PSK31 Rant

All caps is how mills type.   So if you're a CW op,
the chances are you learned to type on  a mill.

So naturally when usin' another type of keyboard,
they would do "what comes naturally" as the song
goes.

For those new to ham radio, a mill is a typewriter
(manual or electric) or word processor that CW ops
use to receive msgs.  Some are only upper case and
a few are just regular ones with cap lock on.

Same-same for RTTY (RATT) users, their print is
all caps too.

I just think that it is very impolite for newbies
to be critical of OTs (AKA OFs) because of their
typin' style.

73 de Ronnie

 

AMEN and AMEN!!!!!  We are all reading and sending stuff right here and no one is inclined to send a big load of silly canned stuff about the computer, the sound card, which wall plug is being used, etc.  Why then do it on PSK especially if not asked?  If your life is really incomplete without subjecting others to a gigantic 'brag file', how about a short one like "the computer is tan, it's hooked to a radio which is attached to an antenna....That's why I copy you and you copy me"....(for additional detailed information please SASE to callbook address).

 

Typing in all caps is not a skill, it is an affiction. A computer is not a Mill. Every keyboard I have ever seen has a shift-lock button. The person who feels they need to make themselves heard above the rest will use all caps. It is over-deviation. Caps are harder to read and even those of us who read extremely fast have to slow down a couple hundred words per minute to read them. It's rude, loud and objectionable- Mill operator or not. Is CW sent in all caps? or all lower-case? It does not matter- it's really a function of whomever is copying it and writing it down. All caps on the 'net is like using 10 code on the ham bands. And you call ME a newbie. LOL

Back to macros on digital modes. If you are sending so much junk that people are not reading it isn't it just a one-way transmission? Same thing with beacons on packet. How is this legal and allowed?

Jim - KB9YFI (newbie)

 

Well Boys,

I'm off to Staples to get a Mavis Bacon CD so I can lift myself from the dregs of society. God forbid that any of us would have a factory job for 15 bucks an hour and not have the oppurtunity to be articulate and dazzling to upper management via the LAN network at Corp. America Inc.

I'd just like to thank Jim for all his insight and his brilliant demonstration of social skills for righting all the ills in my life by pointing out how successful he is (and not to forget, an A-1 typist too!!&#33

We should all take this oppurtunity to thank him. Maybe when he gets his hf ticket he can expound further on psk31 and on what an all around great guy he is. It'll be a treat for us at the bottom of the social caste to receive such wisdom from Jim.

 

 I BET THAT TOOK A LONG TIME TO THINK UP
WHEN ON AIR DONT YOU TELL WHAT YOUR GEAR IS I
LIKE TO KNOW  ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE HAMS WHO
JUST GIVE 59 THEN YOU ARE ON TO THE NEXT CALL
HOW BORING JOHN G0FGC

 

Hello All:

Again this is someone's view and I would hope that it would not stop those interested in trying PSK31 to do just that.....give it a try! I can say that I have never seen that long of a station "brag" file that you had to time it....the letters in PSK can only be sent so fast and most people have a "brag" station list that goes more like this:
(example)

Station at KB9UMT:
rig: Yaesu 1000mp
20 watts
antennas: 40/80 wire, MQ-2 Minibeam
A99 vertical
Software: Digipan
(some list computer too)
Grid: EN50DP
QSL: direct, www.eQSL.cc
email: kb9umt@arrl.net

That is usually it.....very simple for 98% of them....and I think the information is great......good to know the Grid, nice to know how to QSL to them.....and with the Internet one can QSL or email quick!

I really think this again is just an observation that there are long winded Hams....I have listened many times on voice and most have to ID (that means they have been talking for 10 minutes!&#33 before they hand it back.....not a problem...but if the conversation is not what you wanted then there are many more to be had....you just move on!!

PSK is a great mode!!! Have fun !!!

73 de kb9umt Don Peoria IL

 

oh dear
look at it this way on the bands there is a lot of rubber stamped QSO's and if thats what you want then fine

or you can engage the other person operating the equipment with some dialog rather than a monolog of what your set up is like ect

I tend to start with the macro button to say hello im here and if there seems to be some life at the other end resort to using the keys

life would be much better if we just got on with our hobby and enjoyed it rather than complain and winge about what the other guy is or is not doing

so if you don't like it don't do ot and if you don't care enjoy yourself and have a happy and long life
best wishes to all
M3CQH/G7CQH

 

Question!
do you mean to tell me that the hobby "amateur radio" that i sweated about every single equasion, every question on the test and studying morris code and all that work is for a high five from some one on dx and a bogus 5/9 qrz and now this . is all that hams do, run the other fellow down, for his (as perceived by you) lack of skill at something or other, spelling, morris code or lack of or care about it, typing, and now the way the other person operates psk,is this All there to ham radio? from these web pages and now e-ham; it sure looks like that's all there is to it. no i don't do contest, nor dx, as no one seems to be able to do more than; (shades of cb) what's your handle? what's i'm puttin on ya? what's your qth? what's your call sign? qsl via bereau is ok qrzed? that is talking around the world ?
everybody is in a heck of a big hurry to go nowhere and do nothing.
doesn't any one have the priveledge to have? fun and without someone on his/her back work a mode like he/she sees fit , with-in the rules? maybe it's just me or am i out-dated?
these endless debates code versus no-code, dode versus phone. all fluff and phiffle. seems to be some trying to run people off the frequencies and help loose our bands to the industrialist, and they would surely appreciate them. take a look at what SAVI is trying yo do to 70 cm or 440 MHz which ever you like to refer to it...
sori i have, been so long winded but i'm about to give up on it because of these two web sites..
ag4hy

 

While I agree that there is some overkill to station descriptions and how big and fast ones computer is, I still like to see what the other person is using. I think sticking to the basics is probably best but that should be defined as well. My preferance would be

RIG with power out
ANT
Computer
Interface
Software.

I have been running PSK since early 1999 and that has been kinda the standard exchange. What you send would be your choice but be prepared to continue to get extravagent descriptions as that is the choice of the op. Just ignore what you don't care about and let him empty his macro buffer, hi hi.. I don't think it is anything to make or break this mode..

Steve - W0SDG
Apple Valley MN

 

A several  minute macro on the station probably is unreasonable, however, I've been using the mode for about a year now and have never received any canned brags of that duration.  I'm  glad to hear of your concerns, and most of the responses seem to indicate that there is an awarenss of saying too much about relatively unimportant items.  The flip side of your concern though is the "Hello, my name is... and qth... thanks for the qso-73" contact.  In one of my macros I describe my station in about 40 seconds and indicate that my Warbler is driving a 30 watt class A amp that I designed and built.  I'm sure some people couldn't care less about the amp, but the few that did asked a lot of additional questions which led to some long satisfying qso's.  To many of us, the speed of some card is probably boring, but to another it could be a way cool thing to know.  I think the most valid point you make is to keep transmmissions resonably short.  If the other station doesn't ask you about the stuff you sent, he/she is probably not interested in, or unable to inquire further.
As in most other modes, it's fairly easy to know if the other station(s) want more information or less.  Good amateur practice and common couurtesy should dictate the course of any contact.

 

I enjoy PSK31 as a means of communication.
Communication is the POINT of any contact with
another being.  Whether it concerns the weather
or the motherboard of a computer, it is communication.
Perhaps we in the US should consider that we are
not ALWAYS in the factory of capitalism -- and relax.
Just relax and enjoy communication.  The minute we
start setting limits on communication we begin to
wane in learning.  Just listen, and relax for a bit.
If you have no time to listen, then don't talk either.
Peace and Goodwill.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KB9YFI @ Feb. 23 2002,09:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I may be way off-base but I think my priorities are better focused than anyone who spent years learning CW.  They spent their time learning only to talk to a fraction of the world's population at an extremely low speed and with minimal content (rag-chewing has a negative connotation.)   Learning how to communicate with the rest of the world at a faster pace and with meaningful content is more important.  CW has its place but priorities are priorities...  

If only code came this easy I would consider putting the effort into trying once again but I don't feel that the payback -other than the HF privileges- would be worth it.  I'll just wait until the code requirement is dropped which will probably happen before I would be able to learn code anyway even if I were still trying hard.

Jim

P.S.  I wish there was some VHF/UHF PSK-31 activity in my area as I don't have HF privileges.  Packet is dead here.  There are some stations but all you hear are beacons.  Neat mode- nobody to talk to....

[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Well, there ya go...

Now, maybe you could take a little of your own advice.
Helping someone to learn to type by suggesting various piecesof software was a great idea! So, I'm gonna pick up the ball and run with it.

Get "Code Quick".

You'll have the code down in 2 days.

Then, like so many other lazy people, you won't have to wait for the FCC to drop code and just hand out Extra Tickets to people who know how to use a PTT button.

As for me, I can hardly wait for the FAA to drop the license requirements for flying commercial airliners.

I've never had one accident flying my Stuka Dive Bomber R/C around the back yard. The transition should be seamless.


73, Jim - kc2jca, LLC (Long Live Code)

 

What I see here Gentlemen is just another case of netiquette.

You see, I've been online since 1986, which means that I comprise
less than 3 percent of the online population on the planet who has
been online for that long.

At one point in time, if one didn't follow a proper procedure for
sending E-mails and the like, they would be told to read a Netiquette
FAQ or have one uploaded to them.

A good computer operator was supposed to know netiquette or else they'd end up
getting flamed off the BBS (Bulletin Board System) that they were using.

With millions of people on the internet today, Especially AOL'ers in particular,
they are never taught Netiquette. In fact, I bet none of you have ever seen the
guide that I cut my teeth on. As a result, you have many ignorant people on the
net who just simply can't understand or grasp even the most basic concepts of
operating a computer. (Such as, not quoting an entire E-mail message just to add a
"Me too!" at the end of it. Not to say that has happened here, I'm just using that
as an example. )

When I first got into computers, when you turned the power switch on, all you got
was a "Ready." prompt. That was it. No fancy windows. No mouse pointer, just a
screen with a few words on it. HAM Radio has gone exactly the same way. It's gone
from being a hobby where you had to homebrew your CW transmitter and maybe your
reciever, to something where all you need is to buy a box, plug in a 12 volt PSU and
bingo, push-to-talk.

What does all that mean? It means that computers and HAM radios have become
much easier to use than they used to be, which means that more people can use
them. (OK, so we could argue that todays rigs have 4000 new functions that the
old rigs never had, but that's beside the point.)

HAM Radio has a particular operating procedure that one follows and a common-sense
on-air courtesy (I'm Canadian, I can work CW on the Phone part of the band,
or Phone on the CW part of the band legally, yet I don't.) that's filled with all kinds of
unwritten rules.

Believe it or not, computers are precisely the same way. If I had things my way,
people would have to get an exam and obtain a license in order to be able to be
qualified to use a computer system because just as a radio can be dangerous in the
hands of an unskilled and untrained user, so can a computer. (Dangerous in that
some poor tech support guy will commit suicide at his desk after the call! )

(I worked as a Technical Support Rep for an ISP here in Calgary for a while. I know
for a fact that some people just should not own computer systems and should be
relegated to using old IBM Selectric typewriters until they can sit down and read the
manuals just like I had to.)
Now if you guys really want to argue about the whole touch typing thing, I'll put it this way
since I'm already on this topic. Learning how to touch type relates to a computer in
the same way that CW relates to Ham radio. Nobody said you had to learn touch
typing to use a rig and nobody said you had to learn CW to use a computer.
However, I'm sure that learning both would certainly help!

I could air my views on CW here but I don't want to cause a flamewar. I'll do
that whenever the next CW/Anti-CW rant comes up.

My closing argument is this...

Netiquette dictates that an E-Mail signature should not be longer than 8 lines.
This is common sense amongst older computer users but not really known amongst
newer computer users. How are you supposed to know this? Well, you don't. You
learn it from other, older operators. Back in the days of 300, 1200 and 2400 Baud
modems there was a very good reason for this, not so much today but it's still
applied anyway out of courtesy for other people.

Netiquette can apply to HAM Radio in exactly the same way. What it means is
courtesy for other operators and consideration for their time and patience. If
someone does not want to have a 4-hour long ragchew with me on CW at 5
words per minute, I completely understand. If they want me to speed up, I'll
speed up. That's what this hobby is all about!
Be helpfull, be honest, be blunt and be considerate. I found my future wife
that way.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (af1s @ Feb. 23 2002,07:41)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Well Boys,

I'm off to Staples to get a Mavis Bacon CD so I can lift myself from the dregs of society. God forbid that any of us would have a factory job for 15 bucks an hour and not have the oppurtunity to be articulate and dazzling to upper management via the LAN network at Corp. America Inc.

I'd just like to thank Jim for all his insight and his brilliant demonstration of social skills for righting all the ills in my life by pointing out how successful he is (and not to forget, an A-1 typist too!!&#33

We should all take this oppurtunity to thank him. Maybe when he gets his hf ticket he can expound further on psk31 and on what an all around great guy he is. It'll be a treat for us at the bottom of the social caste to receive such wisdom from Jim.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
OM's:

I think ya'all need to take a step back and look at this for one minute...

He's not saying anything about typing that CW ops haven't said about keying CW, newbies, and the new "Extra Light"s (of which I am one) not being fast with a key.

Let's face it, it goes both ways. I don't work alot of CW (I'm Dyslexic), but I type close to 70 words per minute. I'm usually waiting two to three minutes for WinPSKse to finish sending what I've typed once I'm done typing.

I don't make CW ops wait for my mixing of the dits and dahs, and if I feel that I need CW practice, all I need to do is call up a local friend, and we'll do it on 2M. No sense in making all the speed demons out there wait for me on 20 or 40 meters.. Perhaps a little respect in the other direction is in order?

Just my two cents.

 

AB8LR- That is exactly my point here. It's about time somebody figured that out.

VE6BUD- I still have a 386 but I sold my 286 a few years ago. I was on the internet way before Algore invented it. BBS's and USENET before that. IRC was a hoot in the day.

KC2JCA- Code quick might not help much. I can't hear the difference much between the dits and dahs even at 5WPM without farnsworth spacing. When I go for my hearning aid I'm going to see about getting a note.

A thought- Maybe the CW test can have alternatives. Like if you can type 75WPM instead or build a tranceiver from components on a breadboard and make a QSO in front of a VE. I hate CW. I will never use it even if I learn it. It sux. It hurts my head trying to hear it. It's slow. If forced to finally learn it I will do my best to clear my memory of it after I get past the test even if I have to go to a hypnotist to have it burned from my memory. CODE SUX.