Scott - There were a couple of times when I heard you calling CQ on FT8 that I used the free form message to see if you would QSY to 2M. I never got a response, I wonder if you got the message or not. If you got it and didn’t want to QSY, that is OK, I see you were 6M only. If you got it and didn’t understand I would like to know that too, so I can change my technique in the future. - Duffey

James Duffey KK6MC

Cedar Crest NM

On Jul 22, 2019, at 14:14, Bill <bill4070@...> wrote:

Scott,

Nice work on 300+!

When working the DXpedition(s) I became obsessed about  stations sharing signal reports but not grids. That until Mike FKO reminded me that I had made legal contacts because I was not in a contest and therefore any exchange will pass for a legal contact...... even funny little numbers. I'll be glad when this newby confusion ends......

Bill W7QQ

On Mon, Jul 22, 2019 at 1:29 PM Scott K5TA <k5ta@...> wrote:

To add a little extra confusion to the stew,  I have noticed that some people, mostly on (grid) DXpeditions have been calling CQ TEST outside of contests, especially on MSK144, probably looking for the shortest possible QSOs. 

My total is shown below. Very casual FT8 only. The big advantage of that mode for me is that I can sit in the bedroom watching TV with an iPad in my lap and work people via a remote desktop app. 

I did work TI2 for a new DXCC, and enough grids to put me over 300 if everyone uploads to LoTW.  I’m happy. 

-Scott K5TA 

<image1.jpeg>

On Jul 22, 2019, at 11:39 AM, James Duffey <JamesDuffey@...> wrote:

Don’t worry about the NIL. I suspect that most of the guys doing that are casual contestants and won’t submit a log. 

James Duffey KK6MC

Cedar Crest NM

On Jul 22, 2019, at 10:00, KC7QY <kc7qy@...> wrote:

Keith,

I also saw a lot of non-TEST CQs. Generally I passed them by and worked the ones calling CQ Test (probably hurt my humble score but that's another story). The ones I did call or who called me when I was CQing generally came back with a 73 after my RR 73. Guess I'll have to wait for the log checking report to see how many NIL I get back.

Jim KC7QY

On Monday, July 22, 2019, 09:36:00 AM MDT, Keith Morehouse <w9rm@...> wrote:

Anyone seriously operating this weekends contest and using FT8 probably had this happen.

You're cruising .313 looking for those new mults or whatever, you see someone CQing WITHOUT the word TEST in the CQ message and you instinctively know they're not in contest mode.  No worries, you think.  The WSJTX boffins have tuned the program to compensate for the difference in exchange and you know autosequence will seamlessly pull you through.  You call and, sure enough, back comes the 'funny little number' exchange.  You reply with a NA contest mode exchange (because you're contesting, right ?) and.... back comes a repeat - no autosequence.  What ??  OK, maybe I got QRMed.  Try again, and same thing.  You can't progress to the finish.

What you do now is left to the individual.  What I did was terminate the Q and moved on.  You might have fiddled with the setup to switch out of contest mode.  Whatever... the Q was either made or not.

What this did, other then temporarily piss me off and cause name calling that nobody heard but me and the shack spiders, was confused me.  HOW could this happen....the boffins....they fixed this.  Was the other guy manually interfering with autosequence ?  Was the other guy that insistent on his funny number ?  I started ignoring those obviously not in contest mode.

This morning, after reading a soapbox comment on 3830, it finally hit me.... (I'm pretty focused on operating during the 'test).  It's.....The Clones !!  Those knock-offs of WSJT - JTDX, MHSV !  THEY don't have contest mode !   They can't autosequence past TX2.  So, what to do about this incompatibly ?  It's pretty obvious the clones aren't going to add CM if they haven't already and there are those contest haters that wouldn't use it anyway, but still insist on trying to WORK contesters.

I'm thinking maybe the solution is to add some kind of 'quick button' behavior to WSJTX that drops the program out of contest mode for just one Q and resets back into CM after the 73 (or something).  Does anyone have another idea ?  If a number of high level contesters presented such a request maybe the WSJT powers would respond.  Or, maybe you think it's a non-issue....or maybe a quick work around all ready exists that doesn't require a guy to drop in and change his setup and I'm just clueless ?

-W9RM

Keith Morehouse
via MotoG

Scott,

Nice work on 300+!

When working the DXpedition(s) I became obsessed about  stations sharing signal reports but not grids. That until Mike FKO reminded me that I had made legal contacts because I was not in a contest and therefore any exchange will pass for a legal contact...... even funny little numbers. I'll be glad when this newby confusion ends......

Bill W7QQ

On Mon, Jul 22, 2019 at 1:29 PM Scott K5TA <k5ta@...> wrote:

To add a little extra confusion to the stew,  I have noticed that some people, mostly on (grid) DXpeditions have been calling CQ TEST outside of contests, especially on MSK144, probably looking for the shortest possible QSOs. 

My total is shown below. Very casual FT8 only. The big advantage of that mode for me is that I can sit in the bedroom watching TV with an iPad in my lap and work people via a remote desktop app. 

I did work TI2 for a new DXCC, and enough grids to put me over 300 if everyone uploads to LoTW.  I’m happy. 

-Scott K5TA 

<image1.jpeg>

On Jul 22, 2019, at 11:39 AM, James Duffey <JamesDuffey@...> wrote:

Don’t worry about the NIL. I suspect that most of the guys doing that are casual contestants and won’t submit a log. 

James Duffey KK6MC

Cedar Crest NM

On Jul 22, 2019, at 10:00, KC7QY <kc7qy@...> wrote:

Keith,

I also saw a lot of non-TEST CQs. Generally I passed them by and worked the ones calling CQ Test (probably hurt my humble score but that's another story). The ones I did call or who called me when I was CQing generally came back with a 73 after my RR 73. Guess I'll have to wait for the log checking report to see how many NIL I get back.

Jim KC7QY

On Monday, July 22, 2019, 09:36:00 AM MDT, Keith Morehouse <w9rm@...> wrote:

Anyone seriously operating this weekends contest and using FT8 probably had this happen.

You're cruising .313 looking for those new mults or whatever, you see someone CQing WITHOUT the word TEST in the CQ message and you instinctively know they're not in contest mode.  No worries, you think.  The WSJTX boffins have tuned the program to compensate for the difference in exchange and you know autosequence will seamlessly pull you through.  You call and, sure enough, back comes the 'funny little number' exchange.  You reply with a NA contest mode exchange (because you're contesting, right ?) and.... back comes a repeat - no autosequence.  What ??  OK, maybe I got QRMed.  Try again, and same thing.  You can't progress to the finish.

What you do now is left to the individual.  What I did was terminate the Q and moved on.  You might have fiddled with the setup to switch out of contest mode.  Whatever... the Q was either made or not.

What this did, other then temporarily piss me off and cause name calling that nobody heard but me and the shack spiders, was confused me.  HOW could this happen....the boffins....they fixed this.  Was the other guy manually interfering with autosequence ?  Was the other guy that insistent on his funny number ?  I started ignoring those obviously not in contest mode.

This morning, after reading a soapbox comment on 3830, it finally hit me.... (I'm pretty focused on operating during the 'test).  It's.....The Clones !!  Those knock-offs of WSJT - JTDX, MHSV !  THEY don't have contest mode !   They can't autosequence past TX2.  So, what to do about this incompatibly ?  It's pretty obvious the clones aren't going to add CM if they haven't already and there are those contest haters that wouldn't use it anyway, but still insist on trying to WORK contesters.

I'm thinking maybe the solution is to add some kind of 'quick button' behavior to WSJTX that drops the program out of contest mode for just one Q and resets back into CM after the 73 (or something).  Does anyone have another idea ?  If a number of high level contesters presented such a request maybe the WSJT powers would respond.  Or, maybe you think it's a non-issue....or maybe a quick work around all ready exists that doesn't require a guy to drop in and change his setup and I'm just clueless ?

-W9RM

Keith Morehouse
via MotoG

I cannot post via email to nmvhf@groups.io  -- I could in the past.
I tried several pre-contest schedule postings and the all came back:

Subject: Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender

 

X-Postfix-Sender: rfc822; mailserver@...

Arrival-Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2019 20:28:48 +0000 (UTC)

 

Final-Recipient: rfc822; nmvhf@groups.io

Original-Recipient: rfc822;nmvhf@groups.io

Action: failed

Status: 4.4.1

Diagnostic-Code: X-Postfix; connect to lb01.groups.io[45.79.81.153]:25:

    Operation timed out

I _AM_ receiving all the posts of others, and in reading those
"reflected" email headers, I believe they are (successfully) posting by email.

Anybody else with this problem?
Any suggestions?

It's a PITA to have to use the browser UI....

Don’t worry about the NIL. I suspect that most of the guys doing that are casual contestants and won’t submit a log. 

James Duffey KK6MC

Cedar Crest NM

On Jul 22, 2019, at 10:00, KC7QY <kc7qy@...> wrote:

Keith,

I also saw a lot of non-TEST CQs. Generally I passed them by and worked the ones calling CQ Test (probably hurt my humble score but that's another story). The ones I did call or who called me when I was CQing generally came back with a 73 after my RR 73. Guess I'll have to wait for the log checking report to see how many NIL I get back.

Jim KC7QY

On Monday, July 22, 2019, 09:36:00 AM MDT, Keith Morehouse <w9rm@...> wrote:

Anyone seriously operating this weekends contest and using FT8 probably had this happen.

You're cruising .313 looking for those new mults or whatever, you see someone CQing WITHOUT the word TEST in the CQ message and you instinctively know they're not in contest mode.  No worries, you think.  The WSJTX boffins have tuned the program to compensate for the difference in exchange and you know autosequence will seamlessly pull you through.  You call and, sure enough, back comes the 'funny little number' exchange.  You reply with a NA contest mode exchange (because you're contesting, right ?) and.... back comes a repeat - no autosequence.  What ??  OK, maybe I got QRMed.  Try again, and same thing.  You can't progress to the finish.

What you do now is left to the individual.  What I did was terminate the Q and moved on.  You might have fiddled with the setup to switch out of contest mode.  Whatever... the Q was either made or not.

What this did, other then temporarily piss me off and cause name calling that nobody heard but me and the shack spiders, was confused me.  HOW could this happen....the boffins....they fixed this.  Was the other guy manually interfering with autosequence ?  Was the other guy that insistent on his funny number ?  I started ignoring those obviously not in contest mode.

This morning, after reading a soapbox comment on 3830, it finally hit me.... (I'm pretty focused on operating during the 'test).  It's.....The Clones !!  Those knock-offs of WSJT - JTDX, MHSV !  THEY don't have contest mode !   They can't autosequence past TX2.  So, what to do about this incompatibly ?  It's pretty obvious the clones aren't going to add CM if they haven't already and there are those contest haters that wouldn't use it anyway, but still insist on trying to WORK contesters.

I'm thinking maybe the solution is to add some kind of 'quick button' behavior to WSJTX that drops the program out of contest mode for just one Q and resets back into CM after the 73 (or something).  Does anyone have another idea ?  If a number of high level contesters presented such a request maybe the WSJT powers would respond.  Or, maybe you think it's a non-issue....or maybe a quick work around all ready exists that doesn't require a guy to drop in and change his setup and I'm just clueless ?

-W9RM

Keith Morehouse
via MotoG

Keith,

I also saw a lot of non-TEST CQs. Generally I passed them by and worked the ones calling CQ Test (probably hurt my humble score but that's another story). The ones I did call or who called me when I was CQing generally came back with a 73 after my RR 73. Guess I'll have to wait for the log checking report to see how many NIL I get back.

Jim KC7QY

On Monday, July 22, 2019, 09:36:00 AM MDT, Keith Morehouse <w9rm@...> wrote:

Anyone seriously operating this weekends contest and using FT8 probably had this happen.

You're cruising .313 looking for those new mults or whatever, you see someone CQing WITHOUT the word TEST in the CQ message and you instinctively know they're not in contest mode.  No worries, you think.  The WSJTX boffins have tuned the program to compensate for the difference in exchange and you know autosequence will seamlessly pull you through.  You call and, sure enough, back comes the 'funny little number' exchange.  You reply with a NA contest mode exchange (because you're contesting, right ?) and.... back comes a repeat - no autosequence.  What ??  OK, maybe I got QRMed.  Try again, and same thing.  You can't progress to the finish.

What you do now is left to the individual.  What I did was terminate the Q and moved on.  You might have fiddled with the setup to switch out of contest mode.  Whatever... the Q was either made or not.

What this did, other then temporarily piss me off and cause name calling that nobody heard but me and the shack spiders, was confused me.  HOW could this happen....the boffins....they fixed this.  Was the other guy manually interfering with autosequence ?  Was the other guy that insistent on his funny number ?  I started ignoring those obviously not in contest mode.

This morning, after reading a soapbox comment on 3830, it finally hit me.... (I'm pretty focused on operating during the 'test).  It's.....The Clones !!  Those knock-offs of WSJT - JTDX, MHSV !  THEY don't have contest mode !   They can't autosequence past TX2.  So, what to do about this incompatibly ?  It's pretty obvious the clones aren't going to add CM if they haven't already and there are those contest haters that wouldn't use it anyway, but still insist on trying to WORK contesters.

I'm thinking maybe the solution is to add some kind of 'quick button' behavior to WSJTX that drops the program out of contest mode for just one Q and resets back into CM after the 73 (or something).  Does anyone have another idea ?  If a number of high level contesters presented such a request maybe the WSJT powers would respond.  Or, maybe you think it's a non-issue....or maybe a quick work around all ready exists that doesn't require a guy to drop in and change his setup and I'm just clueless ?

-W9RM

Keith Morehouse
via MotoG

Anyone seriously operating this weekends contest and using FT8 probably had this happen.

You're cruising .313 looking for those new mults or whatever, you see someone CQing WITHOUT the word TEST in the CQ message and you instinctively know they're not in contest mode.  No worries, you think.  The WSJTX boffins have tuned the program to compensate for the difference in exchange and you know autosequence will seamlessly pull you through.  You call and, sure enough, back comes the 'funny little number' exchange.  You reply with a NA contest mode exchange (because you're contesting, right ?) and.... back comes a repeat - no autosequence.  What ??  OK, maybe I got QRMed.  Try again, and same thing.  You can't progress to the finish.

What you do now is left to the individual.  What I did was terminate the Q and moved on.  You might have fiddled with the setup to switch out of contest mode.  Whatever... the Q was either made or not.

What this did, other then temporarily piss me off and cause name calling that nobody heard but me and the shack spiders, was confused me.  HOW could this happen....the boffins....they fixed this.  Was the other guy manually interfering with autosequence ?  Was the other guy that insistent on his funny number ?  I started ignoring those obviously not in contest mode.

This morning, after reading a soapbox comment on 3830, it finally hit me.... (I'm pretty focused on operating during the 'test).  It's.....The Clones !!  Those knock-offs of WSJT - JTDX, MHSV !  THEY don't have contest mode !   They can't autosequence past TX2.  So, what to do about this incompatibly ?  It's pretty obvious the clones aren't going to add CM if they haven't already and there are those contest haters that wouldn't use it anyway, but still insist on trying to WORK contesters.

I'm thinking maybe the solution is to add some kind of 'quick button' behavior to WSJTX that drops the program out of contest mode for just one Q and resets back into CM after the 73 (or something).  Does anyone have another idea ?  If a number of high level contesters presented such a request maybe the WSJT powers would respond.  Or, maybe you think it's a non-issue....or maybe a quick work around all ready exists that doesn't require a guy to drop in and change his setup and I'm just clueless ?

-W9RM

Keith Morehouse
via MotoG

Sounds like you've got a good system.

I need to work DM63 for my last NM grid.  It's too close for E skip, but it's do-able on scatter with enough power on the DM63 end.  Using one of the WSJTX modes with their better S/N, makes it even more likely.  It can also be effective any time of year, meaning one doesn't need to focus on those 3 months of potential sporadic E.

If you can put 100W on the air using MSK144 or FT8, I'll bet we could complete.  I'll also bet I'm not the only guy who needs that grid.  Morning meteor scatter at that power with 4 elements gives you 1000 mile capability.

-W9RM

Keith Morehouse
via MotoG

On Mon, Jul 22, 2019, 6:58 AM Bruce Draper <bruceaa5b@...> wrote:

I operated on 6 for just a little while on Saturday in the spaces between dog class, shopping, yard work, and volleyball practice. But as others have pointed out, conditions were bad and few QSOs were made.

On Sunday morning I finished working on a 6-meter portable yagi that I’d started building on Friday, so I threw some gear in the truck and drove to a nice spot in DM64. It takes literally less than 2 minutes to take the yagi out of the vehicle, assemble it, and get it in the air. Another 2 minutes to start the generator and be on the air. With the better conditions, I worked a dozen stations from ABQ to SoCal while running only 15 Watts and the antenna at only 6 feet. SSB only, didn’t take the laptop for FT8. Didn’t stay out there long — it was just a test run, and it started raining not long after I arrived. But I at least demonstrated that I now have a portable station that I can use on the spur of the moment. BTW, electrically the antenna is a 4-el YU7EF design, but I mutated it to a snap-together PVC and wire affair. Seems to have a great pattern and good gain.

   -Bruce AA5B

On Sunday, July 21, 2019, Keith Morehouse <w9rm@...> wrote:

Wow...what a difference a few hundred miles makes.  After seeing some comments stations not that far back east, I feel like I was in a different country for this contest.

Wow...what a difference a few hundred miles makes.  After seeing some comments stations not that far back east, I feel like I was in a different country for this contest.

_._,_._,_