What do I put in the ?Comment Box??

 

?         The comment box is where you enter details about yourself.

?         You may also use the comment box to send text messages to users.

 

Please DO NOT leave the box blank, or simply leave the "Welcome to eQSO" message in the box, please put your NAME & QTH in comment box.    

 

Why do I need a comment?

• Although eQSO is a fully registered system, there is no guarantee that someone will not abuse the system or attempt to bye-pass it.

• To protect the privacy of users, eQSO does not keep a central database, so it is difficult for ADMIN to check the validity of users.

• So please help ADMIN by not being a "suspect" user. Comments like "Just listening" (etc) or no comment at all, does not help ADMIN do their job.

• The accepted minimum details are your name and location (for PC users) and location (for Gateways, i.e. "-L" and "-R" stations). This information should be in plain language. (eg. Fred - London, U.K. or Tokyo, Japan).  Locator squares (etc) are meaningless without look-up charts, maps, etc.  All information should use the Roman ("English" or "MS Western" type) character set. Sorry, but most ADMINs cannot read Japanese characters (for example).

• Other info can be added - subject to there being enough space left in the comment line!

• ADMIN may temporarily remove a "suspect" station from the system to allow time to check it out.

• The use of strings of abbreviations or other comments that ADMIN cannot readily understand may result in a user (or his/her intentions) being considered "suspect".

• Besides, most users agree it is only polite to let other users know who and where you are!

• ADMIN wishes to thank users for following this protocol. We appreciate your co-operation.

Can I test my audio (MIC) level off-line - before I go ?on the air??

 

?        You must! 

?        Create an empty room or stay where you are if the room is quiet. (As long as nobody is talking, the off-air test will work. The off-air test does NOT work if someone is talking in the room you are in).

?        Don?t click anything ? just talk into your microphone normally.

?        Adjust the MIC slider up or down by dragging it with your mouse.

 

Note:  Never test ONLINE in the main conference rooms - even if it is quiet.  E.g.  Saying "Testing 1,2,3"  (etc) while pressing the PTT will get you muted.

 

How loud should my MIC volume be set?

 

?         Average level should be 3 GREEN BARS lit, with 4 or 5 lit (maximum) on your speech peaks (usually words starting with the letters T, K and P).

?         Test it with lots of T?s, K?s and P?s ? e.g. ?Two poppies please, Katie?

 

What happens if I have red bars lit in the MIC VU meter when I?m talking?

 

?         You will probably get muted if you do it on-air!!!! 

?         UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should your audio go ?into the red?.

?         Firstly it makes your audio distort and sound horrible.

?         Secondly, it causes the narrow band RF gateways to over deviate ? which puts the gateway keepers in breach of their license conditions.

?         If not corrected very quickly, ADMIN may have no choice but to mute an offending station.

 

Why does my MIC level sometimes go down on its own when I?m talking?

 

?         The PC software has ALC (auto limiting control) to help avoid over-level audio.

?         If your speech peaks are too high, the MIC level will fall.

?         This feature can be annoying, but if all users set their audio properly, it would not have been necessary to introduce the feature.

?         NOTE. This feature only HELPS with loud audio. It is not an alternative to setting your audio up properly. 

?          If not set up properly, PC audio will ?go into the red? occasionally because PC MIC?s are very sensitive, full range Hi-Fi devices.

?         If you use a desk MIC, avoid bumping the desk!

?         To minimise breath effect, make sure your MIC has a good quality breath guard.

?          Inexpensive thin foam covers are not very effective.

?         Do not have the MIC too close to the mouth.

 

What is the best type of MIC for eQSO?

 

?         The short answer is one that sounds good to other people!

?         Ask on-air for a ?critical audio report? (Then people won?t be just nice to you!)

?         Although you can test MICs in the audio room, the most useful reports come from other users.

?         Listen for a station with good quality audio and ask what they are using.

?         The best MICs have plenty of ?treble?.

?         Low frequency MICs are rather poor for communications.

?         ?Bassy? audio is difficult for mobile stations to copy.

?         People who use a computer headset tend to get the best audio reports.

?         This is because they tend to cut out background noise.

?         Most inexpensive (superstore) headsets are quite adequate.

?         Make sure it has a good breath guard.

?         Closely woven fabric is sometimes better than basic ?foam balls?.   

?         Desk MICs, 3 feet away from the mouth, tend to get the worst reports.

?         They seem to pick up too much ?ambient noise? ? fans, TV?s etc.

?         Remember that few people will want to talk to you, if you sound like your head is in a bucket and you are shouting from the next room!  

 

Do I have to click on the station I want to talk to?

 

?         No.

?         Clicking on the list of stations has no effect whatsoever. (The blue line will move to the station you click, but it does not do anything)

?         You cannot select an individual station from a whole room.  Rooms are rooms ? and everybody in a room can hear you!

 

How do I make my first call?

 

?         If the room has people in but it is quiet, press the Push To Talk (PTT) button and call ?CQ, CQ, this is (call sign) listening?.

?         Shouldn?t need to say this, but unless you wish to be muted before getting your first contact, DON?T say ?Hello ????.. is anybody there? or similar!

?          Never give long boring CQ calls like Hams do on HF. eQSO is high quality audio. Listeners do not have to ?tune in? to you. They hear every word ? so save your breath! There is no need to say CQ and give your call sign a dozen times.

?         But if the room is busy with people talking, simply wait for a break between ?overs? and give your call sign. At the next break you will be invited to join the conversation.

?         Do not call ?Break!? and not give your call sign. This may be acceptable on other bands but is inappropriate on eQSO.

 

How do I know I am ?getting out??

• Go to the AUDIO ROOM or create a room (e.g. TEST) to test your setup.

• The line on the screen with your call sign and comments will turn blue if you are successful.

• NEVER ?key the MIC? (press the PTT) in a conference room just to see if it is working.

• Clicking the MIC for test purposes (or indeed any unidentified transmission) in conference rooms may cause the offending station to be muted by ADMIN.

Why does the blue line go off when I start talking?

 

?         You probably forgot to keep the PTT pressed.

?         You must press and HOLD ? it does not lock.

?          Keep it pressed while you are talking.

 

Why does the PTT button not lock?

 

?         It is a non-locking PTT to prevent accidental long-term operation ? exactly like mobile and hand held transceivers.

 

I find it difficult to keep the mouse button pressed on the PTT. Is there another way to PTT?

 

?         Yes, providing eQSO is the top program on your monitor (i.e. you have not opened another program and made the eQSO banner turn from bright blue to pale blue) then you can use the keyboard space bar instead.

?         Most users find using the space bar to be more comfortable. NOTE: The PTT does NOT lock.

 

There are lots of call signs on the screen but I can?t hear talking. Is something wrong?

 

?          Probably not.

?         Just like amateur radio, many users prefer to just listen.

?         The only difference with eQSO is that you can actually see people listening!

?         Or to put it another way, if nobody answers you, you can see who is ignoring you (Joke!)

?         Caution. There is no guideline to force people to talk! Resist the temptation to make sarcastic or rude comments about people only listening if you do not get a reply. You will be muted!

 

So can everyone on the screen hear me talking?

 

?         Only people who are actually listening. 

?         Many people open the eQSO program, perhaps talk (or listen) for a while, and then leave their computer on while they go away to make a drink, watch a TV show or something.

?          Some users just leave their computer on (or simply forget to switch off at bed time!)

?         Also, just because you can see RF links and repeaters (called ?gateways?) on the list (i.e. the stations with the ?-L? or ?-R? after the call sign) it does not mean anyone is necessarily listening through them.

?         So even if you see 20 or more call signs on the screen, it does not necessarily mean anyone is actually listening.

?         Even if users are listening, there is no rule that says users must reply to calls!

?         If you do not get a reply, try again in a couple of minutes. Somewhere in the world, someone is probably just switching on. Aggressive repeat calls will get you nowhere! Listeners are not deaf. They heard you first time and did not answer!

 

I try to connect but get the ?Cannot connect to server? message. What is wrong?

 

?         First, check you can connect to the Internet. Open Internet Explorer and try to view a web page.

?         If that works, then it could be that you have Zone Alarm and have not given your permission for eQSO to access the Internet.

?         If your Internet connection is not working, it could be that your Internet Service Provider has ?shuffled? IP addresses during a busy period. Switching your router off, then back on, should reset it.

?         In very rare circumstances it could be that the main eQSO server is not running or has used all its available bandwidth. Wait a minute or two and try again.

 

Why are there gaps in some transmissions?

 

?         The Internet is not perfect! At busy times data ?bottlenecks? due to limited bandwidth, and gets delayed.

?         When this happens, there are gaps in overs - but nothing is lost.

?         You will hear just a break in a sentence ? like the person stopped talking for a second or two. This is called ?packet delay?.

?         Don?t confuse this with ?packet loss? ? where data is actually lost. Packet loss (where words are actually lost) is quite rare.

?         You will hear many people refer to packet delay as packet loss. They are confused!

?         Some RF gateways drop in and out momentarily, i.e. you hear a ?pip? during a conversation and some words are lost. But that is either a weak signal into a gateway or a fault in the gateway itself ? and not a fault in the system or the Internet.

 

I can?t transmit. Have I been muted by ADMIN?

 

• Have you been doing something wrong?
• If so, the answer may be yes.
• ADMIN suggests you put ?Have I been muted?? in the comment box.
• Then click the ?send? button.
• This will attract the attention of ADMIN, who will help resolve the issue.
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