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Author Topic: No Response to CQ on Echolink  (Read 878 times)

W4OEQ

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No Response to CQ on Echolink
« on: January 11, 2021, 01:28:28 PM »

Been a ham for 56 years.  Extra class.  SSB, CW, Digital.  I notice that when calling CQ on Echolink from my urban apartment QTH, I seldom get any response.  It is not unusual to sit at the computer for an hour or two and never get any response to my calls on repeaters
around the U.S. and overseas.  I can always call into an existing "net," and this verifies that the equipment is working. But,
I am interesting in the psychology of why hams don't seem to respond to calls made on Echolink as well as to calls made with
SSB or CW on the HF bands.  Is it because hams who are members of a local club which sponsors their own repeater just want to talk to each other?  If so, why connect the repeater to the Echolink system?  I must be missing something......  73, W4OEQ
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K1FBI

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2021, 01:45:06 PM »

Been a ham for 56 years.  Extra class.  SSB, CW, Digital.  I notice that when calling CQ on Echolink from my urban apartment QTH, I seldom get any response.  It is not unusual to sit at the computer for an hour or two and never get any response to my calls on repeaters
around the U.S. and overseas.  I can always call into an existing "net," and this verifies that the equipment is working. But,
I am interesting in the psychology of why hams don't seem to respond to calls made on Echolink as well as to calls made with
SSB or CW on the HF bands.  Is it because hams who are members of a local club which sponsors their own repeater just want to talk to each other?  If so, why connect the repeater to the Echolink system?  I must be missing something......  73, W4OEQ
You answered your own question of why nobody wants to talk to you in your first two sentences.
"Been a ham for 56 years. Extra class."
That opening "qualifier" alone explains what you are missing. Nobody wants to hear you pat yourself on the back and proceed to pontificate.
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W4OEQ

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2021, 01:51:25 PM »

:-)  I'm sorry if I offended you.  But, notice that when making CQ calls in any mode, listeners do not know anything about me. 73, W4OEQ
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K1FBI

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2021, 02:42:21 PM »

:-)  I'm sorry if I offended you.  But, notice that when making CQ calls in any mode, listeners do not know anything about me. 73, W4OEQ
You did not offend me. I am trying to help. Here is what you fail to realize in regards to other modes. As soon as you throw your call out, the first thing most stations do is look your callsign up on QRZ. What do they see?
They see that you start your QRZ Bio out the same way as you started out your post here.
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K7AAT

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2021, 02:50:42 PM »

W4OEQ - you sure you were a math teacher?  Your bio says you were first licensed in 1955 ... wouldn't that make it 65 years a ham instead of 55 ?   :^)  LOL   !
Seriously,  I  do know what you are talking about,  often being on the other end of such EchoLink probes.   I submit for the most part,  no one is actually listening on most repeaters at the times you connect ... and further,  a substantial number of hams who are listening are likely busy doing something while monitoring a repeater and simply don't want to bother establishing an EchoLink conversation.   Our local repeater has a full time echolink connection but I tend to ignore those who come up on it while I am busy at other things in the shack --  UNLESS a question is asked by the EchoLink connected station.    Just my opinion, OM.     
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AC2EU

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2021, 03:16:27 PM »

If you are doing a psychological study of the phenomenon, the issue is not limited to Echolink, but repeaters in general.

In my initial radio naivete' , I installed a dual band radio in my vehicle, thinking it would be a monotony breaker to chat with different hams while on the road. It didn't happen that way. I would only get an occasional response, if any at all.

It also appears that some believe the repeater is for "public events and emergency use only" whiles other won't talk unless they know you personally.

I look forward to reading your paper on "Ham repeater etiquette and psychology" . It's puzzled me for years!

PS: I no longer have dual banders installed in by cars! You might as well stop beating a dead horse too.

N8AUC

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2021, 03:34:02 PM »

I almost never use Echolink. But I do use repeaters.

I've always found that calling CQ on a repeater never gets a response.

The way it was explained to me many years ago, is you that announce your presence and desire for a contact by saying, "This is W8XYZ, listening". Or monitoring. Now that may vary in different geographic areas, so your mileage may vary.

People seem to treat Echolink like an extension of a repeater, so perhaps it's best to use repeater etiquette on Echolink.
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AC2EU

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2021, 03:36:33 PM »

I almost never use Echolink. But I do use repeaters.

I've always found that calling CQ on a repeater never gets a response.

The way it was explained to me many years ago, is you that announce your presence and desire for a contact by saying, "This is W8XYZ, listening". Or monitoring. Now that may vary in different geographic areas, so your mileage may vary.

People seem to treat Echolink like an extension of a repeater, so perhaps it's best to use repeater etiquette on Echolink.

That is the proper procedure, but even then...crickets.

W4OEQ

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2021, 04:50:58 PM »

 (Grin)  Yep.  65 years.....that's today's "whoops" moment.  The older I get, the more such moments I have.  My theory is that using CW helps keep the brain working.  Moving to a retirement apartment has required me to downsize my radio station.  I am now using ham-stick antennas from my balcony railing instead of full-size dipole antennas.  FT8 works great from this location.  CW and SSB activity are decreased because of the antenna limitations and band conditions, so this is where Echolink comes into play.  It's a great alternative, and this is why I hope other hams will be responsive to the stranger's call on the local repeater.  73, W4OEQ
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KA5IPF

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2021, 07:54:09 PM »

To me calling CQ on a repeater is wrong. Check in with callsign and listening or monitoring as previously stated. My 2 cents worth.
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W1VT

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2021, 06:24:56 AM »

The demographics of ham radio suggest that it is top heavy with experience and leadership.  But, when people get into a hobby, they often aren't looking for that.

FT8 is popular because you don't have to listen to anyone.  PSK31 would be a great rag chew mode if people didn't insist on sending lengthy macros about their stations and personal data. 
I found I could easily find other hams to chat with on PSK31 if I manually typed in everything instead of using macros.  The cadence of my typing made my signal stand out.

Zak W1VT
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K0UA

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2021, 05:00:20 PM »

The demographics of ham radio suggest that it is top heavy with experience and leadership.  But, when people get into a hobby, they often aren't looking for that.

FT8 is popular because you don't have to listen to anyone.  PSK31 would be a great rag chew mode if people didn't insist on sending lengthy macros about their stations and personal data. 
I found I could easily find other hams to chat with on PSK31 if I manually typed in everything instead of using macros.  The cadence of my typing made my signal stand out.

Zak W1VT

I agree with you on ALL counts. Many (mostly those not on FT8) complain about the non-ability to converse on FT8.  However that is PRECISELY the main reason for the popularity of FT8.  Your observations on PSK31 are spot on too.
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73  James K0UA

K1FBI

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2021, 05:57:52 PM »

The demographics of ham radio suggest that it is top heavy with experience and leadership.  But, when people get into a hobby, they often aren't looking for that.

FT8 is popular because you don't have to listen to anyone.  PSK31 would be a great rag chew mode if people didn't insist on sending lengthy macros about their stations and personal data. 
I found I could easily find other hams to chat with on PSK31 if I manually typed in everything instead of using macros.  The cadence of my typing made my signal stand out.

Zak W1VT

I agree with you on ALL counts. Many (mostly those not on FT8) complain about the non-ability to converse on FT8.  However that is PRECISELY the main reason for the popularity of FT8.  Your observations on PSK31 are spot on too.

Exactly.

On 20 meters today and here goes this guy's bragging...
"I'm using a 4 element StepIR and I don't even have the tower all the way up. That's because after today I'm going to my second home where I have a 3 element StepIR on a 65 foot tower. Why do I use STEPir? Because they work!!!"

First off, nobody asked him why he uses StepIR.
More importantly No One wants to listen to his egotistical bullsh**.

Maybe FT8 isn't so bad after all.
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KA5IPF

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2021, 07:24:25 PM »

The demographics of ham radio suggest that it is top heavy with experience and leadership.  But, when people get into a hobby, they often aren't looking for that.

FT8 is popular because you don't have to listen to anyone.  PSK31 would be a great rag chew mode if people didn't insist on sending lengthy macros about their stations and personal data. 
I found I could easily find other hams to chat with on PSK31 if I manually typed in everything instead of using macros.  The cadence of my typing made my signal stand out.

Zak W1VT

I agree with you on ALL counts. Many (mostly those not on FT8) complain about the non-ability to converse on FT8.  However that is PRECISELY the main reason for the popularity of FT8.  Your observations on PSK31 are spot on too.

Exactly.

On 20 meters today and here goes this guy's bragging...
"I'm using a 4 element StepIR and I don't even have the tower all the way up. That's because after today I'm going to my second home where I have a 3 element StepIR on a 65 foot tower. Why do I use STEPir? Because they work!!!"

First off, nobody asked him why he uses StepIR.
More importantly No One wants to listen to his egotistical bullsh**.

Maybe FT8 isn't so bad after all.

Your jealousy is showing!
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K1FBI

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Re: No Response to CQ on Echolink
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2021, 01:40:15 AM »

The demographics of ham radio suggest that it is top heavy with experience and leadership.  But, when people get into a hobby, they often aren't looking for that.

FT8 is popular because you don't have to listen to anyone.  PSK31 would be a great rag chew mode if people didn't insist on sending lengthy macros about their stations and personal data. 
I found I could easily find other hams to chat with on PSK31 if I manually typed in everything instead of using macros.  The cadence of my typing made my signal stand out.

Zak W1VT

I agree with you on ALL counts. Many (mostly those not on FT8) complain about the non-ability to converse on FT8.  However that is PRECISELY the main reason for the popularity of FT8.  Your observations on PSK31 are spot on too.

Exactly.

On 20 meters today and here goes this guy's bragging...
"I'm using a 4 element StepIR and I don't even have the tower all the way up. That's because after today I'm going to my second home where I have a 3 element StepIR on a 65 foot tower. Why do I use STEPir? Because they work!!!"

First off, nobody asked him why he uses StepIR.
More importantly No One wants to listen to his egotistical bullsh**.

Maybe FT8 isn't so bad after all.

Your jealousy is showing!
Nah... You must be one of those showoff types who says let me tell you about my modest station.

I have my share of toys but I realize there are many things far more important than the number of guitars, motorcycles and cars that I have in my collection.

But if your big tower makes up for your little tower, go for it good buddy.
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