[digitalradio] Re: JNOS can now interface with MultiPSK ...

2009-03-04 Thread maiko4
Hi Andy,

> Very interesting.  Full JNOS applications , nodes, BBS ??

Yes.

The new 'psk' port is just another AX25 interface as far as JNOS
is concerned. From a user point of view, the port looks no different
than a kiss attached TNC (attach asy) or an AXUDP/AXIP interface.

Maiko




[digitalradio] Re: ALE digital activity

2009-03-04 Thread Dave Bernstein
>>>AA6YQ comments below

--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Andy obrien  wrote:

Again, this would substantiate  Dave AA6YQ's statement a year or so ago, that 
almost all digital mode users on HF are PSK and RTTY active,  and that other 
digital are so under utilized that their presence illustrates a insignificant 
sub-group of hams (my words not Dave's). 

>>>If I recall correctly, the context for that still-true assertion was a 
>>>discussion of what it would take to create new digital modes as effective as 
>>>PSK31 with panoramic reception in gaining traction with the amateur 
>>>community. Clearly lots of experimentation is required; PSK31 didn't spring 
>>>up out of nowhere. While many modes being developed will clearly never gain 
>>>broad adoption, the effort may still be worthwhile for the experience, or to 
>>>satisfy a niche requirement.

>>>Awhile back, the ARRL announced an effort led by then CTO Paul W4RI to 
>>>develope a "new protocol". W4RI has subsequently retired. Does anyone know 
>>>whether this "new protocol" effort remains alive, and if so what progress it 
>>>is making?

73,

 Dave, AA6YQ

 
73,

 Dave, AA6YQ





[digitalradio] Re: JNOS can now interface with MultiPSK ...

2009-03-04 Thread Andrew O'Brien
--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "maiko4"  wrote:
>
> Greetings,
> 
> JNOS 2.0 is now able to use MultiPSK (by F6CTE) as a digital modem.
> 
> * It does this by connecting to it over tcp/ip.
> 
> For complete details and instructions, visit the link below :
> 
>http://www.langelaar.net/projects/jnos2/multipsk
> 

Very interesting.  Full JNOS applications , nodes, BBS ??

Andy K3UK




[digitalradio] ALE digital activity

2009-03-04 Thread Andy obrien
The link at  http://hflink.net/ can give you an idea.  It is fair to
say that activity has improved a lot , mostly due to hard work by
Bonnie who has made the documentation for getting ALE active MUCH
better, and some seriously good innovations including Winlink
connections and SMS message capability.

I made a bold , unsubstantiated , claim a year or so that expressed an
opinion that there was probably NOT more than 25 regularly active ALE
ham stations.  My same wild guess ,based on monitoring and occasional
use of ALE myself, is that there are now probably  100 regularly
active ALE hams , world wide.  A even further wild guess is that 100
is more than regularly active Hell users, DominoEx users, Olivia
users, and possibly even HF NBEMS users.  Again, this would
substantiate  Dave AA6YQ's statement a year or so ago, that almost all
digital mode users on HF are PSK and RTTY active,  and that other
digital are so under utilized that their presence illustrates a
insignificant sub-group of hams (my words not Dave's).  Of course, ALE
users would then point out to me that ALE is NOT a mode, it is a
system that uses some digital modes.

Andy K3UK





>  I wonder what fraction of amateur radio QSOs are initiated and sustained 
>  with ALE. Anyone know how many amateur QSOs are typically initiated each 
>  month? Anyone know how many amateur QSOs are typicaly initiated with ALE 
>  each month?
> 
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Dave, AA6YQ


[digitalradio] Re: ALE musings

2009-03-04 Thread Andrew O'Brien
--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "jhaynesatalumni"  wrote:
>
> > Perhaps the best answer to your question may 
> > be in the form of questions for you: 
> > Why is "CQ Contest" needed?
> > Why is "You are 5-9" needed?
> > Why is a repeater needed?
> > Why is a weekly net needed?
> > 
> > The purpose is similar. 
> > 
> > Bonnie KQ6XA
> >
>


A good reply Bonnie, fair comment.  Perhaps I should have questioned the role 
in Emcomms for hams, but it certainly has as much right to exists and has as 
much a valid "need" as the items you list.

Andy K3UK




[digitalradio] JNOS can now interface with MultiPSK ...

2009-03-04 Thread maiko4
Greetings,

JNOS 2.0 is now able to use MultiPSK (by F6CTE) as a digital modem.

* It does this by connecting to it over tcp/ip.

For complete details and instructions, visit the link below :

   http://www.langelaar.net/projects/jnos2/multipsk

This is a prototype - expect bugs. Feedback is more than welcome.

Looking for people to test it. Please let me know how it goes.

Maiko Langelaar / VE4KLM

* http://www.langelaar.net




[digitalradio] Re: ALE musings

2009-03-04 Thread jhaynesatalumni
Rats!  I just hit the wrong key and sent an unintended
message.  Wish I could delete it.  And before that I had
written a lengthy comment which Yahoo seems to have lost.
So I'll try again.

Seems like there are several aspects to ALE

One is the notion of going through a list of frequencies in hopes
of finding one that works for the station(s) you are trying to
contact.

Another is the set of MIL STD modems, codecs, and protocols that
implement the system as we know it.

Now the frequency jumping part is something we could call "HF
Radio for Dummies" and I don't mean Dummies as a pejorative but
rather in the sense that has sold all those yellow books.  It
means you can get right to the point of communicating without
first having to learn a lot of arcane stuff about propagation
modes and times and seasons.  And even the experts are sometimes
fooled by propagation, so ALE may succeed at times when the experts
tell you it could not.

As for the MIL STD part, it's good that these things are being
standardized, and we know the military spares no expense in search
of the best communication technology.  Still, I wonder if these
modems and codecs and protocols are necessarily the best for the
amateur service, considering the legal restrictions we operate
under, the kinds of equipment we have to use, and the operating
conditions we encounter.  (Rhetorical question: Separate the
frequency scanning from the modem/codec.  What if we had
a system that could scan through a list of frequencies but used
PSK instead of the MIL STD modem/codec?)

Another aspect is the use of ALE as a communication medium in
its own right versus the use of ALE to find a usable channel
for further communication in some other mode.  Speaking only
for myself, I'm a keyboard mode operator so I don't get excited
about using ALE to initiate a contact that will be continued
in SSB voice.  And I can't see myself using ALE to establish
a contact and then saying, "let's QSY to such-and-such a
frequency and continue in PSK63."

Finally, it seems ALE is best suited to establishing communication
with a particular station, or with a group of stations having 
a common interest.  This probably affects the number of hams
who are interested in trying it.  I used to keep a weekly sked
with a friend; ALE might have been helpful to us in finding 
the best frequency to use on any given evening.  Back in the late
1950s I was in a RTTY roundtable of friends practically every
night.  ALE would probably not have been helpful then.  Some hams
chase DX, some contest, some are interested in emergency
services, some do it all.  ALE serves some of these operating
styles and not others.




Re: [digitalradio] Pactor scanning ?

2009-03-04 Thread John Becker, WØJAB
Posted on the pactor_packet list as well as direct to you.

John



Re: [digitalradio] Pactor scanning ?

2009-03-04 Thread W6IDS

Hey, John...

I think it was you that sent me a list of frequencies.  I lost them.  I've 
been working to
make Windows Live Mail dedicated for Winlink/PacklinkW and had a little 
operator
error in keeping it off the internet.  So, it picked up your messages and 
when I removed
the account for incom...@verizon.net, I killed a string of messages in the 
IN BOX.

Yours was one of them I believe.

Howard W6IDS



[digitalradio] Re: ALE musings

2009-03-04 Thread jhaynesatalumni
--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "expeditionradio"  
wrote:
>
> > Andy K3UK wrote:  
> > Bonnie,  I have no doubts about automatic 
> > link establishment.  It seems like a most 
> > logical method of establishing communications.  
> > I added the rather provocative end to my 
> > earlier post because I am not sure WHY ALE, 
> > in its present amateur radio configuration, 
> > is needed .  
> 
> Perhaps the best answer to your question may 
> be in the form of questions for you: 
> Why is "CQ Contest" needed?
> Why is "You are 5-9" needed?
> Why is a repeater needed?
> Why is a weekly net needed?
> 
> The purpose is similar. 
> 
> Bonnie KQ6XA
>




[digitalradio] Re: Some More Thoughts On WINMOR and Winlink

2009-03-04 Thread Dave Bernstein
None of those 1500 QSOs were made with ALE, Skip. Most of them were made within 
a 2-week interval.

 73,

 Dave, AA6YQ


--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "kh6ty"  wrote:
>
> > I made more than 1500 QSOs last month. --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, 
> > "expeditionradio"  wrote:
> 
> 50 QSO's per day, for each of 30 days? 
> 
> Is there a daily ALE contest going on we do not know about?
> 
> Wow! That is just unbelievable!
> 
> At a mere 10 minutes per "QSO", that is 500 minutes, or 8 hours of continuous 
> operating, every day of the month. Sounds like you could qualify for DXCC in 
> a week, or WAS in just a couple of days.
> 
> How about posting your log for everyone to marvel at...
> 
> 73, Skip KH6TY
>




[digitalradio] Re: ALE musings

2009-03-04 Thread expeditionradio
> Andy K3UK wrote:  
> Bonnie,  I have no doubts about automatic 
> link establishment.  It seems like a most 
> logical method of establishing communications.  
> I added the rather provocative end to my 
> earlier post because I am not sure WHY ALE, 
> in its present amateur radio configuration, 
> is needed .  

Perhaps the best answer to your question may 
be in the form of questions for you: 
Why is "CQ Contest" needed?
Why is "You are 5-9" needed?
Why is a repeater needed?
Why is a weekly net needed?

The purpose is similar. 

Bonnie KQ6XA



Re: [digitalradio] Re: Some More Thoughts On WINMOR and Winlink

2009-03-04 Thread Rick W
I concur with Graham on this. As a long time digital operator since I 
got back into ham radio in 1980 (first licensed in 1963), I quickly 
gravitated to HF and VHF RTTY (before VHF packet). I was one of the 
earliest adopters of Amtor and later Clover II for a short time. Because 
of my disastrous experience with the inferior HAL P-38 not possible to 
use in a practical manner with their P-mode (what they preferred to call 
Pactor), I was forced to abandon HF digital for a number of years until 
sound card modes ... changed everything.

But I do miss the connected modes. Even though Amtor was pretty good, it 
was not very fast for messaging, and if the mode got close to failure 
due to low SNR, it would begin to pass false characters. Pactor and 
Clover II did not do this.

Piccolo and other similar systems used by government/commercial users is 
effectively what we now have with some of our current IFK sound card 
modes and they greatly outperform Amtor and probably Pactor in terms of 
weak signal capabilities. This may be especially true with higher levels 
of ISI and Doppler that may make Pactor inoperative, maybe even true for 
Pactor 2 and Pactor 3, but I have not seen any data on that.

As I have said elsewhere, no current sound card connected mode can 
perform at the level of FAE400 from what I have found. Both messaging 
and keyboarding is all ARQ. It also includes memory ARQ which can get 
some frames through like is done in Pactor modes. But there just does 
not seem to be much interest in having this capability.

The WINMOR protocol has the potential for messaging, keyboarding, and 
e-mail ... and has significant adaptive ability for varying conditions. 
No one has indicated that they would be willing to do this yet, but I am 
hopeful that there will be at least one ham who has the interest and 
ability to carry this out. In the meantime, I am hopeful that it will 
work quite well for the e-mail part.

73,

Rick, KV9U





Graham wrote:
> ... the  pk232 with  amtor and pactor came as breath of fresh air, and hf 
> packet in the middle  of the  sun spots on 10 mtrs was something else , but  
> `we' seem to  be  loosing foreword momentum as that's  was in the  mid 1980's 
> ! 
>
> Yes data rates have slowed , yes data is lost due to  noise and qsb and yes 
> you  can make a guess at the  `missing bits ` but  somehow it was nice to  
> know that spelling mistakes you  made where reproduced at the other end  and 
> the odd place names actually where  printing  correctly. But looking at the 
> advances in data processing and digital audio processing, it tantalising to  
> think that you  could achieve error free live communications at or below the  
> noise level. It was established well back, that the  picalo multi tone  
> diplomatic  links out performed the  sitor 2  tone arq system, but the  arq 
> function was retained and resulted in longer traffic `windows' , The winmor 
> system looks like `missing link' multi tone and arq …. A quantum leap .. ? 
>
>   





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[digitalradio] Re: Some More Thoughts On WINMOR and Winlink

2009-03-04 Thread hteller
> I made more than 1500 QSOs last month. --- In 
> digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "expeditionradio"  
> wrote:

I forgot to mention that once when I was young and single, I  was a victim 
of an alien abduction...

Fortunately, it was a female alien!

That is something one never forgets! ;-)

73, Skip KH6TY 



Re: [digitalradio] Re: Some More Thoughts On WINMOR and Winlink

2009-03-04 Thread Rick W
In the grand scheme of things, the old MIL-STD-188-141A form that we can 
legally use is very rare other than one group that sends out HF beacons. 
I had hoped at one time that we could use this for public 
service/emergency use but being one of the very few hams worldwide who 
actually tried to use the system, was actually attacked because I had a 
lot of difficulty trying to get it to work. I was actually criticized 
for being stupid, not really wanting it to work, etc. I was appalled at 
this behavior as many others were and it has insured even less interest 
by many of us.

One individual claimed huge numbers of hams using the system but it 
proved to be completely false. I pointed out that I monitored their web 
site that displays world wide connections and found that over several 
days, other than the beacon stations, I was actually one of the most 
active, if not the only other station using it for messaging!

Their solution was to completely block me from even accessing the web 
site so that those of us who can answer your question, are kept from 
doing so. Needless to say, when you do this to your friends, you don't 
need enemies.

The truth is that the older ALE technology from the 1970's is not going 
to be used by hams. I have since asked many hams about this and the 
response was extremely negative and parallels some of my experiences.

Having said that, the more modern "ALE" modes, such as MIL-STD-188-110A 
are not legal for U.S. hams on HF so they are going nowheres. Even if 
they were legal, testing by hams in other countries indicate that 
signals have to be very good for this to work, especially with sound 
card techniques which currently do not have the robust signal capability 
at the slowest 75 bps speed.

As you point out, if there really was an significant use, it would be 
very apparent to those of us who monitor the HF bands everyday. What is 
clear, is that most hams don't do digital, but for the few that do, it 
is mostly PSK31 and RTTY, with an occasional Olivia, MFSK16, or other 
mode that they might be testing. When a new mode is developed, there may 
be a flurry of activity for a few days or weeks, but unless it is 
superior to what we already have, and few have been, then you may not 
hear much about the mode after that.

Right now the best chat and messaging mode that I have used is FAE400 
which is a narrower and slower version of MIL-STD-188-141A. This is the 
only currently available sound card mode that works fairly well into the 
noise, can provide both chat and messaging ARQ error free connections. 
But there are few who use it.

73,

Rick, KV9U


Dave Bernstein wrote:
>
>   
 I wonder what fraction of amateur radio QSOs are initiated and sustained 
 with ALE. Anyone know how many amateur QSOs are typically initiated each 
 month? Anyone know how many amateur QSOs are typicaly initiated with ALE 
 each month?
 
>
> 73,
>
> Dave, AA6YQ
>
>
>   



Re: [digitalradio] Re: Some More Thoughts On WINMOR and Winlink

2009-03-04 Thread kh6ty
> I made more than 1500 QSOs last month. --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, 
> "expeditionradio"  wrote:

50 QSO's per day, for each of 30 days? 

Is there a daily ALE contest going on we do not know about?

Wow! That is just unbelievable!

At a mere 10 minutes per "QSO", that is 500 minutes, or 8 hours of continuous 
operating, every day of the month. Sounds like you could qualify for DXCC in a 
week, or WAS in just a couple of days.

How about posting your log for everyone to marvel at...

73, Skip KH6TY




[digitalradio] Re: Some More Thoughts On WINMOR and Winlink

2009-03-04 Thread Dave Bernstein
Please explain how "trying it" would reveal how many amateur QSOs are typically 
made each month.

73,

 Dave, AA6YQ



I made more than 1500 QSOs last month. --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, 
"expeditionradio"  wrote:
>
> > Dave, AA6YQ wrote: 
> > Anyone know how many amateur QSOs are typically 
> > initiated each month? 
> 
> Why not try it and see?
> 
> 73 Bonnie KQ6XA
>