Howard, Appreciate your comments on RFSM. Not many have tried it. I have found the speed to be very similar to what you have been experiencing. Even with my experimental set up here in the shack with two computers/two rigs, it does not often get much above 1000 bps with a perfect "path." This is using the RFSM2400 freeware program. The RFSM8000 product seems to be more oriented to the higher speeds, but does not meet the slower MIL-STD-188-110A 75 bps very robust mode. Which is a shame, since the most robust modes are necessary to have something that can compete with similar modes such as Pactor.
While you can not legally use MIL-STD-188-110A single tone modems in the MF/HF U.S. RTTY/Data portions of the bands, there does not seem to be any restriction in the phone/image portions. I have asked FCC for an interpretation of this but they simply will not respond. Yes, MARS has gone back to having CW nets. That was quite a reversal for them since they prohibited CW for a number of years. I did not realize that you can do keyboarding with RFSM. Maybe this is only possible with the newer RFSM8000 product? In fact that seemed like a significant limitation with RFSM2400. You could easily do ARQ file transfers, and the stations would constantly be testing back and forth, waiting for the next message but I did not see any way to get a keyboard type window open unless I completely missed it. The server feature is quite interesting, sounds similar to the PSKmail server, which is an ad hoc approach without the incredibly complications of Winlink 2000's system, however, you give up some of the convenience features. It sounds like you have considerable expertise with setting up such a system to e-mail access. At this time it is still a moot point for HF since you can not use for HF text messaging as mentioned above. Of course, it is completely legal to use on 6 meters and up which allows for much higher baud rates than the quasi 2400 baud rate of the MIL-STD-188-110A modems. I wonder if this would have any possible use for providing localized connectivity for VHF? 73, Rick, KV9U Howard Z. wrote: > > My local MARS group has been experimenting with RFSM8000. > Like MIXW, it is made in Russia, and the author wants to earn some > money selling it. Free trial licenses are available. > > RFSM8000 uses the Mil-Spec modem - I forgot the modem number - but > it is the same one used by MARS/ALE. It is supposed to reach > 8000bps under good conditions on HF. I typically experience under > 600bps. Some say its techniques to get high speed make it illegal > for US Hams. European HAMs are using it. MARS does not use the HAM > bands, so its OK for MARS. > > Just because MARS is experimenting with it, does not mean it is > adapted by MARS or that it is even a desirable mode. MARS plays > with everything and seems to like having almost every tool in their > tool-box. MARS even has CW nets. > > RFSM8000 has three functions: > 1. keyboarding NETs - somewhat similar to PSK31. Since we have > PSk31, MT63, OLIVIA, and other modes that give similar functionality. > 2. file transfers from one user to another user. Most think EasyPal > is better. Maybe when we get further along in the sunspot cycle, > RFSM8000 will achieve higher speeds and be the file x-fer method of > choice? I don't know - time will tell. > 3. Email Server. This is the most interesting function. Let's say > a disaster area has no internet and can reach an RFSM8000 email > server which has internet capability. Then those without internet > can connect (one at a time - similar to a winlink RMS) to send and > receive email. The Email server sends all users emails using the > single server's email address. The subject will start with the > originator's call-sign. When the recipient of the email hits reply, > he needs to remove the "Re:" from the subject so the subject starts > with the call-sign. The reply email goes back to the email-server's > email address, and is routed to the appropriate user's mailbox for > pickup by that callsign over HF radio. The simplicity of this > compared to Winlink is that there are no CMS email servers that it > needs to reach. It is not a huge email system. All that needs to > be reachable on the internet is the SMTP server of the ISP the email > server is using, and the POP3 server the email server is using. The > POP3 server can be ISP's email, or some other email, like gmail, > gmx, or any other free email service on the web which uses POP3. > Currently RFSM8000 can not make SECURED pop3 connections, and many > email systems on the internet do not allow unsecured pop3 > connections. So this limits one as to which free emails one can > use. Whether the RFSM8000 email server has internet or not, > RFSM8000 users can send mail to CALLSIGNS which connect via HF to > the RFSM8000 email server. MARS preferred message handling system > is WINLINK. If Winlink is broken or unreachable this can be an > option. However, it is not clear to me what kind of disaster would > make Winlink unusable. > > Now, on my computer, I have a solution for how to connect to a > SECURED pop3 email provider. I have hmailserver running on my > computer - it is a SMTP and POP3 email server. RFSM8000 checks its > email by going to localhost POP3 unsecured. The hmailserver > routinely sucks in mail into the account from a secured POP3 email > server - such as COMCAST's POP3 email server. hmailserver can use > secured and unsecured pop3 email servers on the internet, and can > accept secured and unsecured pop3 connections. But, it may be a bit > much for the average ham to install and configure. > > So the initial lure is 8000bps file transfers and 8000bps email > transfers. We are not seeing such high speeds under current NVIS > conditions. > > Howard > >
