1. 1 www.sm2cew.com Digital QSO – True or False? A discussion about using database information rather than radiowaves for transferring QSO information Swedish Radio Amateur Society National convention 2012 in Umeå, Sweden

2. 2 www.sm2cew.com Theory and requirements..

3. 3 www.sm2cew.com Basics: - a QSO is about transferring information via radiowaves - a certain standard procedure is used - callsigns, reports and acknowledgements are exchanged

4. 4 www.sm2cew.com On VHF and above there are somewhat stricter requirements for a QSO than on HF. IARU Region 1 VHF Handbook; definition for a valid QSO on VHF and on higher bands is: “A valid contact is one where both operators during the contact have (1)mutually identified each other (2) received a report, and (3) received a confirmation of the successful identification and the reception of the report.”

5. 5 www.sm2cew.com IARU Region 1 VHF Handbook says; VALID CONTACTS: “However no recourse should be made during the contact to obtain the required information, change of frequency, antenna direction, etc. via other methods such as the DX Cluster, talk-back on another band, etc.” !

6. 6 www.sm2cew.com The internationally adopted standard procedure for an EME-QSO says (G3SEK webpage); “Minimum QSO: The definition of a minimum valid QSO is that both stations have copied all of the following: 1. Both callsigns from the other station, 2. Signal report from the other station 3. R from the other station, to acknowledge complete copy of 1 and 2.”

7. 7 www.sm2cew.com How do we communicate via radiowaves?

8. 8 www.sm2cew.com CW is King! Analogue!

9. 9 www.sm2cew.com Analogue! Phone is.. Interesting!

10. 10 www.sm2cew.com Digital is.. New! Digital! WSJT FSK441/JT65

11. 11 www.sm2cew.com 1 001H 120 2 002 I 121 3 003 J 122 4 010 K 123 5 011 L 130 6 012 M 131 7 013 N 132 8 020 O 133 9 021 P 200. 022 Q 201, 023 R 202 ? 030 S 203 / 031 T 210 # 032 U 211 033 V 212 $ 100 W 213 A 101 X 220 B 102 Y 221 C 103 0 223 D 110 E 111 E 230 F 112 Z 231 G 113 100110001111110101000101100100011100111101101111000110101011001 101010100100000011000000011010010110101010011001001000011111111 FSK441 (G4RGK SM2CEW) JT65 (G4RGK SM2CEW) The digital message

12. 12 www.sm2cew.com 1 001H 120 2 002 I 121 3 003 J 122 4 010 K 123 5 011 L 130 6 012 M 131 7 013 N 132 8 020 O 133 9 021 P 200. 022 Q 201, 023 R 202 ? 030 S 203 / 031 T 210 # 032 U 211 033 V 212 $ 100 W 213 A 101 X 220 B 102 Y 221 C 103 0 223 D 110 E 111 E 230 F 112 Z 231 G 113 100110001111110101000101100100011100111101101111000110101011001 101010100100000011000000011010010110101010011001001000011111111 FSK441 (G4RGK SM2CEW) JT65 (G4RGK SM2CEW) Det digitala meddelandet Transmitted character by character Coded with symbols instead of characters

13. 13 www.sm2cew.com Will this introduce any limitations? 100110001111110101000101100100011100111101101111000110101011001 101010100100000011000000011010010110101010011001001000011111111 ? JT65

14. 14 www.sm2cew.com WSJT Manual: Standard messages are compressed so that two callsigns and a grid locator can be transmitted with just 71 bits.. The aim of source encoding is to compress the common messages used for EME QSOs into a minimum fixed number of bits.. Yes, it creates limitations..

15. 15 www.sm2cew.com Tables in the software..

16. 16 www.sm2cew.com Minimal space for the message.. SM2CEW G4RGK IO91

17. 17 www.sm2cew.com Database..

18. 18 www.sm2cew.com Let’s take a look at JT65..

19. 19 www.sm2cew.com Who is calling….??

20. 20 www.sm2cew.com Add some info in the Setup screen..

21. 21 www.sm2cew.com That’s better..!?

22. 22 www.sm2cew.com I’ll write another prefix..

23. 23 www.sm2cew.com Wow, another DXCC….

24. 24 www.sm2cew.com I’ll write something else.. Note. FUSK = ”CHEAT” in Swedish

25. 25 www.sm2cew.com ??….!!

26. 26 www.sm2cew.com So who is really calling? 072900 9 -7 -0.3 132 5 # SM2CEW OOO 1 0 072900 9 -7 -0.3 132 5 # SM2CEW PJ4/PA3CFH OOO 1 0 072900 9 -7 -0.3 132 5 # SM2CEW 9X5/PA3CFH OOO 1 0 072900 9 -7 -0.3 132 5 # SM2CEW FUSK/PA3CFH OOO 1 0 The truth is that the software is not looking for a call. Instead it is using a flag that says: - Write what the operator entered in the Setup screen 100110001111110101000101100100011100111101101111000110101011001 101010100100000011000000011010010110101010011001001000011111111

27. 27 www.sm2cew.com The ”Deep Search” concept Or as K1JT says; ”Let’s add 4-6 dB extra sensitivity!”

28. 28 www.sm2cew.com ”Deep Search” Very weak signal levels Can not communicate callsigns Matching fragments received to database info Excluding unlikely matches with database info A qualified guesswork Does not write on the screen what is received but what the database says

29. 29 www.sm2cew.com Dependencies: Database Entry fields

30. 30 www.sm2cew.com Let’s try..

31. 31 www.sm2cew.com

32. 32 www.sm2cew.com Selection process, who’s not there? PA5M,JO21BS,,,ex PA5MD PA3GST,,,08/03 PA5MS,JO21QJ,EME,,ex PE1OGF,,144: 11el GS35b 400W MGF1302132 4000 DTR,11/02 PA60SHB,JO21OS,,,SpecialCall,,,12/04 PA6BN,JO13OF,,,Expedition - QSL via PA3BIY,,,07/98 PA6MS,JO32QF,,,Special-Call,,DTR,10/96 PA6T,JO32GF,,,Specialcall - QSL via PA2TAB,,DTR 3000lpm,12/98 PA7AL,JO23VG,,,,,,12/04 PA7C,JO32GF,,,ex PA2TAB,,50: 100W 6el - 144: R2CW GS31b 400W 14el MGF1,09/03 PA7FE,JO22OC,,,ex PA3BFM,,50: 6el leg pwr,03/99 PA7FM,JO21,,,ex PE1PZS,,,08/00 PA7PYR,JO21UQ,,,ex PD0PYR,,TS450SAT HF: FB33 - 144: 25W 2x17el Tonna -,09/03 PA7RP,JO22EC,EME,,ex PA3BBA,,144: 400 Watt (GS35b) 17 el F9FT,01/06 PA7WM,JO23TA,,,ex PA3DWD,,,03/99 PA9RX,JO32MT,,,,,144: FT847 4x17el 200W370,08/02 PB0ALS,JO21RV,,,,,,1993 PB1TT,JO22FF,,,ex PA3EFC,,144: 100W 10el CueDee2000lpm DTR,09/01

33. 33 www.sm2cew.com The ”Deep Search” concept Fragments received, still the computer prints information as if it has been received in full. This is NOT about extra dB’s of sensitivity! No other operator can ”see” a QSO at Deep Search level unless he sets his program up exactly like one of the two stations involved in the QSO and makes sure the info is in the database. Without real time communication (via Internet) you don’t stand much of a chance to complete a QSO where Deep Search is in effect.

34. 34 www.sm2cew.com Is ”Deep Search” the future? No, not if we want to preserve the radio channel as the carrier of information when making a QSO! Comparing Deep Search with traditional QSO’s is not ok when we know that the callsigns were never transferred via the radio path! DXCC, distance records, locators, fields… all these awards based on true QSO’s are now smeared by allowing Deep Search QSO’s!

35. 35 www.sm2cew.com The ”Deep Search” concept Let me quote a ”successfull” German moonbouncer with a small EME-array consisting of two short yagis: ”the way to get a small station in the log is to set the sync negative, and switch on "Agressive decode". Then you just have to sit back and wait for the right call to pop up. After that, you can put the parameters back to default.” Yes, he has the 2m DXCC-award his schack wall..

36. 36 www.sm2cew.com Is ”Deep Search” the future? If so, what is the next lower limit? - shorthand calls? ” * # ” - d etecting a carrier? ” – ” - a time stamp will represent a call ” 120428154523 GMT” = SM2CEW Not much different from todays Deep Search..

37. 37 www.sm2cew.com SM2CEW says: - Keep the old concept where QSO information is transferred via radio waves - Do not compare database generated text with a real QSO - Continue experimenting with digital protocols and digging in the noise for real information!

38. 38 www.sm2cew.com CW is King! Thanks for the attention, see you on the bands!

39. 39 www.sm2cew.com

40. 40 www.sm2cew.com