NC - TAG WOLF QSO 11 January 2004

"WOLF" is a binary phase-shift keyed mode developed by Stewart Nelson, KK7A several years ago. It is highly error-corrected, and gives usable copy at signal levels where CW at a 60 second per dot rate can just be copied. It sends a group of 15 characters that are decoded every 96 seconds over a maximum run of 27 minutes, 10 seconds. The phase of the transmitted signal is shifted by 180 degrees at a 10 Hz rate. As it is presently set up, WOLF reception involves recording a sound file and analyzing it with the command-line based WOLF program. This means that receiving is not done in real time, and a 2-way contact must allow for processing time. Much more information on WOLF may be found at Stewart Nelson's WOLF Site

NC is the Lowfer station of Dex McIntyre, W4DEX, and is located in Stanfield, NC. The distance between TAG and NC is 671 miles. We have copied each other's signals many times over the last few years. On February 16, 2002, we tried a 2-way WOLF QSO in the evening, but gave up after about 4 hours. Some copy was achieved, but the fading made the process very difficult. In December, 2003, we had several days of excellent daytime copy of each other's signals during Christmas week. We decided to try a QSO on December 26, following excellent reports on the 25th (when we didn't have the time!). The results were awful, and we gave up after a couple of hours. We then made several more attempts over the next two weeks, sometimes with good results in one direction, but not both. On January 9, Dex copied TAG well while I was at work, so we tried again on Saturday, January 10. No luck! Dex copied some of TAG, but I couldn't copy NC. On advice from Alan Melia, G3NYK, we tried again on January 11, and succeeded. The frequency used was 185.850 kHz, with normal Lowfer transmitting equipment.

The idea was to complete a QSO in 2-3 hours. Once initial contact was established, we would work in half-hour blocks, recording for 20 minutes, decoding that signal and encoding a response.
I began transmitting this message at 1400 UTC: NC TAG N.

The "N" is a signal report in the following format:
N = Nothing received
T = Signal present but no copy
M = Partial copy
O = Complete copy starting at line #
R = Received or acknowleged

Dex received the following:
C:\WOLF>wolf -q tag1500.wav -f 2000 -r 8000.48 WOLF version 0.61 t: 24 f:-0.139 a: 0.4 dp:114.2 ci: 7 cj:201 C/UAMS4CBH5F/UK ? t: 48 f:-0.062 a:-1.0 dp:113.1 ci: 6 cj:202 SLV8 EBG8LNMLAN ? t: 96 f:-0.660 a:-0.5 dp:110.6 ci: 9 cj:457 NWK9DVV2G3SO64F ? t: 192 f:-0.820 pm: 530 jm:515 q:-12.7 -6.1 S2IQ.9Y5W7S4AKR - t: 288 f:-0.596 pm: 788 jm:865 q:-12.1 -6.1 BIVUBQ???W784L8 - t: 384 f:-0.596 pm: 878 jm:865 q:-11.2 -5.7 VSH6ZROP3W/LKVA - t: 480 f:-0.596 pm: 928 jm:865 q:-10.2 -9.2 C8F110VO5OJB6MM ? t: 576 f: 0.029 pm: 995 jm:262 q: -8.8 -8.5 C8N/ONRJ88TLM * ? t: 672 f: 0.127 pm: 1051 jm:519 q: -8.6 -8.3 6V5S6GHTQQ N0D1 ? t: 768 f:-0.596 pm: 1068 jm:865 q: -8.2 -9.5 1/OH2RWM/.BJYP8 ? t: 864 f: 0.029 pm: 1149 jm:262 q: -7.6 -8.8 8Y36T/EC3V00L3. ? t: 960 f:-0.752 pm: 1222 jm:630 q: -6.5 -8.6 SPB**F0M4PCC8CG ? t:1056 f: 0.908 pm: 1331 jm:576 q: -6.3 -9.6 HBLAGUA.OOY*GK2 ? t:1152 f: 0.010 pm: 1377 jm:387 q: -3.8 -8.4 RSD QAYXA1W8QMG ? t:1248 f: 0.010 pm: 1565 jm:387 q: -3.5 -6.8 L21/2B*3J ? t:1344 f: 0.010 pm: 1702 jm:387 q: -3.0 -5.7 NC TAG N -
Despite the less than impressive signal, he informed me by email at 1450 that I should start receiving at 1500, and the 30-minute slots began there.
I received the following from him in the 1500-1520 slot:
C:\Wolf>wolf -r 8001.72 -f 800.057 -q nc1.wav -t 0.1 WOLF version 0.61 t: 24 f:-0.012 a: 1.4 dp:107.3 ci: 8 cj: 84 ELXABLE4GFC/PTZ ? t: 48 f:-0.009 a: 1.3 dp:105.4 ci: 3 cj:157 UKRI8*JDT7.3 DV - t: 96 f:-0.009 a: 1.4 dp:102.7 ci:14 cj:157 DGL7/.GHL*IRJUJ - t: 192 f: 0.010 pm: 354 jm:267 q:-10.6 -6.3 7ZJDXY4T6S.J6OT ? t: 288 f: 0.010 pm: 416 jm:267 q: -8.7 -8.7 LMPLGP99CL/TAUE ? t: 384 f: 0.010 pm: 556 jm:267 q: -6.8 -6.0 B5KY3/NRRGHQYCV - t: 480 f: 0.010 pm: 698 jm:266 q: -5.3 -6.1 2Q7N.17*DTQ6S0Q - t: 576 f: 0.010 pm: 905 jm:266 q: -4.0 -5.7 TAG NC O 1347P5 ? t: 672 f: 0.010 pm: 968 jm:266 q: -3.2 -5.1 TAG NC O 1347P5 - t: 768 f: 0.010 pm: 1220 jm:266 q: -2.2 -4.1 TAG NC O 1344 - t: 864 f: 0.010 pm: 1355 jm:266 q: -1.9 -3.5 TAG NC O 1344 - t: 960 f: 0.010 pm: 1719 jm:266 q: -1.2 -2.8 TAG NC O 1344 - t:1056 f: 0.010 pm: 1963 jm:266 q: -0.8 -2.3 TAG NC O 1344 - t:1152 f: 0.010 pm: 2263 jm:266 q: -0.2 -1.9 TAG NC O 1344 - t:1248 f: 0.010 pm: 2557 jm:266 q: 0.2 -1.7 TAG NC O 1344 -
This indicated that he had received my initial transmission, with successful decoding on line 1344.
I then responded from 1530 to 1600 with: NC TAG O 768, indicating that my first copy was on line 768.

From that, Dex received:
C:\WOLF>wolf -q tag1600.wav -f 2000 -r 8000.48 WOLF version 0.61 t: 24 f:-0.583 a:-1.5 dp:117.6 ci: 6 cj:314 YOC9QWFHYXK.P1L ? t: 48 f:-0.581 a:-1.5 dp:113.5 ci:14 cj:102 Z9 9RZCZAS15R5I ? t: 96 f:-0.165 a:-0.3 dp:110.3 ci: 8 cj:318 BZNLY3G8PRSR4/. ? t: 192 f:-0.898 pm: 516 jm: 99 q:-13.7 -8.5 5FS1*C PY3KMI6Y ? t: 288 f:-0.625 pm: 679 jm:168 q:-12.8 -8.6 V4EKRL.IFD6FH30 ? t: 384 f: 0.166 pm: 746 jm:584 q:-10.7 -7.5 6DMCK9T8BCSLLNB ? t: 480 f: 0.010 pm: 898 jm:585 q: -6.4 -7.6 ZV34 ZRFC 0.KD1 ? t: 576 f: 0.010 pm: 1324 jm:585 q: -4.6 -9.0 UV7RF576K8IX8U2 ? t: 672 f: 0.010 pm: 1660 jm:585 q: -3.6 -9.4 DMFIFJH8*S4JM9. ? t: 768 f: 0.010 pm: 1699 jm:585 q: -3.6 -5.5 NC TAG O 768 ? t: 864 f: 0.010 pm: 1841 jm:585 q: -3.7 -4.9 NC TAG O 768 - t: 960 f: 0.010 pm: 2027 jm:585 q: -3.2 -4.2 NC TAG O 768 - t:1056 f: 0.010 pm: 2081 jm:585 q: -3.2 -3.9 NC TAG O 768 - t:1152 f: 0.010 pm: 2226 jm:585 q: -2.7 -3.7 NC TAG O 768 - t:1248 f: 0.010 pm: 2495 jm:585 q: -2.1 -3.2 NC TAG O 768 - t:1344 f: 0.010 pm: 2621 jm:585 q: -2.1 -2.7 NC TAG O 768 - t:1440 f: 0.010 pm: 2652 jm:585 q: -1.8 -2.3 NC TAG O 768 - t:1536 f: 0.010 pm: 2755 jm:585 q: -1.7 -2.3 NC TAG O 768 -
NC transmitted this from 1600 to 1630: TAG NC RO 768.
I received:
C:\Wolf>wolf -r 8001.72 -f 800.057 -t 0.1 -q nc2.wav WOLF version 0.61 t: 24 f:-0.076 a:-0.2 dp:104.3 ci:14 cj:315 TLZCU1PWI9U7FPS ? t: 48 f:-0.079 a:-0.0 dp:105.3 ci: 1 cj:157 CJVXV5QI7ITCWCB ? t: 96 f:-0.040 a:-1.2 dp:101.7 ci:13 cj:376 *E5DY2SZE5IV14F ? t: 192 f:-0.010 pm: 222 jm:216 q:-13.2 -6.1 Z3Y.GKKKQMQ0JAF - t: 288 f:-0.078 pm: 303 jm:145 q:-11.5 -7.9 E7C1R99YE281KT* ? t: 384 f:-0.107 pm: 354 jm:889 q:-11.3 -9.0 50Y6B4Q4O.7XC*Y ? t: 480 f: 0.010 pm: 482 jm:205 q: -6.9 -7.7 11DPBGOQ7BW*.YR ? t: 576 f: 0.010 pm: 597 jm:205 q: -6.2 -9.6 U4G3.B1UUSO/5M0 ? t: 672 f: 0.010 pm: 692 jm:205 q: -5.6 -8.3 R98 3C701NL43KC ? t: 768 f: 0.010 pm: 832 jm:205 q: -4.9 -5.3 TAG NC RO 768 - t: 864 f: 0.010 pm: 916 jm:205 q: -4.4 -5.2 TAG NC RO 768 - t: 960 f: 0.010 pm: 1032 jm:205 q: -3.7 -7.8 TAG NC RI7X3XVR ? t:1056 f: 0.010 pm: 1131 jm:205 q: -3.3 -4.9 TAG NC RO 768 - t:1152 f: 0.010 pm: 1317 jm:205 q: -2.7 -4.7 TAG NC RO 768 - t:1248 f: 0.010 pm: 1419 jm:205 q: -2.2 -4.6 TAG NC RO 768 -
Had I been bright enough to include the "RO" in my 1530 transmission, the process would have been over. But we decided to extend it one more round, and I transmitted: NC TAG RO 768 from 1630 to 1700.

From this, Dex received the following in the 1630-1700 block:
C:\WOLF>wolf -q tag1700.wav -f 2000 -r 8000.48 WOLF version 0.61 t: 24 f:-0.515 a: 0.1 dp:116.8 ci:12 cj:360 ULN*A*PRSP09AXW ? t: 48 f: 0.449 a: 0.4 dp:114.4 ci:12 cj: 53 9BY*NB6*HO XWP9 ? t: 96 f: 0.519 a:-0.2 dp:111.0 ci:12 cj: 93 72 OX9/*H???LKM ? t: 192 f: 0.752 pm: 680 jm:496 q:-13.2 -9.5 M5Y.6PCFZ33G TV ? t: 288 f: 0.752 pm: 898 jm:496 q:-12.0 -8.5 YDH6.8???RZR59* ? t: 384 f:-0.381 pm: 938 jm:288 q:-10.1 -8.1 G27JOWQHB8DLDAW ? t: 480 f: 0.010 pm: 1442 jm:691 q: -6.2 -9.0 63D1F4.*WBWISD6 ? t: 576 f: 0.010 pm: 1669 jm:691 q: -5.1 -8.0 O4HB6NK94PBSM5D ? t: 672 f: 0.010 pm: 2318 jm:691 q: -4.1 -5.3 NC TAG RO 768 - t: 768 f: 0.010 pm: 3038 jm:691 q: -3.4 -4.7 NC TAG RO 768 - t: 864 f: 0.010 pm: 3602 jm:691 q: -2.5 -4.4 NC TAG RO 768 - t: 960 f: 0.010 pm: 4051 jm:691 q: -2.2 -3.7 NC TAG RO 768 - t:1056 f: 0.010 pm: 4158 jm:691 q: -2.0 -3.5 NC TAG RO 768 - t:1152 f: 0.010 pm: 4540 jm:691 q: -1.5 -3.1 NC TAG RO 768 - t:1248 f: 0.010 pm: 4883 jm:691 q: -1.1 -2.7 NC TAG RO 768 - t:1344 f: 0.010 pm: 5094 jm:691 q: -0.8 -2.6 NC TAG RO 768 - t:1440 f: 0.010 pm: 5431 jm:691 q: -0.6 -2.0 NC TAG RO 768 - t:1536 f: 0.010 pm: 5495 jm:691 q: -0.4 -1.8 NC TAG RO 768 - t:1632 f: 0.010 pm: 5726 jm:691 q: -0.2 -1.4 NC TAG RO 768 -
At that point, we felt that the process was complete, and declared victory. We believe that this is the first WOLF QSO since Stewart Nelson introduced the program in 2001. Had we been better coordinated at the start, and had I remembered the "R" in one of my reports, the QSO could have been completed in two hours. As it was, it took three.

My thanks go to Dex, for his patience and perseverence; to Alan Melia for his propagation advice; and to Stewart Nelson, for developing the WOLF format and software.

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