QSK operation

CT2GXW

CT2GXW

Star Member
In transceiver reviews, many hams praise the feature of silent QSK (full break-in), thanks to solid state switching and not through relays. It's considered as a great plus in rigs that have the capability.

However, I never came across a QSO where the ops are apparently using QSK. Even in the long rag chews, I never hear interruptions, nor a kind of quick exchanges between stations. One side patiently waits for the other to end transmission, before keying.

So why is QSK seen as such a big deal?
 
CT2GXW said:
So why is QSK seen as such a big deal?
Click to expand...

I don't know about that, but I do know that a few of the rigs I own or have owned are capable of full QSK operation, but I find it really distracting if a band is busy, since every pop and squeak I can hear while the key is up makes me think that it might be the other operator trying to break in and get my attention, so I end up stopping and listening when I should be sending.

If you get an op' who is quick off the mark at the other end they tend to fire up and start sending question marks, or asking where you have gone!

The main time full QSK becomes REALLY distracting is when someone starts tuning up while you are sending. If they net on to your frequency accurately it can sound like you rig is stuck in TX mode, since their carrier appears to be the same pitch as your side tone while transmitting. It can be very confusing! :o

73, Mark...
 
I don't suffer from those issues as I never use full QSK. Actually I like long delays. Nevertheless it puzzles me the amount of comments raving about it, when its application looks more like an urban myth...

 
I use full QSK on the Elecraft K3. When I got it, lots of folk where raving about how good the QSK is (there is no relay clatter), so I set it for full QSK and just left it like that. I guess I'm used to it now.

I'm not sure if it is actually useful though!

I can see Mark's point though, if you are unfortunate that the received signal matches your sidetone in pitch and volume.

I would say that if full break in QSK is important to you, then the Elecraft implementation of it is indeed excellent. But they say that about Ten Tec too.


 
Hi Pedro,

that's a very good question. I operate using QSK nearly 100% of the time and wouldn't want to miss it ever again. My primary transceiver is the Elecraft K2, and for portable operations I use the K1, both of which are excellent QSK rigs. Occasionally (on VHF mostly) I use a FT-857D and when I transmit without being able to hear what's going on on my frequency I am getting anxious :o)

Breaking in during a conversation is only one of the possible use cases of QSK, and you're right, it is something you don't hear a lot on the air in standard QSOs (although it is not uncommon among those rag chewing at higher speeds, but considered impolite when used excessively!).

For me, the important thing is to hear what is going on on my frequency during my transmission: Operating at low power (typically running 10W into compromise antennas at home), it often happens that someone who doesn't hear me starts calling CQ over me while I am actually in a QSO. If I hear that, I can immediately react, stop my transmission wait for the CQ to be over, hope for my QSO partner to inform the CQing station, etc. If I was not using QSK, I'd be oblivious to all this and it makes it a lot more difficult to finish the QSO.

Similarly, when conditions change, my weak QRP signal often fades out at my QSO partner's side and they may think my transmission is over, so they come back to me and again, with QSK I immediately notice this and can react.

When calling other stations, be it a normal station that called CQ, or a special event station/DXpedition, or in a contest, QSK gives me the possibility to call carefully without missing out what's happening on the frequency, so I can again adapt to the situation on the frequency and possibly avoid generating QRM to others.

Finally, when I regularly had the pleasure to operate with high power and Yagis, and we still had sunspots, QSK often allowed me to hear my own CW signal that traveled around once around the globe and back to my own antenna :-) 

Of course, hearing noise between your own transmitted signals may very well be irritating and especially with transceivers that use a mechanical relay for T/R it may be annoying to listen to the relay noise and I'd would be worried about wear and tear of the relay. In that case, setting a reasonable break-in delay is certainly the best option...

So, it's a matter of preference and operating style. It's good that we can all set our transceivers the way it suits us best :-)

73!
Fabian, DJ1YFK
 
Hi Fabian,

Thank you for your answer. First of all, let me say it's a privilege for me to have you discuss a topic I started. I have high respect for your work on morse code learning, and it's great to have the feedback from such a well known master of the craft as you are.

Regarding QSK, I think you made valid points of its application, I never thought of. It makes sense in QRP to have that possibility of checking what's going on, instead of sending info while 'deaf'. When I read about QSK on forums or reviews, it's always about the 'conversational' advantage of it, but you use it more as a control tool, which I get.

To listen to your own signal in the long path also sounds very cool. I just checked the Earth's circumference, it's around 47000Km. So, at the speed of light, one turn takes 130ms, which I guess it's more than enough to hear your own signal, after the sidetone. Probably due to my inexperience, I need all the concentration in the world while sending, so the silence in semi break in is very important. If something happened while I was keying, well, I will find out after the delay :-)

On a side note, I heard you on a QSO on 40m some time ago. There was an Italian station, I think, calling CQ maybe around 12 wpm, and you came back at the same speed. I didn't recognize your callsign at first, and was surprised when I checked on QRZ.com to find out it was you. I think after that QSO you moved freq to other calls, at totally different speeds. I thought then how nice of you to answer that call and help the station make the contact. For me, as someone who learned the code in 2018, it's great to find stations willing to slow down and help those who are beginners or can't cope with higher speeds. I think the interest in CW today is huge, and there are many new ops around, eagerly looking for their first QSOs, which are so rewarding. The future of morse code on the bands is in the hands - and keys - of this new generation. So thank you for your big contribution!

73
Pedro
 
There is one other application using QSK, when you are working split and calling a DX station, you can hear immediately when he calls another station so you stop transmitting which leaves the frequency clear for the other contract.
 
CT2GXW said:
However, I never came across a QSO where the ops are apparently using QSK. Even in the long rag chews, I never hear interruptions, nor a kind of quick exchanges between stations. One side patiently waits for the other to end transmission, before keying.
Click to expand...

Last week I was ragchewing on 20m CW with a station that also has a TenTec Eagle, the radio I was using.  I assume that he figured I was using QSK because he broke me early in a transmission, and we continued with the pattern after that.  It's fun to be able to go back and forth like a conversation in person :-)  Can't do that on SSB!

Glenn AE0Q
 
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