Suggesting test segment on QO100

  • It is sunday afternoon and it shows, on the spectrum waterfall. Carriers come and go, drift all over the place, people calling "test... test".


    We've all seen it and we've all cursed it, but what is someone to do who just want to test his signals? Aren't callsigns not given not just out of disinterest, but also to avoid being called for QSO? If I want to test, where should I test?


    I wonder if it makes sense to set aside a small segment (20 kHz or so) just for testing. "if you must test, test in the test segment; no QSO in test segment",


    I guess most of us know that the most often used feature of a terrestial FM repeater is testing. "click-boing": doesmy radio still work? I think the same applies on our bird.


    I guess the good news is that the test signals most often happen during EU daytime. That means it's humans doing this, and perhaps these humans can be guided


    Just a thought,


    Geert Jan

  • Hi Geert,


    when I want to test something then I use a spot close to the upper beacon, around 10.489.980 or so, there is hardly any traffic there.


    Especially when changing settings, hardware or trying to optimize the setup, since most paople's QO-100 setup is somehow experimental, there's an obvious requirement for testing, since monitoring the UL TRX is not aleays what you hear on DL. I don't understand why people have problems with other people testing. Nobody is forced to listen to somebody else's test signals. There is enough space on the transponder for eveybody.


    73 Jens HB9EKO