Horses are amazing creatures
 

Apparently, the horse is the only animal that can have a major part of its
body become detached and roam around unsupervised. Unfortunately these
detached parts seem to be able to locate transmitters so they can shout their
calls, call CQ, shout "up up", call each other "lids" (isn't there some saying
concerning pots and kettles?), tune up amplifiers, etc, on a rare DX station's
frequency. I suspect a lot of this may be from those who have already had the
pleasure of working the DX and now feel the rest of us need it to be more
challenging. It took me three days of trying to work T30M to finally know he
had my call sign right because the QRM'ers and Megacycle cops always seemed to
make their contribution when I thought I may be getting a call. Is the
concept of split operation really that difficult to grasp for people who have
presumably passed a relatively difficult exam in order to get their license?.
This tirade is mainly inspired by today's contributions to the TO4E operation
during the brief period I was finally able to *almost* copy them




Spammers - reply freely and often to my e-mail address
Everyone else - look me up on qrz.com

Peace - Those rare moments in history when everyone is rearming....

Phil - N1KI wrote:

Is the
concept of split operation really that difficult to grasp for people who have
presumably passed a relatively difficult exam in order to get their license?.
This tirade is mainly inspired by today's contributions to the TO4E operation
during the brief period I was finally able to *almost* copy them

____________________

Don't be so quick to criticize people who call on the DX's frequency.
There are a few programs which one could have running in the background
that can inadvertently turn off the split function. I have had this
happen to me a couple of times and been called a lid by the Kilocycle
Kops. I'm not, but they're welcome to their opinion.

Once this happens a time or two, most ops will figure it out, but until
they do, put the blame where it belongs: Poorly written software.

--
Bill W6WRT

Phil - N1KI wrote:

Is the
concept of split operation really that difficult to grasp for people who have
presumably passed a relatively difficult exam in order to get their license?.
This tirade is mainly inspired by today's contributions to the TO4E operation
during the brief period I was finally able to *almost* copy them

____________________

Don't be so quick to criticize people who call on the DX's frequency.
There are a few programs which one could have running in the background
that can inadvertently turn off the split function. I have had this
happen to me a couple of times and been called a lid by the Kilocycle
Kops. I'm not, but they're welcome to their opinion.

Once this happens a time or two, most ops will figure it out, but until
they do, put the blame where it belongs: Poorly written software.

--
Bill W6WRT

Bill Turner wrote:
Don't be so quick to criticize people who call on the DX's frequency.
There are a few programs which one could have running in the background
that can inadvertently turn off the split function. I have had this
happen to me a couple of times and been called a lid by the Kilocycle
Kops. I'm not, but they're welcome to their opinion.

Once this happens a time or two, most ops will figure it out, but until
they do, put the blame where it belongs: Poorly written software.

One might argue that if one's software is turning off the split mode,
one needs to stop running that software, at least while calling
split-frequency DX. If my rig radiates a T4 signal with spurs every
1KHz, should I keep calling the DX because it's the only rig I've got --
or should I be fixing my rig?

Not that that justifies the screams of "UP LID" on top of the DX when
one makes that error. The "UP" stations are causing far more QRM than
the stations that inadvertently fail to engage split.

One that really bothers me is when the DX is working split but not
saying so. When each QSO ends with simply "TU" - no callsign, no
indication they're listening up. Often 10, 15 QSOs or more before they
ID and indicate they're listening up. It's not at all unusual for such
a pileup to collect 5-6 good DXers calling the DX on his own frequency -
and then a handful of "UP" stations.

(inevitably, when the DX does ID and indicate he's listening up, you
can't hear him because of the QRM from the "UP" stations!)

Apparently if you find your own DX, you're a lid. (instead of letting
the Cluster do it, so you can read the DX station's call and listening
frequency on the Internet)
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Bill Turner wrote:
Don't be so quick to criticize people who call on the DX's frequency.
There are a few programs which one could have running in the background
that can inadvertently turn off the split function. I have had this
happen to me a couple of times and been called a lid by the Kilocycle
Kops. I'm not, but they're welcome to their opinion.

Once this happens a time or two, most ops will figure it out, but until
they do, put the blame where it belongs: Poorly written software.

One might argue that if one's software is turning off the split mode,
one needs to stop running that software, at least while calling
split-frequency DX. If my rig radiates a T4 signal with spurs every
1KHz, should I keep calling the DX because it's the only rig I've got --
or should I be fixing my rig?

Not that that justifies the screams of "UP LID" on top of the DX when
one makes that error. The "UP" stations are causing far more QRM than
the stations that inadvertently fail to engage split.

One that really bothers me is when the DX is working split but not
saying so. When each QSO ends with simply "TU" - no callsign, no
indication they're listening up. Often 10, 15 QSOs or more before they
ID and indicate they're listening up. It's not at all unusual for such
a pileup to collect 5-6 good DXers calling the DX on his own frequency -
and then a handful of "UP" stations.

(inevitably, when the DX does ID and indicate he's listening up, you
can't hear him because of the QRM from the "UP" stations!)

Apparently if you find your own DX, you're a lid. (instead of letting
the Cluster do it, so you can read the DX station's call and listening
frequency on the Internet)
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Doug Smith W9WI wrote:

One might argue that if one's software is turning off the split mode,
one needs to stop running that software, at least while calling
split-frequency DX.
____________________

Agreed, but my point was that the above is non-obvious. Once you figure out
what's happening, you can control it. As I said, the real "lid" in this case is
poorly written software.

--
Bill W6WRT

Doug Smith W9WI wrote:

One might argue that if one's software is turning off the split mode,
one needs to stop running that software, at least while calling
split-frequency DX.
____________________

Agreed, but my point was that the above is non-obvious. Once you figure out
what's happening, you can control it. As I said, the real "lid" in this case is
poorly written software.

--
Bill W6WRT

Out of curiosity, and to help the rest of us avoid this problem, what software
turns off the split function? Admittedly, with the TS2K, I usually use XIT
instead of split, but I would like to know what software to avoid.


Don't be so quick to criticize people who call on the DX's frequency.
There are a few programs which one could have running in the background
that can inadvertently turn off the split function. I have had this
happen to me a couple of times and been called a lid by the Kilocycle
Kops. I'm not, but they're welcome to their opinion.

Once this happens a time or two, most ops will figure it out, but until
they do, put the blame where it belongs: Poorly written software.


Spammers - reply freely and often to my e-mail address
Everyone else - look me up on qrz.com

Peace - Those rare moments in history when everyone is rearming....

Out of curiosity, and to help the rest of us avoid this problem, what software
turns off the split function? Admittedly, with the TS2K, I usually use XIT
instead of split, but I would like to know what software to avoid.


Don't be so quick to criticize people who call on the DX's frequency.
There are a few programs which one could have running in the background
that can inadvertently turn off the split function. I have had this
happen to me a couple of times and been called a lid by the Kilocycle
Kops. I'm not, but they're welcome to their opinion.

Once this happens a time or two, most ops will figure it out, but until
they do, put the blame where it belongs: Poorly written software.


Spammers - reply freely and often to my e-mail address
Everyone else - look me up on qrz.com

Peace - Those rare moments in history when everyone is rearming....

Phil - N1KI wrote:
Out of curiosity, and to help the rest of us avoid this problem, what software
turns off the split function? Admittedly, with the TS2K, I usually use XIT
instead of split, but I would like to know what software to avoid.

____________________

LogWindows does it, and there was another which I used once but have since
abandoned (don't remember which). The problem occurs when you do not have the
program running, the radio is already in split mode, and you start the program.
When the program starts, it turns off split and if you don't notice it...
you're a *lid*. :-)

--
Bill W6WRT