Single Side Band and Frequency

[FeedForward]

I'm getting the sense that some operators expect both communicating parties to magically be on the same frequency. That is only marginally the case. How do you zero beat an SSB signal? How do you evaluate what your digital readout tells you is your receive and transmit frequencies? Everyone will have a different set of conditions. And, everyone will have a radio that is capable of finding and holding one frequency. Even then the other station may be drifting about so there are a lot of unknowns. BTW, AFC is a feature found on early receivers designed for AM reception. I was a fix for drift on the receiving end and depended upon maximizing the amplitude of the carrier in the IF.

It is quite common for 2 SSB or CW stations to be on significantly different frequencies especially when the operators are inexperienced or just lazy. Pulling off to one side of a DX station is common practice especially when there are dozens of strong stations piled up on one frequency. In that case the frequency difference would be intentional. I don't know if there is a specific rule about how close simplex operation has to be on HF, but I've never received a citation for not being zeroed on another station. I know I'd never follow a drifting signal out of band if I had confidence in the stability of my own gear. Channelized bands or known repeater offsets - that's a different situation altogether.

FF

 

[jhooten]

"just tune so the other operators voice sounds normal" is fine in a one on one conversation. What about a net? You are going to get tired of knob twiddling in no time.


Not a RIT problem? If Bubba forgets his RIT is on and tunes to your signal with the big knob how is that not a problem? He hears you fine, you hear him off frequency.

 

[Ed_Seedhouse]

"just tune so the other operators voice sounds normal" is fine in a one on one conversation. What about a net? You are going to get tired of knob twiddling in no time.


Not a RIT problem? If Bubba forgets his RIT is on and tunes to your signal with the big knob how is that not a problem? He hears you fine, you hear him off frequency.

This does happen on the H.F. nets I listen to and occasionally participate in. If the person is sufficiently off frequency someone will usually tell him. Occasionally it's the net controller who is off!

But compared to all the other types of noise and distortion on the bands it's really not a major annoyance. 90% of the time I can tell what is being said. The other 10% is what the RIT control is there for.

I lose more folks in the S9 local noise than I do for them being off frequency.