PC-ALE , and I assume Multipsk ALE, is designed to work in attended mode for almost all applications other than two likely scenarios.
1. Soundings: This now referred to as "station ID" by the HFLINK web site (http://hflink.net/qso/). I think this is a fair description, since it simply sends the callsign "this is K3UK" for a 12 second period (approximately). It is likely that the station's ID will be sent , once, on all HF bands over a 5 minute period, usually once per hour 2. Individual Call: A station manually initiates a call to a station but PC_ALE uses look-up tables to determine which band to start on , and moves up or down the bands until al link is found , or all bands have been tried once and the attempt is ended. This is a longer call, similar yo a voice station sending "P5DX de K3UK" for a 20-30 second period . Both scenarios are likely unattended. When I do this I am actually in the shack and usually need to make sure the SWR on all bands is "good" while I am calling. I am guilty of sometimes heading to the kitchen for a quick snack and arrive back at the shack to find that I have already transmitted on a couple of bands. As Bonnie mentioned last week, ALE has no busy detect for none ALE signals. So yes, Soundings and certain other aspects of ALE cause QRM. However, what is the REAL difference between sending your callsign a few times via ALE , versus picking up the Mic and asking "is this frequency in use" ? I wonder if ALE soundings consisted of "QRL? QRL ? de K3UK K3UK K3UK K " and then stopped , would we object? Andy. On 10/1/07, Rick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > After the contact, I switched over to ALE 141A and listened for quite > some time in unproto mode. Later on I heard an eastern station calling > the HFN, which must be the HFLink Network. This can not be an automatic > station as it was outside the automatic subband. I am not suggesting > that it was the eastern station since I could not monitor ALE while in > Olivia mode. > > This frequency turns out to be Channel 21, which is one of the 40 HF > "channels" that is claimed by the HFLink group. > > It is still possible for the first operator to hear a mode being used on > a given frequency and then when the second operator turns it over to the > third operator, and the first operator can not hear the third operator, > they may incorrectly assume that the frequency is not in use. This is > one of the fairly downsides to having many digital modes that can not > understand the content of most other modes (except for CW and voice). > Even having an identifier would not help if they do not realize that the > two stations are having a QSO. > > 73, > > Rick, KV9U > > John Bradley wrote: > > > > Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm unattended soundings? > > > > > > > > John > > > > VE5MU > > > > > > > > *From:* [email protected] <digitalradio%40yahoogroups.com> > > [mailto:[email protected] <digitalradio%40yahoogroups.com>] > *On Behalf Of *Rick > > *Sent:* Monday, October 01, 2007 3:28 PM > > *To:* [email protected] <digitalradio%40yahoogroups.com> > > *Subject:* Re: [digitalradio] Re: Tests in ARQ FAE > > > > > > > > I just got off the air on 30 meters with N5UNB a few seconds ago. He had > > called CQ on Olivia 16-500 and we had a nice QSO. About half way through > > it I noticed some ALE 141A centered across our live QSO. It may be that > > they could not hear the TX station, but I am sure they could hear me, > > assuming there was a live operator on the frequency. My dial frequency > > is 10.136.5 to put the other station's Olivia signal in my sweet spot > > near 1500 Hz. > > > > Even with the ALE signal over the top of the transmitting station, I saw > > no hits on the Olivia signal. His reading on Multipsk was around -5 S/N. > > > > 73, > > > > Rick, KV9U > > > > -- Andy K3UK www.obriensweb.com (QSL via N2RJ)
