[digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
Joe Ivey w4jsi wrote: You know what the answer to your post is. I have to agree with another post that said really all you want to do is make more room for ALE. Hi Joe, No, I'm serious... Joe, how would you call another ham on the air? Because right now, you have to admit, the simple fact is that most hams have no idea how to call each other on the air, and that makes us look pretty silly to the average person. With the huge number of intelligent hams here on this digitalradio group, it is possible that someone might be interested in discussing the subject. By the way, I didn't see the other post you mentioned, Joe, but there is already plenty of room for ALE. Bonnie KQ6XA Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
Bill W6WRT wrote: Our hobby is about generating, transmitting and receiving RF energy. It is a hobby of technical and operating expertise. Hi Bill, With all your technical and operating expertise, you're stumped? Bonnie KQ6XA Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] ALE Keyboarding QSOs
Hi Mark, That was fun to make the ALE link and QSO with you today. It was surprising because your signal was very near the noise level. The 8FSK DTM ARQ seemed to work OK for text keyboarding back and forth. I'm glad you got your ALE system running there, and it is a pleasure to be your first ALE link. I added your callsign to my ALE address list. 73---Bonnie KQ6XA --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Mark Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I just had my first experience with ALE in the last couple of days. Before ALE my station could operate on 40 through 10 meters. I have an ICOM 746pro, and a 1/2 sized G5RV. I have been using sound card modes for a few years, so I already had a soundcard interface and the necessary rig control. I added PCALE to my software collection, and after a little dittling with com ports, I am up and running on ALE. Bonnie KQ6QA and I had a short DBM ARQ contact. She helped me out with my first contact. I will be monitoring the ALE channels to find more activity. I think many of you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Read the documenation, then make comments about ALE operation. BTW my station still operates 40 through 10, so nothing has really changed accept the addition of PCALE. 73, Mark N5RFX Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
This post illustrates what I consider to be the essence of the self-centered approach Bonnie and her group are taking. My comments are interspersed below. At 02:29 AM 8/26/2006 +, you wrote: Have you ever had a visitor to your ham shack... and they ask if you can call up another ham who they know? You sit there in front of a wall of impressive radio equipment and electronics... And you might be a little embarassed to answer... Well, I can't really just call them up like the telephone. or It is not that easy. I am never embarassed to explain the truth. Can you call another ham on the air? Right now? How would you actually go about calling another ham on the air? Have we lost sight of the most basic thing, about communication, to be able to signal another ham that you want to talk with them? This is NOT basic to Ham radio and has never been. If we wish to participate in regular, scheduled communication, we set up nets. For more limited personal communucation, we arrange skeds. In a more general way, we have calling frequencies (NOT Channels). For emergencies, we come on to organized nets on pre-arranged frequencies, listen, and sign in. Has ham radio devolved into only randomness of chance QSOs? Bonnie is good at using negative words to apply psychological bias. The use of devolved here is typical. This is the way she uses Channel instead offrequency. I don't play that game. Most of ham radio activity is the result of random contacts. Bonnie wants to change the entire structure of our activities to fit her personal, self-centered concepts. I resent it. Bonnie KQ6XA Bill-W4BSG Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links Bill Aycock - W4BSG Woodville, Alabama Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] ALE Keyboarding QSOs
Bonnie, Thanks. I found the definions for the AMD automatic message display DBM data block message DTM data text message It is interesting that you say that we were using 8FSK, I have observed the eight orthogonal tones on my waterfall before, and didn't know exactly what was producing them. Now I know. I probably won't be scanning, as my interest lies mainly with data comms, so I will hang out on 14109.5 and see what I log. Have you thought of doing a presentation for TAPR at the DCC in September? They are looking for speakers. 73, Mark N5RFX That was fun to make the ALE link and QSO with you today. It was surprising because your signal was very near the noise level. The 8FSK DTM ARQ seemed to work OK for text keyboarding back and forth. I'm glad you got your ALE system running there, and it is a pleasure to be your first ALE link. I added your callsign to my ALE address list. 73---Bonnie KQ6XA Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
So what is techincal about this thread at this point. Dave, you are wasting bandwidth here. Can we get back on topic, please? Chuck, AA5J At 11:22 PM 8/25/2006, you wrote: Amateur radio began with the randomness of chance QSOs -- you remember CQ, don't you? Its not exactly honest to claim that amateur radio is devolving from the style with which it began, has used during all of its existence, and remains dominant to this day. No one is saying you can't use ALE if you want to Bonnie, but don't imply that anyone who doesn't is a dope. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In mailto:digitalradio%40yahoogroups.comdigitalradio@yahoogroups.com, expeditionradio [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Have you ever had a visitor to your ham shack... and they ask if you can call up another ham who they know? You sit there in front of a wall of impressive radio equipment and electronics... And you might be a little embarassed to answer... Well, I can't really just call them up like the telephone. or It is not that easy. Can you call another ham on the air? Right now? How would you actually go about calling another ham on the air? Have we lost sight of the most basic thing, about communication, to be able to signal another ham that you want to talk with them? Has ham radio devolved into only randomness of chance QSOs? Bonnie KQ6XA No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 Regards, ChuckM mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~clmayfield http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mayfield Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] ALE Keyboarding QSOs
Hi Mark, Welcome to the world of ALE acty. DBM is the killer 8FSK protocol from the standard. Its raw speed is 125 baud but deeply interleaved which has it neck and neck with its kissing cousin GTOR for throughput. The BRD (FEC) selection is very robust and the ARQ is just great. It supports binary files with the FTP selection, although you really don't want to be sending files that are to big, keeping them under 10k during good channel conditions would be best as to reasonable transfer time. DBM and GTOR are my two most favorite FSK ARQ protocols and DBM BRD and MT-63 are my two most favorite FSK FEC protocols. I hope to add MARS/MT-63 ARQ to the other list in time. In MARS-ALE we actively support external TNC/Modems for use after the ALE link and I may also add passive support in the same vein as hardware ALE radios so that a third party program such as Airmail could make use of the TNC/Modem after the ALE link whereas the MARS-ALE remains in the loop for the modem activity regarding the ALE link time out timer for hand off. In PC-ALE G4GUO took the approach of launching a child process via a DOS Batch file after the ALE link for the hold off to run the third party tool and revert back to ALE and its timer upon termination of the third party tool. Thus its a bit more universal for Ham use, using that approach you could launch MixW or MultiPSK or whatever and PC-ALE just sits there in a linked state until you terminate that child process. We also plan to add am additional PC Sound Device Modem (PCSDM) class to MARS-ALE that will support the planned MT63, GTOR and PACTOR I protocols and whatever else may be added. The ALE standard requires that the ALE controller/modem is always listing for ALE signals, this updates the LQA database of stations (that how you dial a station and automatically achieve a link the best channel) among other things and there is only such you can do on one modem at the same time, as it is now, the PC-ALE/MARS-ALE FSK/PSK modems can both be active at the same time using the same PCSDM so you see why a 2nd PCSDM will be brought into play. The default system sound device used for system sounds etc (we recommend that is not be used as a PCSDM) will in the future support all the ALERT and ALARM sounds as well as the coming Vocoder output and input for the digital voice modes to be supported after an ALE link. At this time I am not sure what G4GUO is planning for PC-ALE in this regard. However under current FCC Part 97 Rules, ALE can be used in the digital sub bands for two-way digital data comm and in the Voice sub bands for SELCAL (and more but not digital data comm) and of course Digital Voice contacts after an ALE link, so time will tell. In MARS all of our digital data comm and Voice comm are on the same channels, at any moment we may switch between Voice and Data and back again, it is the nature of MARS net operations. P.S. - Don't know if you have any SWL/Utility station interest at all, but PC-ALE makes for a great ALE SIGINT tool for trolling the HF spectrum for interesting monitoring, HF was pretty dead for years from the mid 80's to mid 90's when the moved to Satellite took place, but the entire world is back on HF now due to the cost savings and reliability of access advantages and the ALE systems. I keep a TCI-8174 receiver on-line 24/7 as my ALE vacum cleaner, its a fun side SWL pursuit when you just can't find any HF/6m DX of interest or you just want do get away from Ham radio for a while. /s/ Steve, N2CKH At 10:45 AM 8/26/2006, you wrote: Bonnie, Thanks. I found the definions for the AMD automatic message display DBM data block message DTM data text message It is interesting that you say that we were using 8FSK, I have observed the eight orthogonal tones on my waterfall before, and didn't know exactly what was producing them. Now I know. I probably won't be scanning, as my interest lies mainly with data comms, so I will hang out on 14109.5 and see what I log. Have you thought of doing a presentation for TAPR at the DCC in September? They are looking for speakers. 73, Mark N5RFX Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Delay Tolerant Networks for amateur radio.
Hi again, Sorry for replying to my own post, but I've just found this new-ish article on the IEEE Computer Society site which may make the topic more accessible: http://www.computer.org/portal/site/dsonline/menuitem. 3a529f3832e8f1e13587e0606bcd45f3/index.jsp? pName=dso_print_onlyTheCat=path=dsonline/2006/08file=w4spot.xml Regards, Darren, G0HWW Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] ALE Keyboarding QSOs
At this time I am not sure what G4GUO is planning for PC-ALE in this regard. However under current FCC Part 97 Rules, ALE can be used in the digital sub bands for two-way digital data comm and in the Voice sub bands for SELCAL (and more but not digital data comm) and of course Digital Voice contacts after an ALE link, so time will tell. In MARS all of our digital data comm and Voice comm are on the same channels, at any moment we may switch between Voice and Data and back again, it is the nature of MARS net operations. This is true, but the guys on 14.233 are sending voice, image and data emissions for at least 2 years and no one has complained. Probably because no one can tell that they are doing it. I think that as long as the primary emissions are F1E, J2E, F1C, and J2C, no one will be cited for sending F1D or J2D. At least no one has been cited yet, and as far as I know, Mr. Hollingsworth has not even received a complaint. As long as we comply with 97.101, there should not be a problem. As I have said, everyone has turned a blind eye to the DRM and RDFT folks on 14.233. This is how it should be. 73, Mark N5RFX Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
The asnwer is ... yes. I can call several hams on the local repeater, on the more private 440 frequency, on a slightly more distant repeater, and of course on HF on the local frequency. Local means within a few hundred miles. Oh yes, there is also another HF frequency for the AM folks, and another for SSTV etc. While amateur radio is not the telephone, phone patches can be done via the more distant repeater, including contacting emergency help. For the most part though, most want the more random fishing type of experience. That is more interesting to most people, and is why ham radio holds a fascination for a number of hams due to the unpredictable nature of the propagation. ALE doesn't do much there. For example, if I want to see if there are any contacts possible on 20 meters or above, I might check the world wide HF beacons. This is simple using Dave, AA6YQ's DX Lab suite which includes the amazing Prop View program with the built in Beacon Monitor program. It also changes the rig frequencies as needed depending upon how you want it se t up by using his other amazing Commander rig control program. This program also interfaces with Patrick's PSKmulti program as well for almost all sound card modes. We are so fortunate today to be able to do all these things and all the software is free from the developers. 73, Rick, KV9U expeditionradio wrote: Have you ever had a visitor to your ham shack... and they ask if you can call up another ham who they know? You sit there in front of a wall of impressive radio equipment and electronics... And you might be a little embarassed to answer... Well, I can't really just call them up like the telephone. or It is not that easy. Can you call another ham on the air? Right now? How would you actually go about calling another ham on the air? Have we lost sight of the most basic thing, about communication, to be able to signal another ham that you want to talk with them? Has ham radio devolved into only randomness of chance QSOs? Bonnie KQ6XA Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data
Running a laptop under emergency conditions is not that practical other than for short duration events. If you want to have ALE available you need to keep the software running or else the ALE selcal would be missed. For regular communications with AC power, then no problem. The ALE antenna issue is a major one for either portable or fixed though. We agree that it was not a good long term move to only allow the entry level license access to VHF and up. I favor allowing CW and limited (very limited) additional HF modes on a few bands. Especially bands that are nearly unused most of the time. On the other hand, there are hams such as my wife who have little interest in HF DXing or anything like that. She has recently expressed a slight interest in HF for mobile use due to our limited distances covered by repeaters, but only for practical use. Having said that, with all the new rigs that have six meters and often even higher VHF/UHF bands, it is incredibly easy to get on CW/SSB VHF and up. Even so, there seems to be less interest today than there was many years ago when it was much harder to get on these bands with other than AM or FM rigs. Especially when you consider the number of hams who can get on these frequencies and modes. The VHF and higher frequency bands have a wealth of potential experimentation, long distance/weak signal, EME, meteor scatter, high speed linking, etc. But there just is not an interest by most hams. For example, I have suggested that I can be QRV 160 through 6 meters on most all sound card modes. But almost no takers in my area. In terms of HF e-mail, there is not really enough spectrum space to handle much traffic. Especially with the intrusive wide band modes that take up an entire voice bandwidth. The good news is that PSKmail is a good start to do exactly what you want. In fact, it is really the only decentralized e-mail currently available for the amateur bands. For casual use, Winlink 2000 can work well although it would be risky to rely on it for emergency use due to its reliance on the internet to function. PSKmail's PSK63 signals are spectrum efficient when compared to Pactor 2 and especially Pactor 3. And over time it is not unreasonable to expect that PSKmail will improve. I quite disagree with you on the ham Katrina response. Having ALE would have made no difference at all in our response. The fact is that hams generally were the ones following the rules and moved out of the affected area. Obviously, once they did that, they were no longer available to operate from those affected areas and it was not safe to be sending in untrained individuals to such wide spread disaster areas. Only the military and trained personnel should be going into such areas until things are secure enough for untrained. If a ham was trained in some specialty for disasters, they would be used for that capacity, not communications. Either way, ALE would not be involved since nets are set up in advance on known frequencies of operation. VHF voice is THE main communications medium for disasters. Most of the communications are going to be tactical and immediate and if you have had the ARRL ARECC training, you know that it is inappropriate to ever use any keyboard entered messaging for such messages as there is too much risk in terms of immediacy. You will occasionally find long messaging needed for support purposes, health and welfare, etc. so it has a place, but it is very low in terms of priorities. My wife and I have actually been up all night providing communications support for one of the Wisconsin Adventure Races. This event is an intense activity including lengthy hiking through extremely difficult terrain, accessing numerous targets (and proving you were there), switching to canoe or kayak and negotiating over a very tricky river, switching to bicycle and riding about 5 hours round trip to another distant site to climb and then rappel down a 170 foot cliff and return to the starting point. We primarily used VHF voice with some use of Winlink 2000 via VHF Telpac and some simplex, but mostly repeater access. We could have done it different ways. While HF would be nice, there was only a couple of operators who even have the license to operate HF, much less have any interest in HF operations of this type. I wish there was more interest, but it just is not there with most hams. 73, Rick, KV9U expeditionradio wrote: Hi Rick, You bring up some good points. Rick, KV9U wrote: - The technology you recommend requires considerable extra equipment (computers/interfaces/frequency agile antennas and band hopping) which is fairly complicated Actually, it requires nothing more than the usual ham radio rig and a laptop. As for the ALE to initialize the contact, you can now buy an HF radio in the US$1000 to US$1500 cost range that has ALE built in. We are now finding that with newer hams, there is less interest than
[digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
Bonnie claimed that amateur radio had devolved to random QSOs. Since amateur radio began with random QSOs and random QSOs remain a significant component of amateur communications today, that claim is false. If the original post was on topic, then correcting its factual errors must also be on topic. The premises and context on which we make technical decisions are critical. Leaving errors and misrepresentations unchallenged would be irresponsible. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Chuck Mayfield [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: So what is techincal about this thread at this point. Dave, you are wasting bandwidth here. Can we get back on topic, please? Chuck, AA5J At 11:22 PM 8/25/2006, you wrote: Amateur radio began with the randomness of chance QSOs -- you remember CQ, don't you? Its not exactly honest to claim that amateur radio is devolving from the style with which it began, has used during all of its existence, and remains dominant to this day. No one is saying you can't use ALE if you want to Bonnie, but don't imply that anyone who doesn't is a dope. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In mailto:digitalradio% 40yahoogroups.comdigitalradio@yahoogroups.com, expeditionradio expeditionradio@ wrote: Have you ever had a visitor to your ham shack... and they ask if you can call up another ham who they know? You sit there in front of a wall of impressive radio equipment and electronics... And you might be a little embarassed to answer... Well, I can't really just call them up like the telephone. or It is not that easy. Can you call another ham on the air? Right now? How would you actually go about calling another ham on the air? Have we lost sight of the most basic thing, about communication, to be able to signal another ham that you want to talk with them? Has ham radio devolved into only randomness of chance QSOs? Bonnie KQ6XA No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 Regards, ChuckM mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~clmayfield http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mayfield Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
And I suppose that nit-picking every statement made by others on the reflector is to be considered responsible behavior? GIVE ME A BREAK! 73, Chuck At 01:19 PM 8/26/2006, you wrote: Bonnie claimed that amateur radio had devolved to random QSOs. Since amateur radio began with random QSOs and random QSOs remain a significant component of amateur communications today, that claim is false. If the original post was on topic, then correcting its factual errors must also be on topic. The premises and context on which we make technical decisions are critical. Leaving errors and misrepresentations unchallenged would be irresponsible. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In mailto:digitalradio%40yahoogroups.comdigitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Chuck Mayfield [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: So what is techincal about this thread at this point. Dave, you are wasting bandwidth here. Can we get back on topic, please? Chuck, AA5J At 11:22 PM 8/25/2006, you wrote: Amateur radio began with the randomness of chance QSOs -- you remember CQ, don't you? Its not exactly honest to claim that amateur radio is devolving from the style with which it began, has used during all of its existence, and remains dominant to this day. No one is saying you can't use ALE if you want to Bonnie, but don't imply that anyone who doesn't is a dope. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In mailto:digitalradio% 40yahoogroups.commailto:digitalradio%40yahoogroups.comdigitalradio@yahoogroups.com, expeditionradio expeditionradio@ wrote: Have you ever had a visitor to your ham shack... and they ask if you can call up another ham who they know? You sit there in front of a wall of impressive radio equipment and electronics... And you might be a little embarassed to answer... Well, I can't really just call them up like the telephone. or It is not that easy. Can you call another ham on the air? Right now? How would you actually go about calling another ham on the air? Have we lost sight of the most basic thing, about communication, to be able to signal another ham that you want to talk with them? Has ham radio devolved into only randomness of chance QSOs? Bonnie KQ6XA No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 Regards, ChuckM mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~clmayfieldhttp://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~clmayfield http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mayfield Regards, ChuckM mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~clmayfield http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mayfield Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data
Hi Rick, I just had to take a break from the .NET C++ compiler to reply to this one, day job work and other demands have slow my responses the past few days, although I will try to reply some of the other messages flying about if I can make the time At 12:40 PM 8/26/2006, you wrote: Running a laptop under emergency conditions is not that practical other than for short duration events. If you want to have ALE available you need to keep the software running or else the ALE selcal would be missed. For regular communications with AC power, then no problem. I have just have to ask, have not storage cells, solar panels and generators made it to your neck of the woods? What class do you participate in during ARRL FD ? I can run my FT-817/AT200PC 1Ghz laptop MARS-ALE station off my Hawker Energy 37Ah battery all weekend long even if the sun shine is poor. Then for 100 watt station operation I can add more batteries or fire up the Honda gas generator. The ALE antenna issue is a major one for either portable or fixed though. How's that? I have a NVIS antenna that above that range starts to look like a random wire with gain that is a 125 foot dipole make of brightly jacketed 14ga. wire (could be lesser gauge) that mounted 6 feet above ground, easy to do just about anywhere, easy to make very visible. From the center of that 125 foot dipole span is 28 feet for 300 ohm twin led that raises to 10 feet above ground at which point is hung a CWS ByteMark 6:1 balum with a heavy earth ground and from there 50 ohm coax to the transceiver, over the soil in my backyard this antenna mounted as described is resonant at 3.2Mhz, the LDG AT200PC tunes it from 2Mhz (and lower) to 27Mhz (and higher) with ease for my MARS channels in use. It is basically a full 160-6m antenna with an HF-6m radio like my FT-817 and FT-847 and the AT200PC ATU. This antenna rolls up nicely and fits in a back backpack, if you are lucky enough to just suspend it from trees etc in your target surrounds then poles are not even needed, just dacron rope, although I have various push up and intersecting poles for use as needed. There are even screw together ground rods these days, although I just lug an 8 footer about. We agree that it was not a good long term move to only allow the entry level license access to VHF and up. I favor allowing CW and limited (very limited) additional HF modes on a few bands. Especially bands that are nearly unused most of the time. On the other hand, there are hams such as my wife who have little interest in HF DXing or anything like that. She has recently expressed a slight interest in HF for mobile use due to our limited distances covered by repeaters, but only for practical use. Having said that, with all the new rigs that have six meters and often even higher VHF/UHF bands, it is incredibly easy to get on CW/SSB VHF and up. Even so, there seems to be less interest today than there was many years ago when it was much harder to get on these bands with other than AM or FM rigs. Especially when you consider the number of hams who can get on these frequencies and modes. The VHF and higher frequency bands have a wealth of potential experimentation, long distance/weak signal, EME, meteor scatter, high speed linking, etc. But there just is not an interest by most hams. For example, I have suggested that I can be QRV 160 through 6 meters on most all sound card modes. But almost no takers in my area. 6 meters, I love that band, first rig was a 10/6m Kachina 1 in 1979 followed by and FT-680R, still have both, then the FT-736R in the early 90's, added FT-650, FT-847 and FT-817. Sitting at 67 countries, all states by Hawaii, if only I was retired during the last 25 years and around the station more, it was not until the last cycle that I bumped up the power to 100w on 6m. I my go to higher power for the next cycle, I have an SSB 200 sitting here for 100w driver conversion and a National NCL-2000 for 10w (most 6m rigs were 10w drive) driver conversion, time will tell, I prefer the challenge of lower power, though I do have full legal limit when needed, in chasing DX its always my goal to use lower power but some times the conditions and QRM just don't allow it, I even though about the idea of my big Collins on 6 meters, it would not be too terribly difficult to add support for 50Mhz, the tubes at all three stages (6LC6, 6146 x2, 4CX1000A x2) will work at 50Mhz. In terms of HF e-mail, there is not really enough spectrum space to handle much traffic. I don't agree at all, but just don't have the time at the moment to hash it over, I will revisit this with you soon. Especially with the intrusive wide band modes that take up an entire voice bandwidth. The good news is that PSKmail is a good start to do exactly what you want. In fact, it is really the only decentralized e-mail currently available for the amateur bands. For casual use, Winlink 2000 can work well
[digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
A misstatement of that magnitude is hardly a nit. Its a foundation of her argument! 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Chuck Mayfield [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: And I suppose that nit-picking every statement made by others on the reflector is to be considered responsible behavior? GIVE ME A BREAK! 73, Chuck At 01:19 PM 8/26/2006, you wrote: Bonnie claimed that amateur radio had devolved to random QSOs. Since amateur radio began with random QSOs and random QSOs remain a significant component of amateur communications today, that claim is false. If the original post was on topic, then correcting its factual errors must also be on topic. The premises and context on which we make technical decisions are critical. Leaving errors and misrepresentations unchallenged would be irresponsible. 73, Dave, AA6YQ Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data
--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Steve Hajducek [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: snip The ALE antenna issue is a major one for either portable or fixed though. How's that? I have a NVIS antenna that above that range starts to look like a random wire with gain that is a 125 foot dipole make of brightly jacketed 14ga. wire (could be lesser gauge) that mounted 6 feet above ground, easy to do just about anywhere, easy to make very visible. From the center of that 125 foot dipole span is 28 feet for 300 ohm twin led that raises to 10 feet above ground at which point is hung a CWS ByteMark 6:1 balum with a heavy earth ground and from there 50 ohm coax to the transceiver, over the soil in my backyard this antenna mounted as described is resonant at 3.2Mhz, the LDG AT200PC tunes it from 2Mhz (and lower) to 27Mhz (and higher) with ease for my MARS channels in use. It is basically a full 160-6m antenna with an HF-6m radio like my FT-817 and FT-847 and the AT200PC ATU. This antenna rolls up nicely and fits in a back backpack, if you are lucky enough to just suspend it from trees etc in your target surrounds then poles are not even needed, just dacron rope, although I have various push up and intersecting poles for use as needed. There are even screw together ground rods these days, although I just lug an 8 footer about. The point is that you need a multi-band antenna. If the ALE scan rate is 2-5 frequencies per second, then presumably you need an in- board or out-board auto-tuner capable of retuning that rapidly if the frequencies lie on different bands, correct? 73, Dave, AA6YQ Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
RE: [digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data
Hi Dave, Most of the 2-5 per second is receiving remember. The LDG AT-200PC computer-controlled tuner is pretty much the accepted standard for MARS-ALE, and support is built-in the program. You pre-tune the frequencies you will be transmitting on, and store the setting for each freq. When actually transmitting, the recall is near instantaneous as long as you did a solid tune before. There may be a 1/2 second delay as the tuner retrieves the settings. I use a 468' NVIS dipole for MARS-ALE (about 10-12 ft/. above ground with two parallel wire reflectors along the ground, and have recently been using it on regular nets just above 80 meters. Any regular antenna I try to use (Alpha-Delta off-center fed dipole) is just destroyed by atmospheric noise as we pretty much always have storms in the area during the late afternoon. On the nets I just crank the power up a bit (30-40 watts using ALE, 100 -200w SSB) and it offsets the reduced transmitted signal level caused by the NVIS. It sure does tame the noise to an acceptable level though. Best, Hank KI4MF NN0BBX _ From: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dave Bernstein Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 3:20 PM To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Subject: [digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data --- In digitalradio@ mailto:digitalradio%40yahoogroups.com yahoogroups.com, Steve Hajducek [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: snip The ALE antenna issue is a major one for either portable or fixed though. How's that? I have a NVIS antenna that above that range starts to look like a random wire with gain that is a 125 foot dipole make of brightly jacketed 14ga. wire (could be lesser gauge) that mounted 6 feet above ground, easy to do just about anywhere, easy to make very visible. From the center of that 125 foot dipole span is 28 feet for 300 ohm twin led that raises to 10 feet above ground at which point is hung a CWS ByteMark 6:1 balum with a heavy earth ground and from there 50 ohm coax to the transceiver, over the soil in my backyard this antenna mounted as described is resonant at 3.2Mhz, the LDG AT200PC tunes it from 2Mhz (and lower) to 27Mhz (and higher) with ease for my MARS channels in use. It is basically a full 160-6m antenna with an HF-6m radio like my FT-817 and FT-847 and the AT200PC ATU. This antenna rolls up nicely and fits in a back backpack, if you are lucky enough to just suspend it from trees etc in your target surrounds then poles are not even needed, just dacron rope, although I have various push up and intersecting poles for use as needed. There are even screw together ground rods these days, although I just lug an 8 footer about. The point is that you need a multi-band antenna. If the ALE scan rate is 2-5 frequencies per second, then presumably you need an in- board or out-board auto-tuner capable of retuning that rapidly if the frequencies lie on different bands, correct? 73, Dave, AA6YQ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data
At 11:26 AM 8/26/2006, you wrote: --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Steve Hajducek [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: snip The ALE antenna issue is a major one for either portable or fixed though. How's that? I have a NVIS antenna that above that range starts to look like a random wire with gain snip The point is that you need a multi-band antenna. If the ALE scan rate is 2-5 frequencies per second, then presumably you need an in- board or out-board auto-tuner capable of retuning that rapidly if the frequencies lie on different bands, correct? 73, Dave, AA6YQ Hi Dave, The ALE scan rates are 1, 2, 5 channels/second for NORMAL ALE with AQC-ALE being locked at 5 ch/sec. In the latest MIL-STD-118-141B standard, they state a future goal is 10 ch/sec. The only need for any use of ATU tuning is when you go into transmit. The ATU should be in BYPASS on RX. Most of the internal radio ATU designs that have been around for a while are tool slow to tune for optimum ALE network operation when TX is required, however the entire ALE network can be configured to support the worst case station in the network. You see if your station is Scanning and I place an LQA Call to it, my station will start transmitting on the best LQA ranked (best SNR/BER channel) and with our settings correct and you station being active and not otherwise engaged, you should here my station calling yours and then respond within x amount of time. The standard for that response time is 2 seconds, thus any use of antenna tuning (Steppr antenna etc) or ATU tuning tone, amplifier tune up etc. must a be done within 2 seconds so that my station hears your responding, else my station will then call you again on the same channel or move to the next best LQA ranked channel depending on ALE configuration options on my end, the basic ALE hardware controller is going to just move to the next LQA channel, which is what the current PC-ALE and MARS-ALE do, but that going be changing in both tools. So your station only needs to activate your ATU if being used before the TX and only needs to tune on the first TX on the new channel being TX'ed on, some ham ATU's are going to re-tune on all applied RF, that's poor, all ATU need to be in BYPASS until the channel being transmitted on comes into play else you have receiver attenuation the further away you move from the last TX channel, this rules out a slew of ATU designs. I approached LDG about an ATU design geared for ALE and the result was the AT-200PC which is based on their earlier AT200PRO. With this computer controlled only unit, once trained for the channels being used, RF is never needed for a re-tune unless the characteristics of the antenna change and the stored settings in memory are invalidated. For Scanning the unit is placed into BYPASS and a split second before TX is placed back in line the frequency to be used is sent to the ATU and its instantly tuned to the last used settings for that antenna on that antenna port. The AT200PC has two antenna ports that are selected on a channel by channel basis by MARS-ALE when scanning so that a combination of a NVIS and Skywave antenna can be used if the scan group transcends both ranges or other reasons like you use a 160m dipole on that band and a broadband antenna 80m and above, you can also pop an LDG DTS-x ANT SW on the ANT port 1 of the AT200PC and have 4 or 6 antenna ports if you need that or add an ACOM 2002A 10 port switch. Also, on a channel by channel basis you select which channels need to use the ATU, for example, my 400 foot 12 gauge Random Wire antenna feed off a 2 stage 9:1 RF transformer grounded on one side on the output needs no tuning above 4Mhz, so only the channels below 4Mhz have the ATU enabled. This is also applied to the CAT radios that support enough internal ATU and ANT port control in MARS-ALE. The addition for support for RF amplifiers is pending. The Steppr antenna support is also pending, they just handle the 1 ch/sec scan rate and fuzzy logic needs to be applied as to when to re-tune on RX based on frequency step from last use etc., I am still not sure so about supporting them. /s/ Steve, N2CKH Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data
Yes, I understand that the 2-5 per second rate is for receiving, but you presumably must retune when switching from one band to another. If the tuner takes 500ms to retrieve its settings, how do you accomplish a 5 per second rate? A low fan dipole might give you good local multiband coverage without the need for a tuner. You can make one out of multi-conductor rotator cable. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Harold Aaron [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Dave, Most of the 2-5 per second is receiving remember. The LDG AT-200PC computer-controlled tuner is pretty much the accepted standard for MARS-ALE, and support is built-in the program. You pre-tune the frequencies you will be transmitting on, and store the setting for each freq. When actually transmitting, the recall is near instantaneous as long as you did a solid tune before. There may be a 1/2 second delay as the tuner retrieves the settings. I use a 468' NVIS dipole for MARS-ALE (about 10-12 ft/. above ground with two parallel wire reflectors along the ground, and have recently been using it on regular nets just above 80 meters. Any regular antenna I try to use (Alpha-Delta off-center fed dipole) is just destroyed by atmospheric noise as we pretty much always have storms in the area during the late afternoon. On the nets I just crank the power up a bit (30-40 watts using ALE, 100 -200w SSB) and it offsets the reduced transmitted signal level caused by the NVIS. It sure does tame the noise to an acceptable level though. Best, Hank KI4MF NN0BBX _ From: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dave Bernstein Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 3:20 PM To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Subject: [digitalradio] Re: Open 5066 for HF-based Digital Email, Emergency Data --- In digitalradio@ mailto:digitalradio%40yahoogroups.com yahoogroups.com, Steve Hajducek shajducek@ wrote: snip The ALE antenna issue is a major one for either portable or fixed though. How's that? I have a NVIS antenna that above that range starts to look like a random wire with gain that is a 125 foot dipole make of brightly jacketed 14ga. wire (could be lesser gauge) that mounted 6 feet above ground, easy to do just about anywhere, easy to make very visible. From the center of that 125 foot dipole span is 28 feet for 300 ohm twin led that raises to 10 feet above ground at which point is hung a CWS ByteMark 6:1 balum with a heavy earth ground and from there 50 ohm coax to the transceiver, over the soil in my backyard this antenna mounted as described is resonant at 3.2Mhz, the LDG AT200PC tunes it from 2Mhz (and lower) to 27Mhz (and higher) with ease for my MARS channels in use. It is basically a full 160-6m antenna with an HF-6m radio like my FT-817 and FT-847 and the AT200PC ATU. This antenna rolls up nicely and fits in a back backpack, if you are lucky enough to just suspend it from trees etc in your target surrounds then poles are not even needed, just dacron rope, although I have various push up and intersecting poles for use as needed. There are even screw together ground rods these days, although I just lug an 8 footer about. The point is that you need a multi-band antenna. If the ALE scan rate is 2-5 frequencies per second, then presumably you need an in- board or out-board auto-tuner capable of retuning that rapidly if the frequencies lie on different bands, correct? 73, Dave, AA6YQ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] New to Digital HF -- PACTOR setup and hardware maybe needed???
On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 15:10:49 -0500, John Becker [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If you are going to operate Amtor or Pactor ARQ mode you will be better with a TNC. Otherwise for the sound card mode you will not need it. ok, IC736 running the rig with HRD from an Intel Pent 4 via CI-V interface USB cable on MARS. running Pactor, do I need a TNC? WHAT IS A TNC exactly. iow, WHAT does it do? Why can I not simply load the Pactor software into the PC along with my HRDeluxe software?? If I need the TNC, how do I hook it up to work with HRD and CI-V?? What am I not understanding here besides everything? G I am absolutely new to this and the ARRL HF Digital Handbook (isfai can tell from talking to elmers (few of whom agree) and reading these elists) was wasted money... anyone want a copy cheap?? ;-) HELP!!! 73/chas -- K5DAM Houston EL29fuAAR6TU http://tinyurl.com/df55x (BPL Presentation) Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now?
Hey Bill, You know, this is a group that is focused primary on serious technical issues. A simple google search on you reveals your fairly wide participation in various groups that marks you as a fairly good enabler for threads that ultimately end up as . flames. Bill, don't do that to this group. Just let some of your internet experience continue being serious and apply your argumentative techniques elsewhere. You are pretty good at what you do but I don't think digitalradio is a good playground to apply your masterful techniques. Thanks Bill. You probably have a canned answer for requests such as this but what the hey. 'Good luck in the contest'. 73 - Original Message - From: Bill Turner To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 12:51 PM Subject: Re: [digitalradio] Re: Can You Call Another Ham On The Air? Right Now? ORIGINAL MESSAGE: On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 07:13:49 -, expeditionradio [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Bill, With all your technical and operating expertise, you're stumped? Bonnie KQ6XA REPLY FOLLOWS Stumped about what? -- Bill, W6WRT [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] Is Ham Radio Only for Random Communications?
For communication between two ham radio stations to exist, some type of starting point is required. In ham radio, the importance of this fundamental initial starting point has gradually been lost, while heavy emphasis has been placed upon the body of the communication or the technique of the radio medium itself. This has resulted in an entire ham radio culture built upon varying degrees of random communication. A random communication has great value as a hobby pursuit, a playful pastime, an exploration, or a curiosity. Many hams have never known anything but this randomness and are therefore content with it or have accepted it as status quo. Hams are by and large, traditionally most familiar with the starting points of random communications, characterized by the most famous starting point, the CQ. The operator can turn on the radio, call CQ, and possibly start up a random communication if another ham happens to be randomly listening on the same channel or dialing the VFO. The longer the CQ, the better the chance of the random QSO. A non-random or less-random communication however, requires a more definite and intentional starting point. Many hams are interested in non-random communication. There is a need to further the state of the art for initiating communication between specific hams and groups of hams. Hams traditionally have employed some less-random techniques to generate a more intentional or controllable starting point for less-random communications. Most of the common techniques use manual monitoring of some kind: 1. Dial up a specific frequency or channel or repeater, and roll the dice that the other ham is manually listening to the radio speaker at that moment on that channel for your call. 2. Regularly scheduled QSOs: Get on the air at a pre-determined channel and pre-arranged time every day. Call and monitor it. 3. Regularly scheduled nets: A larger group of hams gets on the air at a pre-determined channel and pre-arranged time every day. The ARRL was founded upon a relay network of hams using some of the above techniques. For the ARRL network, Maxim placed a good deal of importance on inititating non-random communications through regimentation of operators and standardizing techniques. There are other techniques that some hams have been using to achieve non-random communication starting points. We can explore these in future postings and discussion on this group. Bonnie KQ6XA . Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] Re: Is Ham Radio Only for Random Communications?
Here's a technique that can be used with PSK31 or PSK63. WinWarbler has the ability to decode all PSK31 or PS63 QSOs within a 3 khz band segment. It further has the ability to decode each QSO to extract the two callsigns involved (or the fact that one station is calling CQ or CQ DX). Using measures of signal magnitude and quality, decoded harmonics are eliminated, and broken callsigns can be discarded. The result is displayed in a Stations Heard window, an example of which can be found in http://www.dxlabsuite.com/winwarbler/Heard.jpg Double-clicking on an entry in the Station's Heard window configures WinWarbler to QSO that station. It generally takes 2 or 3 minutes to determine who's QRV on a band; I have often used this mechanism to connect with friends. Its also quite effective when chasing a DX station working split. WinWarbler is free, and available via http://www.dxlabsuite.com/ 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, expeditionradio [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: For communication between two ham radio stations to exist, some type of starting point is required. In ham radio, the importance of this fundamental initial starting point has gradually been lost, while heavy emphasis has been placed upon the body of the communication or the technique of the radio medium itself. This has resulted in an entire ham radio culture built upon varying degrees of random communication. A random communication has great value as a hobby pursuit, a playful pastime, an exploration, or a curiosity. Many hams have never known anything but this randomness and are therefore content with it or have accepted it as status quo. Hams are by and large, traditionally most familiar with the starting points of random communications, characterized by the most famous starting point, the CQ. The operator can turn on the radio, call CQ, and possibly start up a random communication if another ham happens to be randomly listening on the same channel or dialing the VFO. The longer the CQ, the better the chance of the random QSO. A non-random or less-random communication however, requires a more definite and intentional starting point. Many hams are interested in non-random communication. There is a need to further the state of the art for initiating communication between specific hams and groups of hams. Hams traditionally have employed some less-random techniques to generate a more intentional or controllable starting point for less-random communications. Most of the common techniques use manual monitoring of some kind: 1. Dial up a specific frequency or channel or repeater, and roll the dice that the other ham is manually listening to the radio speaker at that moment on that channel for your call. 2. Regularly scheduled QSOs: Get on the air at a pre-determined channel and pre-arranged time every day. Call and monitor it. 3. Regularly scheduled nets: A larger group of hams gets on the air at a pre-determined channel and pre-arranged time every day. The ARRL was founded upon a relay network of hams using some of the above techniques. For the ARRL network, Maxim placed a good deal of importance on inititating non-random communications through regimentation of operators and standardizing techniques. There are other techniques that some hams have been using to achieve non-random communication starting points. We can explore these in future postings and discussion on this group. Bonnie KQ6XA . Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[digitalradio] Re: Is Ham Radio Only for Random Communications?
Another approach is the Who's on the Air? database, which is under development. See http://www.wotadb.org/ 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, expeditionradio [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: For communication between two ham radio stations to exist, some type of starting point is required. In ham radio, the importance of this fundamental initial starting point has gradually been lost, while heavy emphasis has been placed upon the body of the communication or the technique of the radio medium itself. This has resulted in an entire ham radio culture built upon varying degrees of random communication. A random communication has great value as a hobby pursuit, a playful pastime, an exploration, or a curiosity. Many hams have never known anything but this randomness and are therefore content with it or have accepted it as status quo. Hams are by and large, traditionally most familiar with the starting points of random communications, characterized by the most famous starting point, the CQ. The operator can turn on the radio, call CQ, and possibly start up a random communication if another ham happens to be randomly listening on the same channel or dialing the VFO. The longer the CQ, the better the chance of the random QSO. A non-random or less-random communication however, requires a more definite and intentional starting point. Many hams are interested in non-random communication. There is a need to further the state of the art for initiating communication between specific hams and groups of hams. Hams traditionally have employed some less-random techniques to generate a more intentional or controllable starting point for less-random communications. Most of the common techniques use manual monitoring of some kind: 1. Dial up a specific frequency or channel or repeater, and roll the dice that the other ham is manually listening to the radio speaker at that moment on that channel for your call. 2. Regularly scheduled QSOs: Get on the air at a pre-determined channel and pre-arranged time every day. Call and monitor it. 3. Regularly scheduled nets: A larger group of hams gets on the air at a pre-determined channel and pre-arranged time every day. The ARRL was founded upon a relay network of hams using some of the above techniques. For the ARRL network, Maxim placed a good deal of importance on inititating non-random communications through regimentation of operators and standardizing techniques. There are other techniques that some hams have been using to achieve non-random communication starting points. We can explore these in future postings and discussion on this group. Bonnie KQ6XA . Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
