the need for the contact, like if they will QSL and they are in a state I need, I'll swap information and send a card.


I have to admit I have only heard a very few hams on ham bands that are using a echo box and never a echo repeat box or the other CB noise toys. Once in a while I do hear freebanders on the low part of 10M running their junk full tilt boogie. They don't count as they are not hams {mostly}

[2E0LMR]

Please don't get me wrong, the guy was using a very small amount of echo and as you said, one would be hard pressed to tell but I just wanted to see what others thought of these effects. I do agree it can be miss used but if done right, whats the harm?

[KB3VEE]

It's not about what harm is being done. It's just a quick way to get labeled a lid.

[W0AAT]

I have partial hearing loss and adding something like that to the signal can make it impossible for me to know what is being said.

[K8ERV]

I have partial hearing loss and adding something like that to the signal can make it impossible for me to know what is being said.

I have the same problem and observation.

So I encourage my wife to use an echo.

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[KC9UDX]

If what you say is true then why don't broadcast stations use an echo effect?

Clearly you've never heard any of the "Mexican" AM Broadcast stations.

[KC9UDX]

I have partial hearing loss and adding something like that to the signal can make it impossible for me to know what is being said.

I don't know that there's anything wrong with my hearing, but I hear plenty of stations on VHF and UHF that obviously are (mis)using a speech processor and it's all but impossible for me to know what is being said.

[KR2C]

A little reverb can add to the effective power output of an SSB signal such as compression does. To be honest, a little reverb sounds a lot better than the sound of too much compression. Those guys sound like they are in a wind tunnel.