Q Les, W2QHS, asks, “Recently I tuned through some PACTOR signals, but all I could copy were call signs being sent repeatedly. Were these stations attempting to link to BBSs? Is it possible to have just a casual conversation with a PACTOR station?”
A The PACTOR signals you’ve seen are indeed stations attempting to establish connections, often to automated BBSs or Internet e-mail gateways that are part of the Winlink2000 network. Winlink2000 in particular has become popular among sailing enthusiasts and others who wish to exchange e-mail from remote locations. It is certainly possible to enjoy casual keyboard-to-keyboard PACTOR QSOs, but these tend to be the exception rather than the rule.
For “live” HF digital conversations, most amateurs have chosen PSK31 or RTTY. You should be able to find someone to chat with on either mode on 20 meters between 14.070 and 14.099 MHz at just about any time. PSK31 predominates between 14.070 and 14.073 MHz, but in recent months activity has expanded to 15 meters (21.070 MHz) and 10 meters (28.120 MHz).
From QST September 2000
