[digitalradio] Solving the RSID problem once and for all
All, Although RSID has been available in just about every digital program for some time now, it continues to see little use. The result has been frustration at both ends as one party tries to figure out which mode is being sent while the other wonders why his CQ's go unanswered. One solution would be to have the RSID turn on by default when the software is switched to a mode that is known to be difficult to distinguish from others. Domino, Olivia, Thor and Throb would fall into this category along with their derivatives and sub-modes. A few others would follow suit. An alternative solution would be to use a flashing RSID button in the main program window to remind the user to turn it on. The animated flashing light can be accompanied by a short mouse-over text message explaining the benefits of RSID. The programmers have certainly gone to great lengths to simplify the use of RSID and they have done a terrific job. But I think they might be able to take things a step further to bring mode identification to the forefront so those CQ's get answered. Patrick Lindeker took the 'always on RSID approach with ALE400 and it works great. Thoughts / suggestions welcomed Tony -K2MO
Re: [digitalradio] Solving the RSID problem once and for all
Hello Tony and all, For information, on Multipsk, by default the RX RS ID is Off, however the RS ID and Call ID monitoring is On. It means that, by default, on reception of a RS ID, a discrete warning message appears indicating, for example: 10:08:14 RS ID: BPSK125 / 376 Hz Click OK to switch on the RS ID. By clicking on the OK button, the mode and frequency are switched to the detected transmission. Now, as you said except in ALE400, the transmission RS ID is Off. Now it is more difficult to know where a CQ is transmitted. By default the CQ macro (sequence in Multipsk) is the second one but it can be changed... distinguish from others. Domino, Olivia, Thor and Throb would fall into this category along with their derivatives and sub-modes. A few others It would impose a RS ID for each transmission, when it is just necessary for the CQ. main program window to remind the user to turn it on. The animated Perhaps in detection of the CQ CQ string of characters in transmission, when the TX RS ID is Off and for a sub-set of modes (?) 73 Patrick - Original Message - From: Tony d...@optonline.net To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 11:04 AM Subject: [digitalradio] Solving the RSID problem once and for all All, Although RSID has been available in just about every digital program for some time now, it continues to see little use. The result has been frustration at both ends as one party tries to figure out which mode is being sent while the other wonders why his CQ's go unanswered. One solution would be to have the RSID turn on by default when the software is switched to a mode that is known to be difficult to distinguish from others. Domino, Olivia, Thor and Throb would fall into this category along with their derivatives and sub-modes. A few others would follow suit. An alternative solution would be to use a flashing RSID button in the main program window to remind the user to turn it on. The animated flashing light can be accompanied by a short mouse-over text message explaining the benefits of RSID. The programmers have certainly gone to great lengths to simplify the use of RSID and they have done a terrific job. But I think they might be able to take things a step further to bring mode identification to the forefront so those CQ's get answered. Patrick Lindeker took the 'always on RSID approach with ALE400 and it works great. Thoughts / suggestions welcomed Tony -K2MO http://www.obriensweb.com/digispotter.html Chat, Skeds, and Spots all in one (resize to suit) Facebook= http://www.facebook.com/pages/digitalradio/123270301037522 Yahoo! Groups Links
[digitalradio] Digital Modes With Netbook (Was 'Good USB Soundcard')
In the 'Good USB Soundcard' thread, someone was asking about using netbooks with digital modes. I've been testing digital modes with a couple of different netbook computers from Acer and HP using fldigi, DM-780 (version 4.x), and DM-780 (v5.x). All were running Win XP. The netbooks worked well with a Signalink USB and fldigi as well as DM-780 (v4.x). HOWEVER, I found that I needed to upgrade the netbooks from 1GB to 2GB of memory for them to work well with the RIGblaster PlugNPlay and RIGblaster nomic. Before I upgraded, the computer had a tendency to lock up in receive. Once I upgraded, the computers worked well with the RIGblasters. I've tested with PSK-31 and PSK-63, Contestia (various), DominoEX (various), MFSK (various), MT63 (various), Feld Hell, Olivia (various), and Throb (various). I've also tested with NBEMS using MFSK and DominoEX without problem. I have not been happy using the netbooks with DM-780 v5.x. It seems to be because v5.x requires running HRD AND the separate logbook program AND the IP Server in order to get the logbook and real-time call letter identification (DM-780 v4.x didn't require all of that overhead). I've noticed a tendency for the netbooks to hang for at least a couple of seconds every so often. By the way, if I'm misinterpreting the need to run HRD AND the logbook AND the IP server in v5.x in order to get a logbook and the real-time identification, someone please tell me. Jon, KB1QBZ
[digitalradio] Re: Good USB sound card ?
Yes the 11K sample rate may be a problem with the 'new' time critical modes, wspr used to have a sample rate problem where the card rate reduced the 'tx' time and caused problems with sync frames , the othere week while running Ros MF-1/7 on 500 Khz , local decodesd where scrabled , as if there was -rf- in the audio.. after checking and finding all was fine..spotted that digipan had pulled the card clock to 11K , re set the driver to 48k and all was fine, my st5 dident have these problems G.. --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, g4ilo jul...@... wrote: --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Peter Frenning peter@ wrote: The Signalink USB (which I recommend myself with the caveats on my homepage), uses one of the same Cheap chips used by the low cost general purpose adapters, in this case the USB Audio Codec. As a class of devices you are certainly correct in your assumption about the drivers, but again, as a class of devices, they support all std. sampling rates from 48000 and down, with one notable exception: 11025 (this became a de facto std many years ago when it was the fastest rate these newfangled devices (i think the first was a SoundBlaster 8-bit adapter) would do), many many applications default to this, and for compatibility reasons its being fudged in the Windows driver SW rather than aborting the requesting application. Funny enough (or not as things may be) Linux drivers don't do this and abort any application requesting 11.025 from one of these devices! (this is the only case I know of where resampling comes into play). Anyway, if your purpose isn't high quality HiFi or ultra high sampling rate for SDR radios, i can recommend the cheaps sound cards - get real, they have more than sufficient dynamic range, and you only need a frequency response of some 500-2500 Hz anyway! But there is more than frequency response and dynamic range required to preserve the information needed to decode digital modes. Your statement that the cheap devices do not support 11.025kHz sample rate may have something to do with why I found them so poor as that is the (fixed) rate used by the AGWPE soundcard packet modem. It is also the default rate used by MixW. As I said before, I could see the signal on the waterfall but it was just not being decoded. Really, if you want to be confident you have the best chance of decoding that weak signal it is better to be using a good quality device. After all, you spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds / dollars on the transceiver, why penny pinch on the sound card? Julian, G4ILO
[digitalradio] Re: Digital Modes With Netbook (Was 'Good USB Soundcard')
Jon, I have been running an ACER Aspire One ZG5, 1.6 GHz Atom, 1 GB ram refurb I picked up on Tiger Direct for $200 about 6 mo ago. I've been running all the latest vs of NBEMS/FLDIGI with a USB Signalink and have never even had a hickup. I run weekly nets on MT63 2k long with this setup and also take the rig on a lot of field trips where I run BPSK31 to MT63 and everything in between. BTW, netbooks are the way to go for emcomm. My 9 cell batt gives me a solid 5 hours op time (med duty cycle) before I have to go to another power source. I have a 33AH gel cell for the little puter and my FT-817nd that would take me out for about 48 hours with a medium duty cycle. I used to think of the 817 as a play toy but with my 87' long wire and Dentron Jr tuner I'm solid on 75m phone, 80m digi and both phone and digi on 40m... the bread and butter HF bands for emcomm. -Dave, KB3FXI --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, JonP jpere...@... wrote: In the 'Good USB Soundcard' thread, someone was asking about using netbooks with digital modes. I've been testing digital modes with a couple of different netbook computers from Acer and HP using fldigi, DM-780 (version 4.x), and DM-780 (v5.x). All were running Win XP. The netbooks worked well with a Signalink USB and fldigi as well as DM-780 (v4.x). HOWEVER, I found that I needed to upgrade the netbooks from 1GB to 2GB of memory for them to work well with the RIGblaster PlugNPlay and RIGblaster nomic. Before I upgraded, the computer had a tendency to lock up in receive. Once I upgraded, the computers worked well with the RIGblasters. I've tested with PSK-31 and PSK-63, Contestia (various), DominoEX (various), MFSK (various), MT63 (various), Feld Hell, Olivia (various), and Throb (various). I've also tested with NBEMS using MFSK and DominoEX without problem. I have not been happy using the netbooks with DM-780 v5.x. It seems to be because v5.x requires running HRD AND the separate logbook program AND the IP Server in order to get the logbook and real-time call letter identification (DM-780 v4.x didn't require all of that overhead). I've noticed a tendency for the netbooks to hang for at least a couple of seconds every so often. By the way, if I'm misinterpreting the need to run HRD AND the logbook AND the IP server in v5.x in order to get a logbook and the real-time identification, someone please tell me. Jon, KB1QBZ
Re: [digitalradio] Digital Modes With Netbook (Was 'Good USB Soundcard')
Jon and Dave, Thanks for sharing. This is good to know. 73, Frank kF2ANK Security is mostly a superstition. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~ Helen Keller http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_keller - Amateur Radio Portable Operations Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARPortable/ - EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) Preparedness http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EMPprepare/ - Great Outdoors Radio Club http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gorc/ - Ham Radio Help Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HamRadioHelpGroup/ - Military and Commercial Portable Radios http://groups.yahoo.com/group/milpack/ - Survival Communications http://groups.yahoo.com/group/survivalcomm/
[digitalradio] Re: Are plasma TVs killing radio?
Obviously the Yanks aren't listening to BBC quite as much, but if it matters, my closest neighbors, about 1/4 mile (or 400m) away would make 30M unusable when their plasma TV was turned on. I have empirical data... My RF environmental noise is something to boast about until the plasma TV's come on. Dave K7NG --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Andy obrien k3uka...@... wrote: -- Forwarded message -- From: Mike Terry miketerr...@... Date: Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 2:44 AM Subject: [dxld] Are plasma TVs killing radio? To: DXLD d...@yahoogroups.com The Register Posted in Wireless by By Bill Ray 12 August 2010 The Radio Society of Great Britain is asking anyone with a plasma TV to let it know if they've had trouble getting BBC Radio 4 lately. The Radio Society of Great Britain represents the radio ham community, though it sees itself as having a wider remit. When not organising competitions to see who has the biggest beard can transmit a 10MHz signal furthest, the RSGB tries to protect the interests of radio users of all kinds by tracking possible causes of interference, which prompts its latest appeal. Recently the interference effort has been focused on mains networking kit - people running Ethernet signals over in-home electrical wires - but the Society reckons that plasma TVs are another source of interference worthy of greater attention. Anecdotal stories abound of plasmas putting out interference below 30MHz, and even extending into the higher frequencies where commercial radio can be found, but the Society is trying to cast a wider net to see if it's a genuine problem. The plan is to make a presentation to CISPR (the International Special Committee on Radio Interference) in the next few weeks if enough complaints can be accumulated - so if you've got a plasma and you think it's plotting against your radio, drop the RSGB a line at plasma...@...plasma.tv%40rsgb.org.uk http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/12/plasma_tv_interference/
