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Is it just me?

Moleculo

Moleculo

Ham Radio Nerd
Apr 14, 2002
9,200
1,686
283
It seems like as I dial around 40 and 75 meters (and sometimes 20m) lately there's more and more stations that are just splattering. The audio is more than 3kc wide, bleeding all over the place, and they sound like crap. Maybe they have the mic turned way up or not paying attention to the alc (if they have alc) and over driving an amp. Is it just me or does it seem like there's an awful lot of these stations out there?
 

Unfortunately it is not just you.(no offence LOL) I have noticed lots of crappy signals on 20m lately. :evil: I guess some guys think that just because we are near the bottom of the solar cycle they have to crank up the power and mic gain to be heard across town.I honestly think half the guys out there DO in fact have ALC but have no clue what it is or how it should be run.Unfortunately it looks more and more like that is the kind of operators coming onto HF. :roll:
 
Unfortunately it looks more and more like that is the kind of operators coming onto HF

Why is it always the new HF operators that get blamed.I know plenty of stupid old time operators aka (appliance operators) couldnt wire a mic if there life depended on it.Cant tell um nuthin aka hard headed.
Heres how the arguements on 20 and 40 always go.Your wide could you cut back some.(answer)Ive been operating for 400 years and my station is adjusted perfectly.YADA YADA YADA.LOL 73s
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Well in my case what I said is from direct observation of what I hear on the bands and when talking to a lot of new hams both on radio and in person.A lot of the time someone will state how long they have been on the air.I am NOT saying that all new hams are top blame and none of the old guys are,but I am saying that there are a great deal of crappy signals coming from new guys.Locally a repeater has become known as the "Charlie Bravo" repeater and has virtually been taken over by former CB'ers,many of whom I knew from 20 years ago.The converstaions are reminescent of ch 15 back then.A lot of these same guys hold a net on 80m and it is the same thing.When a lot of new guys find out they can't wire up a D104 to their new 2m rig that has the 8 pin RJ-45 plug for a mic connector they look for the deviation control to crank up so they "can be heard better" ( read louder). All this does is splatter and deviate outside the passband of the receiver and they sound like crap.

Don't get me wrong there are a lot of very good new ops and some very bad old farts on the air but as a whole I would have to say that things are getting worse.IMHO.
 
Here is what I seem to notice on the bands here lately. There is 2 stations trying to work a sched and the band is very poor, so bothe stations crank up the amps and turn processors on to be able to communicate. They sound fine to each other, but to the stations that have good band to either station they sound crappy. I don't see it as a bad operator, just bad band conditions. Just wondering if you guys had thought of that. But, and it is a big but, the new hams need to be ELMERED a little helpful critisism with the right tone of voice and a helpful attitude goes a long way and you will probably make a great friend who will want to QSO with you everytime he gears you on the air.
Just my 2 cents
Ed
KC0PZE
 
What you say is also true Ed.It is a weird thing about using processing that a signal can sound good or bad depending on the path taken.I have yet to understand why as have several others I know.I try to be polite when offering criticism but you know right off whether it will do any good or not by the reply you get when mentioning it.Sometimes it is just easier to put a few more Kc's between him and me.
 
That's a good thought Fasteddy. I suppose it could be bad conditions contributing to it. However, I don't see how cranking the mic gain wide open helps you be understood any better. I know a lot of people don't like speech compressors, but I use it all the time mobile and base. The thing is, you really have to pay attention to the ALC when using it, though.

To really generalize, it does seem to me that most of the time the folks that I hear doing it aren't young, new guys. Maybe it's old age syndrome....you get hard of hearing, and assume that since you can't hear anyone else, they can't hear you so you turn all the knobs to the right! :LOL:
 
Eddy is right it is all about attitude on both sides and yes there are bad operators everywhere and good that is life.
If I sound like crap I want to know it but dont come in with a crappy you dont know what your doing and I am a superior all knowing super ham.LOL
We have a guy such as this in my area.Thinks he knows everything but cant even wire a mic.Runs a lot of 11 meter equipment on ten and talks crap to other people about their stations.Go figure.Must be a super ham.Legend in his own mind.
I told him onetime if I was running an RCI 2950 and antron99 on 10 I wouldnt be such a jerk to people about the equipment they run.
You run what you can and do the best you can but people need to worry more about there own equipment and less about others.
Yes band bleeders are aggravating and helpfull advice should be heeded but its all in the way you go about it and most people argue or crank there own station up to get even and create the mess we call radio.
If you get a hard head that wont listen just move on.It aint worth it.LOL 73s guys.
Off my soap box.
 
Yes band bleeders are aggravating and helpfull advice should be heeded but its all in the way you go about it and most people argue or crank there own station up to get even and create the mess we call radio.
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Yeah sort of like the guys I was listening to on the way home from work.A couple of GI's from Ireland and a W? from the east coast on 14.194.I guess they thought they were being gentlemen by staying off 14.195,a DX calling freq.The W? was running a four element monobander and 1300 watts with processing so heavy you could hear the fan in his amp.He was 5 9+20 into GI but still had to run the amp.One of the Irish guys was 5 9+15 into my mobile and the W? was even stronger wiping out ANY hope of hearing anyone on 14.195.What is up with that any way?I remember when 14.195 got about 3 KHz each side clear.It can't be due to a crowded band as most times 20m is not that crowded.Lately I hear a lot of QSO's on 14.194 and 14.196 and it just pi$$e$ me off because there is good DX there,especially for a mobile station, if you can hear it. :?
 
Your right QRN.Some guys could make the contact with 50 to 150 watts but will crank up 1500.
Makes no sense to me but I think I am in the minority.
Mo Powa syndrome at work.LOL :roll:
 

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