FM transponder operating techniques

At this point, once again, a few basic thoughts about operating techniques:

The first and golden rule–first listen, then send!

  • Don’t call during on-going QSOs or call CQ–wait, even when it’s hard to resist.
  • Whistling, tapping, “ooola, ooola”, “hello, hello”, and so on is superfluous–on an FM transponder, extra sounds are unnecessary.
  • Reduce output to a minimum–an overloaded transponder helps no one
  • Keep the QSOs short and essential.
  • Here there is a difference of opinion–is it necessary to send the grid square? During an HF contest, such a report would be a valid QSO. In Europe, we’ve developed this style–but isn’t it more effective to work in contest mode? When the satellite was quite busy–callsign and signal report–that was it. Name, QTH or even the station equipment can be exchanged when one is truly alone on the transponder.
    Practice discipline, limiting yourself to one QSO each pass–during those precious minutes, everybody has a turn. I often sat there with my microphone in my hand and never had a single QSO.There will always be stations which will be annoying (due to their operating style)–it is, however, senseless to interfere with these stations–it doesn’t help anyone else.

  • We respect QSOs in different languages.
  • It actually works with suitable discipline and short QSOs–a pass is often multilingual and listening in can be lots of fun.

    Perhaps we shouldn’t get caught up with the “daily chaos” and try through our own operating techniques to show a bit more discipline. It’s difficult, but we should try it–even when the finger on the microphone key is itching, the output regulator isn’t doing anything and when one’s eyes are rolling when the name or location is repeated for the third time.

    73 Mike,
    DK3WN

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