Well lets stir it up.

When you work an exceptionally weak DX station, do u use ESP?
Is that Extra Sensory Perception or Expected Sensory Perception ??

Is the best filter between your ears ??

Can u really copy CW right down into the noise -- if so why??

Have you ever copied SSB right down into the noise ?? If not why not ??

Do you listen to DX on a Speaker. Are headphones better ??? Which ones --
Com Phones or Hi-Fi

Do you keep the RF Gain at Max?
Or advance the audio gain, then bring up the RF Gain control for APPARENT
improved S/N ratio. Huh how does that work??

Do you use fast AGC or Slow when DXing --- Why ???

Lets solve these and other DX secrets.

And let the rest of the world solve the political issues ON ANOTHER NEWS
GROUP

Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:

When you work an exceptionally weak DX station, do u use ESP?
Is that Extra Sensory Perception or Expected Sensory Perception ??

What?

Is the best filter between your ears ??

Yes. *After* you pass the signal through the 250-500 Hz second IF
crystal filter.

Can u really copy CW right down into the noise -- if so why??

Because of the extremely narrow bandwidth of the signal. The lower the
information rate, the easier the copying. That's why CW gets through
where speech can't - speech requires more bandwidth due to the higher
information rate. Explained differently, CW transmits all the TX power
on one frequency, while SSB or AM disperses that same amount of power
throughout the entire bandwidth of the signal.

Have you ever copied SSB right down into the noise ?? If not why not ??

Everything can be "copied right down into the noise". It depends on what
your definition of "right down into the noise" is.

Do you listen to DX on a Speaker.

No. Waste of time.

Are headphones better ???

Always.

Which ones -- Com Phones or Hi-Fi

The cheaper, the better. You definitely don't want hi-fi headphones
because they only contribute to the sound in the range outside of the
transmitted speech, i.e. above 3 kHz, which translates into noise.

Do you keep the RF Gain at Max?

Normally, yes.

Or advance the audio gain, then bring up the RF Gain control for APPARENT
improved S/N ratio. Huh how does that work??

Depends on the signal that you're trying to copy, as well as on the
surrounding QRM and QRN.

Do you use fast AGC or Slow when DXing --- Why ???

Neither. AGC is a dynamic compression which compresses all the signals
into a much narrower dynamic audio range. That's great for strong
signals and easy on the ears, but it completely obliterates the weak
ones by "pumping" strong signals, QRM and QRN. You need to turn off AGC
for dxing (and most of contesting), unless you only want to work strong
signals. The drawback is that the full dynamic range is very hard on the
ears because you get a full blast of S9+ signals interspersed with the
barely audible ones.

73 .... WA7AA




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Zoran Brlecic wrote:
Is the best filter between your ears ??

Yes. *After* you pass the signal through the 250-500 Hz second IF
crystal filter.

G!

Depends to some degree on how you work your DX. 250Hz is too narrow for
contesting but probably just about right for pileups.

Do you listen to DX on a Speaker.
No. Waste of time.
Are headphones better ???
Always.

Fully agreed.

Which ones -- Com Phones or Hi-Fi


The cheaper, the better. You definitely don't want hi-fi headphones
because they only contribute to the sound in the range outside of the
transmitted speech, i.e. above 3 kHz, which translates into noise.

Disagreed.

IMHO the most important specification for headphones is physical
comfort. Can you wear them for hours without hurting your ears?

My ears - and the filters in the rig (for which I've paid good money!)
do a pretty good job of filtering out the noise.

I've generally found "communications" phones have an awful lot of ripple
in the audio passband. They tend to sound "tinny" or "bassy" or
otherwise unnatural. Not to mention they're usually heavy and
uncomfortable.

I bought two pair of Labtec LVA-8322's at Dayton a couple of years ago.
($5 each if I remember properly) They're comfortable - sound good -
they've got a boom mike (which keeps getting me great audio reports,
people don't believe me when I tell them what I'm using for a mike!).
One pair sits in the shack, the other I use for DXing the FM broadcast
band. (1,200 stations in 42 states since 1994) Actually, right now I'm
using them to listen to a They Might Be Giants CD... One of the better
bargains I've found at Dayton.

Do you keep the RF Gain at Max?
Normally, yes.

Or advance the audio gain, then bring up the RF Gain control for
APPARENT
improved S/N ratio. Huh how does that work??

I think it does work but only for strong signals. I've done that for
long ragchews with local stations, and it works nicely. Sounds almost
like VHF-FM quality. It's pretty hard to find the "sweet spot" when
working weak or QSB-laden signals though.

Do you use fast AGC or Slow when DXing --- Why ???

Neither. AGC is a dynamic compression which compresses all the signals
into a much narrower dynamic audio range. That's great for strong
signals and easy on the ears, but it completely obliterates the weak
ones by "pumping" strong signals, QRM and QRN. You need to turn off AGC
for dxing (and most of contesting), unless you only want to work strong
signals. The drawback is that the full dynamic range is very hard on the
ears because you get a full blast of S9+ signals interspersed with the
barely audible ones.

Fast.

If I'm going to abuse my hearing, I use the Ramones.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Zoran Brlecic wrote:
Is the best filter between your ears ??

Yes. *After* you pass the signal through the 250-500 Hz second IF
crystal filter.

G!

Depends to some degree on how you work your DX. 250Hz is too narrow for
contesting but probably just about right for pileups.

Do you listen to DX on a Speaker.
No. Waste of time.
Are headphones better ???
Always.

Fully agreed.

Which ones -- Com Phones or Hi-Fi


The cheaper, the better. You definitely don't want hi-fi headphones
because they only contribute to the sound in the range outside of the
transmitted speech, i.e. above 3 kHz, which translates into noise.

Disagreed.

IMHO the most important specification for headphones is physical
comfort. Can you wear them for hours without hurting your ears?

My ears - and the filters in the rig (for which I've paid good money!)
do a pretty good job of filtering out the noise.

I've generally found "communications" phones have an awful lot of ripple
in the audio passband. They tend to sound "tinny" or "bassy" or
otherwise unnatural. Not to mention they're usually heavy and
uncomfortable.

I bought two pair of Labtec LVA-8322's at Dayton a couple of years ago.
($5 each if I remember properly) They're comfortable - sound good -
they've got a boom mike (which keeps getting me great audio reports,
people don't believe me when I tell them what I'm using for a mike!).
One pair sits in the shack, the other I use for DXing the FM broadcast
band. (1,200 stations in 42 states since 1994) Actually, right now I'm
using them to listen to a They Might Be Giants CD... One of the better
bargains I've found at Dayton.

Do you keep the RF Gain at Max?
Normally, yes.

Or advance the audio gain, then bring up the RF Gain control for
APPARENT
improved S/N ratio. Huh how does that work??

I think it does work but only for strong signals. I've done that for
long ragchews with local stations, and it works nicely. Sounds almost
like VHF-FM quality. It's pretty hard to find the "sweet spot" when
working weak or QSB-laden signals though.

Do you use fast AGC or Slow when DXing --- Why ???

Neither. AGC is a dynamic compression which compresses all the signals
into a much narrower dynamic audio range. That's great for strong
signals and easy on the ears, but it completely obliterates the weak
ones by "pumping" strong signals, QRM and QRN. You need to turn off AGC
for dxing (and most of contesting), unless you only want to work strong
signals. The drawback is that the full dynamic range is very hard on the
ears because you get a full blast of S9+ signals interspersed with the
barely audible ones.

Fast.

If I'm going to abuse my hearing, I use the Ramones.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

"Keyboard In The Wilderness" wrote in message
news:lDuZa.31783$ff.3013@fed1read01...
Well lets stir it up.

When you work an exceptionally weak DX station, do u use ESP?
Is that Extra Sensory Perception or Expected Sensory Perception ??

Expected Sensory Perception amounts to knowing what to expect for the signal
report (count em out), callsign (from packet Cluster), etc. So yes you can
work the weak ones that are a syllable at a time if the info is repeated
several times and you know more or less what to expect.

Is the best filter between your ears ??

Many think so. Some folks are blessed with this -- able to tune out the loud
mouthed Mother-In-Law. Some are pitch sensitive and easily discern between
two CW or SSB signals.

Can u really copy CW right down into the noise -- if so why??
Experienced CW ops can do this. Again the trained ears and brain

Have you ever copied SSB right down into the noise ?? If not why not ??
I really believe you can. May take several repeats, but that and ESP can do
the job.

Do you listen to DX on a Speaker. Are headphones better ??? Which ones --
Com Phones or Hi-Fi
Can not imagine working weak DX using the speaker. Com phones for young
ears, Hi-Fi -phones for the rest of us. The intelligence is primarily in the
high tones -- ala kids and YL's breaking a pileup

Do you keep the RF Gain at Max?
Or advance the audio gain, then bring up the RF Gain control for APPARENT
improved S/N ratio. Huh how does that work??
Very subjective, but experienced CW and SSB DXers will turn up the audio and
bring up the RF gain for just hearing the signal -- try it -- works for
many.


Do you use fast AGC or Slow when DXing --- Why ???

Fast AGC. So a strong station doesn't blank out the weak one. Using NO AGC
runs the risk of a strong station coming on and blowing out your ears!!!

Lets solve these and other DX secrets.

And let the rest of the world solve the political issues ON ANOTHER NEWS
GROUP

Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:

When you work an exceptionally weak DX station, do u use ESP?
Is that Extra Sensory Perception or Expected Sensory Perception ??

Expected Sensory Perception amounts to knowing what to expect for the signal
report [snip]


Nice correspondence you're conducting with yourself there. Do you also
answer your own CQ?


WA7AA



--

Anti-spam measu look me up on qrz.com if you need to reply directly

Well someone asked me to post MY answers to the questions I posed 2 weeks
ago -- so I did

My reason for posting the questions was to stir up some discussion and I am
curious about how DXers would answer.

Some interesting replies -- unlike yours.


"Zoran Brlecic" wrote in message
...
Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:

When you work an exceptionally weak DX station, do u use ESP?
Is that Extra Sensory Perception or Expected Sensory Perception ??

Expected Sensory Perception amounts to knowing what to expect for the
signal
report [snip]


Nice correspondence you're conducting with yourself there. Do you also
answer your own CQ?


WA7AA



--

Anti-spam measu look me up on qrz.com if you need to reply directly

Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:

Some interesting replies -- unlike yours.

Someone asked me to ask you that.

73 ... WA7AA



--

Anti-spam measu look me up on qrz.com if you need to reply directly

Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:

Some interesting replies -- unlike yours.

Someone asked me to ask you that.

73 ... WA7AA



--

Anti-spam measu look me up on qrz.com if you need to reply directly

Well someone asked me to post MY answers to the questions I posed 2 weeks
ago -- so I did

My reason for posting the questions was to stir up some discussion and I am
curious about how DXers would answer.

Some interesting replies -- unlike yours.


"Zoran Brlecic" wrote in message
...
Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:

When you work an exceptionally weak DX station, do u use ESP?
Is that Extra Sensory Perception or Expected Sensory Perception ??

Expected Sensory Perception amounts to knowing what to expect for the
signal
report [snip]


Nice correspondence you're conducting with yourself there. Do you also
answer your own CQ?


WA7AA



--

Anti-spam measu look me up on qrz.com if you need to reply directly