Saturday 29 November 2014

JT65 - Moving it Along a Bit...

JT65 is a great mode, enabling global DX with very modest, even poor antennas.  For many locked-up with moaning neighbours and small properties, it's a real godsend that makes radio possible where otherwise it would be impossible.

But it is slow!  Each QSO, if you follow the standard format, takes seven transmissions, meaning each of your CQs, if you are calling, are spaced by no less than nine minutes, including the one minute gap from 73 to CQ if you stick to your chosen even or odd cycle.  That's not a lot of QSOs per hour, and the problem becomes acute at grey line time.

I've taken a leaf out of a Russian operator's book, and ditched the RRR to move straight to a <HIS CALL> with RR and 73 all in one.  It saves two minutes off each QSO, which is significant when the grey line is marching along apace.

Most are fine with this, but there are compulsive-obsessive perfectionists that will send you a signal report again if you don't fall into his expected, strict pattern.  In the rare cases where this happens, I simply move on to another CQ or move to another mode altogether.

So, two minutes saved are two minutes gained, as it were!

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