Do we generate our own QRM

[m3wyo]

I ask this question because in the scheme of things I'm new to amateur radio and there is always something to learn and view each day as a learning opportunity.
Do we generat our own QRM and if so how do we recognise it and then deal with the problem, I run QRP all the time and at times my contacts complain of QRM is it me or something else. m3wyo ian. 73

[WB4IUY]

I ask this question because in the scheme of things I'm new to amateur radio and there is always something to learn and view each day as a learning opportunity.
Do we generat our own QRM and if so how do we recognise it and then deal with the problem, I run QRP all the time and at times my contacts complain of QRM is it me or something else. m3wyo ian. 73

QRM(anmade) is just that...made by people. You don't typically make your own...the QRM you're probably having reported is strong signals on adjacent frequencies that are probably in the passband of the other station's receiver, splatter from up or down the band, stuff like that.

Running QRP makes matters worse for the station receiving your signals, since you're less likely to fully capture or quieten their receiver and cover up the other incomming signals.

The only way to really fix this is:

1- force everyone to have tight, narrow bandwidth receiver filters
2- limit power output of everyone to lower levels
3- channelize operations on the ham bands to force clear zones on both sides of every signal
4- you could get a big amplifier :-)

I say that as a joke, tongue in cheek, you know. QRM has been something we've all had to deal with ever since we got on the air, and will probably always be there. Have fun with QRP, that's one of the challenges of that mode of operation, and makes it more fun to work the same contacts that the "big guns" do. I've even seen where a DX station would hear someone say "QRP", and tell everyone else to stand by for the QRP station, making it even easier for a QRP sig.

73
Dave WB4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

 

[W9WLS]

If you think it's bad now, just watch what happens IF the sunspot's increase and the band's really open up.

[m3wyo]

WB4IUY de m3wyo,
Thank you for your reply it's nice to meet someone else with a dry sense of humour and yet within the humour is a serious reply. There, I knew it, dirty signals are to blame.  (( thank heavens for the blame culture, I feel better now I'm off the hook )

Perhaps we could have a world wide QPR day and see if that makes a difference ? 

[m3wyo]

W9WLS de m3wyo
Sun spots, is that good or bad ?

[W9WLS]

M3WYO DE W9WLS
Ian: It all depends on how you look at it.
The Quick and dirty is, the more Sun Spots there are , the more open and longer ranged the bands become, which will translate to more operators getting on the air making more contacts, which can equate to more QRM.
Fewer Sun Spots, fewer band openings, less QRM (well maybe).
Do a little research on "Sun Spot Cycles" or "Solar Cycles" and "Radio Propagation (sp?)".
On the other hand, one can get QRM'ed on any band at any time ;-))).

[NS7X]

I remember the first time I got on 20 meters.  I listened for a good frequency before I transmitted.  I heard some activity, but not a whole lot.  I picked what I thought was an open frequency and sent ''didit dit.''  (CW shorthand for ''Is this frequency in use?'') 

I heard a ''dit'' in response (which, in this case, is cw shorthand for ''yep.'')

I wasn't too surprised.  Being as how you often don't hear both stations on 20, so I changed frequency, listened again, and queried ''didit dit.''

''Dit'' was the response.

So I changed frequency again.  And I got that ''dit'' response again. And again.  And again.  I was convinced that some jerk was out there, following me up and down the band ''ditting'' my ''didit dit''s.

Then it finally dawned on me.  I was ''QRM'ing'' myself.  My signal ''diddit dit'' traveled around the world, and because of the timing of my QSK, all I could hear of myself was the final ''dit.''

Ever since, whenever I get the how-far-have-you-talked question from a non-ham, I tell them I ''talked'' to myself from all the way around the world. 

73 de NS7X

 

[ZL1DAS]

Earth's Circumference at the Equator:  40,075.16 km. Speed of electromagnetic propagation: is 299792.458 km/s. Time of an electromagnetic signal surrounding the planet is therefore: 0.133676345 sec. That means the radio signal travels around the planet 7.480755103 times in a second under ideal [theoretical] conditions. The QSK delay e.g. in my TenTec Omni VI is 0.015 sec and in the latest FT-1000 it is 0.005 sec which demonstrates the ability to hear your own signal after having travelled around the globe. It starts getting interesting if you can hear more than one impulse....

[KF5KGN]

Very interesting.     Bernard, I figured that was the case without delving into the math as it just made sense.     Would it be considered valid to send yourself a QSL card?