i was on 75m lastnight/early this morning trying to pickup XR0Y who was calling on 3.790. there was a station on 3.786.5 that was just hammering him. i slipped down to ask if they could slide down just a bit - they gruffed a bit and then a few minutes passed and they slid down to 3.786. the guy with the wide signal was still there, he just wasn't transmitting as frequently.
i dropped back down to ask him where he was and what kind of power he was running. there were a few stations in there including a G0 from the Midlands. i ended up talking with him for a few minutes. the G0 was trying to be accommodating, and it was a nice QSO.
i was annoyed when i asked them to slide down and got back the typical "we've been here for hours" response. i was curt and i ended up apologizing for that after talking with the G0 a bit.
the splatter master was 30 over and was in 5 land. i have no idea what he was running and he failed to answer some other questions. seems odd that one party on the frequency was open and honest and another wanted to pick a fight.
the G0 plainly stated he couldn't slide down because there was a local QSO he'd be QRM'ing. in all, the G0 really impressed me - honest, friendly, and understanding. the 5 lander wasn't so forthcoming and seemed to fit into the "this is my frequency, go away" attitude. still not sure why he was splattering me 4kHz up the band...
when i got back to XR0Y, he was calling Europe by the numbers. i decided it was bedtime and called it a night.
i managed to put a DX station in the log, just not the one i was looking to get.
Might have been a problem with his IMD or the linearity of his radio. From what I have been reading radio manufacturers have been cutting corners on keeping everything linear to reduce heat, expense and power usage. This page has some good information on what causes a lot of the off frequency QRM http://www.w8ji.com/transmitter_splatter.htm
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Obi-wan "You were the chosen one. It was said you'd destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."
Maybe he wasn't, maybe your receiver is a little wider than you think. Pretty easy to check.
73 Frank vk2akg
That's true also, I thought the filtering on my radio was better than it was. But, come to find out my wide filter is 2.3 kHz and my narrow filter is 1 kHz. I sometimes wish the narrow filter was 500 Hz or less on occasion, I don't think I can physically change it in the radio though. However I think there are some things I can do between the radio and the antenna to add some filtering if I really need to. Most of the time it isn't an issue though, filtering is only a problem when I use PSK31.
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Obi-wan "You were the chosen one. It was said you'd destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."
Sounds more to me that the 5 lander was running ESSB . Really wide ssb and a very bassy sounding audio . The guys that run ESSB seem to be trying for a broadcast sound and instead , to me it seems to me that all they really do is splatter a wide signal that sounds very bassy and muffled . SSB is supposed to be narrow not wide like AM .
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Randy #( KB5WX )
FISTS ## #10542
ARRL VE
Member of SPAR
SKCC # 5
First of all, was the noise blanker in your receiver turned on? If so, turn it off! Noise blankers are notorious for causing problems similar to what was happening.
Next, did you have a preamplifier turned on? On HF there is no need for a preamplifier in like 99.99999 percent of the time. Preamplifiers are even worse than noise blankers for causing problems.
Did you try turning off the AVC/AGC and using the r.f. gain control as the volume control? This generally clears up over 95 percent of overload problems.
Have you checked the actual "skirts" of the filter in the equipment? You can do this by turning on the calibrator on 80 meters and then tuning away from the zero beat signal (tune both ways, up and down in frequency). How far away from the zero beat frequency can you hear the signal? This will give you an idea as to how broad the filter actually is. Filters are usually rated at the 6 dB points (sometimes at the 3 dB points) in bandwidth. But, the real measure is how steep the "skirts" of the filter are. A good filter will have the 60 dB points no more than twice the value of the 6 dB points. Unfortunately, the filters supplied in many amateur radio transceivers are considerably wider than that and a number of them have 60 dB points at 3 or 4 times the bandwidth of the 6 dB points and even wider.
Now there are operators who are not operating their transmitters properly. In fact, there are some instruction manuals for equipment that are just plain wrong and when the equipment is operated per those instructions then splattering, "buckshot", and so forth can happen.
But, in like 9 times out of 10 the problem lies with the receiver and not the other station's transmitter. That is why you have to do everything possible to make sure that your receiver is not actually the source of the problem.
Those stations are on that frequency every nite in rag chew with G0 station and others that stop by that makes it legal in the DX window. Many other countries cannot work above 3800.
They do run a lot of power and some with directional antennas.
The wideness you hear is a combination of the mike they use the voice, the power and the equipment on line.
Many mistake it for splatter when it is just a wider signal your reciever responds to.
Splatter is a true roughness away from there passband from IMD harmonics etc.
There is a technical difference.
A better way is to tell them you would like to work some DX up the band a bit and would they QSY down at least 5 for awhile since their signals are so strong.
After all they use the band segment every nite and have lots of space below to work but you have to stay with the DX frequency.
Respect is the order of the day for at least a short time now and then.
Do not argue but state your case in a civil manner.
Addressing any other way just sets the hammer on the guns to fire at each other, with respect for the effort gone out the window in a muzzle flash.
We appreciate your support.
LSB splatter 4kHz up...
Linear Mode
