‰ NOW 35 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2015 QST PAGE 34 ‰ FSQ FAST SIMPLE QSO THIS NEW DIGITAL CHAT MODE INCLUDES A RICH SET OF FEATURES FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS. MURRAY GREENMAN, ZL1BPU FSQ FAST SIMPLE QSO IS A NEW TYPE OF DIGITAL MODE THAT IS KEYBOARD CHAT ORIENTED AND SUPPORTS A GOOD TYPING SPEED. IT HAS A LOW ERROR RATE, IS HIGHLY VERSATILE, AND SUPPORTS IMAGE TRANSMISSION AND SELECTIVE CALLING WITH A WIDE RANGE OF COMMANDS. FSQ WAS DESIGNED FOR SIMPLE, ENJOYABLE CHAT OPERATION, BUT WITH PUBLIC SERVICE AND DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS OPERATIONS IN MIND. OTHER THAN A TRANSCEIVER, ALL YOU NEED IS A SOUND DEVICE INTERFACE. INTRODUCING FSQ CON WASSILIEFF, ZL2AFP, AND MURRAY GREENMAN, ZL1BPU, DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED FSQ FOR SHORT DISTANCE, SINGLE HOP NVIS NEAR VERTICAL INCIDENCE SKYWAVE IONOSPHERIC PROPAGATION, WHICH IS TYPICAL OF LOW BANDS, 1R8 10 MHZ, BUT IT IS ALSO USEFUL ON LONGER SINGLE HOP GREYLINE PATHS, AND ON VHF FM. THE MAIN CHALLENGE WAS TO ACHIEVE WORLD CLASS PERFORMANCE UNDER CONDITIONS OF FADING, MULTI PATH RECEPTION, DOPPLER SHIFT, AND SIGNIFICANT IMPULSE INTERFERENCE, WITHOUT USING ERROR CORRECTION. LONG LATENCIES AND SLOW TURNAROUND PRINCIPALLY CAUSED BY ERROR CORRECTION CODING ENCOURAGE BAD OPERATING HABITS SUCH AS LONG TRANSMISSIONS, ONE SIDED QSOS, AND QSO BY MACRO. WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS TIME FOR A NEW MODE THAT WOULD DEPART FROM THE CONVENTIONAL DIGITAL MODE ‰ END OF 35 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ