thoughts on band scopes

[shwylde]

How useful is a band scope for a CW only operator? Any and all comments appreciated. Thank you.

[Brian - K3ES]

How useful is a band scope for a CW only operator? Any and all comments appreciated. Thank you.

Personal opinion: It depends how you are operating.

For hunting DXpeditions working split, a band scope can be a great help in finding where to position yourself among the callers.

For contesting, a band scope can be a big help for search and pounce. Less so for running a frequency.

For field activation, a band scope is of minimal value.

For hunting other field activators, a band scope could be useful.

I never feel I am at a disadvantage being without a band scope for field operations.

Best 73 de Brian - K3ES

[shwylde]

Thank you so much for the excellent reply Brian! I am on the fence on what qrp radio to buy. If I ignore band scopes, I can save a lot of money. What I really want is all the bells and whistles, but I don't want to spend so much. Regardless you gave me some new ideas on how to use a bandscope. Much appreciated!

Do you feel like answering another question? What are your thoughts on full break-in or qsk operation? How important is that feature to you?

[Brian - K3ES]

What are your thoughts on full break-in or qsk operation? How important is that feature to you?

I am newer to CW operating than many (about 3 years into my CW journey now), and it would be good to have others comment.

Here are my thoughts.

Semi-break-in can be an advantage when sending in crowded conditions if you are easily distracted. Hearing another operator sending on top of you can be quite disconcerting, but that is the nature of a pileup. Semi-break-in lets you hear just your own side tone until you pause your sending.

Full break-in can allow you to hear the other stations transmitting while you are. If you are running the frequency when stepped on, break-in can let you know, so that you can immediately repeat your transmission. If you are the calling station, and choose to re-send your call when it seems the running station did not get it, it can let you know to stop transmitting if the running station begins to transmit. Full break-in can also be helpful for CW net operations.

Very early on, I had a distinct preference for semi-break-in. Now it matters less, and I use full break-in at times. I would not make this a decision point for choosing my field rig. Other opinions may differ.

Best 73 de Brian - K3ES

[shwylde]

Another excellent reply! Especially "I would not make this a decision point for choosing my field rig."

Thank you sir!