Operational info (Flora Fauna, Castles, etc.)



 

1. Flora and Fauna

You will find more info on how to activate Flora and Fauna parks and where to find them in The Netherlands on the PA-FF site: http://www.pa-ff.nl
This website also contains detailed maps of the areas.

Not all programs have these maps, so I have constructed a few myself. Perhaps these will be useful for another activator:






2. Castles On The Air / World Castle Award

There are a lot of fortresses and castles in the Netherlands. Some are ruins and some are still in a good shape. 

More information about Castles On The Air in The Netherlands can be found on the COTA-PA website.

You can join this initiative (no strings attached) via the World Castles Activity Group if you like it and have activated or helped activating one or more objects. Just e-mail Andrew RN1CW.



3. General operational info

RSQ reporting

In digital modes I use RSQ instead of the classic RST reports. RSQ is more tailored to the characteristics of digital signals. The s-meter will give me the strongest signal in the approx. 3khz bandwidth but not necessarily the signal strength of the station I am working and tone is not really a relevant parameter. The table below explains the RSQ signal report well (source: http://www.psb-info.net).




READABILITY

R5
  95%+
 Perfectly readable 

R4
  80%
 Practically no difficulty, occasional missed characters

R3
  40%
 Considerable difficulty, many missed characters

R2
  20%
 Occasional words distinguishable

R1
  0%
 Undecipherable





 STRENGTH

S9
  Very Strong trace

S7
  Strong trace

S5
  Moderate trace

S3
  Weak trace

S1
  Barely perceptible trace





 QUALITY

Q9
  Clean signal - no visible unwanted sidebar pairs

Q7
  One barely visible pair

Q5
  One easily visible pair

Q3
  Multiple visible pairs

Q1
  Splatter over much of the spectrum






DX code of conduct

I support and try to live by this code of conduct:
  • I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
  • I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.
  • I will not trust the DX cluster and will be sure of the DX station's call sign before calling.
  • I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the DX frequency or in the QSX slot.
  • I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.
  • I will always send my full call sign.
  • I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.
  • I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.
  • I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.
  • I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine.
  • When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.
  • I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
  • I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.




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