There is a lot of "Just use any old soundcard, even a dongle" type of
advice about digital modes. I went from nearly 100% CW to nearly 100%
JT65 and JT9 on HF so I've tried a few things. I could decode down to
about -18 or so with the built in sound card. I got an EMU 0204 for use
with an LP-PAN and decided to try it for JT65/9. I could decode down to
-23 and occasionally lower. I tried a SignaLink USB and can usually
decode down to -21 and sometimes -22.
ANY sound card will work for sound card modes, just like ANY piece of
wirewill work for an antenna. But there is a difference in sound cards
for digital modes and there is a reason I use a TH7 at 60' instead of a
mag loop antenna despite the fact that they both "work".
Eric
KE6US
On 1/25/2014 1:38 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
On 1/25/2014 9:50 AM, Edward R Cole wrote:
The K3 is connected via the line-out to a Delta44 soundcard at the PC.
I don't know anything about this sound card, but I've worked a lot of
JT65 and RTTY, and I found that a good semi-pro audio USB interface
improved JT65 decoding a LOT as compared to the sound card built into
my Thinkpad. With extensive testing of two computers next to each
other connected to the same audio, the USB interface gave me twice as
many decodes in a pass using JT65-HF, and gave me decodes about 10dB
lower into the noise (fairly often in the range of -20 to -22).
I bought and tested three USB interfaces -- a Numark (about $35) a
Tascam (about $75), and a little mickey-mouse sort of thing. The
Numark and Tascam were equally good at decoding both JT65 and RTTY.
The little thingy worked, but was so poorly built I wouldn't recommend
it. The Numark has no model number, the Tascam has been discontinued
and replaced by one with more inputs and a higher price. I'm confident
that it works as well. Both the Numark and the Tascam units have line
inputs and outputs, and RIAA inputs. The Tascam has inputs for guitar
and pro mics, so it's a bit more versatile in accepting different
input levels.
The Tascam is hooked up to my "main" K3, the Numark gets used with the
other radio when I do SO2R RTTY contesting.
73, Jim K9YC
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