[digitalradio] 40M PSK Activity on 7035
Hello All, I have been active from 1000Z to 1300Z most evenings on bpsk31 at 7035 USB +1500 Hz or so (and sometimes on 7070). The band opens to West Coast USA earlier in the evening and then to East Coast later and often Japan very late. Hope to catch some people from this list there - I would love to give you a new country on 40m PSK. Some of us are having a lot of fun with the DX on 40 - it is great for people like myself who find it hard to make time to operate on 20m during daylight hours. 73 de Brett VK2TMG -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net [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] DX lives
Hi Andrew, I get on 40m PSK31 on 7035 or 7070 most weekends Sat/Sun night local time - and just about every contact is DX. The keyboard modes like PSK31 are a lot of fun when the bands are open and Ops are about. I record my contacts into a DX Cluster so as to help stir up activity - I telnet directly into one that seems to feed into most of the common DX lookup engines and I always add PSK into the 'info' field. At least this way we can advertise what mode we are using and where to find us - which can be very difficult to work out for the newcomers. I hope to catch you on the air. 73 de Brett VK2TMG On 9/16/06, Andrew O'Brien <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Nice to see UN9M on 20M PSK today and also Thailand on 20M RTTY, the > bands do have digital DX ! > > GE dr. my friend. > Thanks you for answer/Call > Your³ST: 599, 599. QRM QRy > Op. JOSEPH, KOSEPHs > QTH: Uralsk, Uralsk, > Kazakhstan, Loc. LO51PF. > EURi=,AN PSK CLUB # 168 > How copy? BTU. > > -- > Andy K3UK > Skype Me : callto://andyobrien73 > www.obriensweb.com > www.myspace.com/k3uk > > -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net [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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> 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] Don't hear much clamor about, Chirp, DominoEx, MFSK16 anymore!
It seems apparent that the narrow-bandwidth modes that are very visible on the waterfall such as PSK31 and CW are the modes that people use - mainly because they are easy to find visually. Designers of new modes should keep this in mind. Also to be kept in mind is the approx 2.4 KHz SSB filter bandwidth which must be shared amongst those using the mode - so reducing bandwidth increases the number of ops who can simultaneously work within the same slice of bandwdth. I would like to see a very narrow FEC PSK mode which could be used when condx are very tough. Better to get something through slowly than not at all. The only truly universal digi frequency that I have found so far is the 14070 USB PSK31 ops. I have been experimenting with CW reading programs - cwget mainly. At times it can get quite good copy, especially with good sending. It would be interesting to use CW as the underlying modulation scheme and then use a Digipan style multiple automatic decode function on receive and a point-and-send transmit interface where the computer creates the correct tones to place the CW signal in the correct place to match receive, as well as generating precisely timed cw. I actually did some research on this and found the scheme initally was called Coherent CW and eventaully led to the development of BPSK31. Then I could work digital and CW at the same time. This would allow backwards compatibilty where those without computers for receive could still participate. Is there such a program available? MixW apparently can decode six CW signals at a time, but it costs $$$ - and I don't know if it allows for generating CW via ssb tones. I have had only one Olivia contact - and that was arranged on PSK31. It did work well, but was slow. It sounds nice on the air. 73 de Brett -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net [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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> 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: digital modes and THE RADIO
I have noticed that my tx power varies depending upon where I am in the passband. As my radio most likely uses the same crystal filter for tx ssb generation as it does for RX filtering then one can in a way map the response of the filter. My radio is an Alinco DX-77, and I get maximum output at about 1800 Hz. Having mapped my filter on TX, I suspect that my filter response is not the steep sided flat-topped filter response as described in books, but rather is more of a bell shape. Has anyone else noticed a variation in power output across the waterfall? 73 de Brett -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net [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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> 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: RTTY Hall of Shame
Anthony, Is a 1KHz guard band really required? At 22 WPM, these beacons are not very wide bandwidth-wise, something like 88 Hz. So, if you were operating at 14100.4 you were not really interfering - as if they ran a very narrow filter they would be able to hear the CW beacons with no QRM from you. Surely, in this day of continuous variable filters we should be able to work side-by-side without causing interference to each other. Just because you land in someone's pass-band does not make you an interfering signal - it is the other guy's problem with the wide-open radio. The way that PSK31 ops can work with dozens of signals within a 3KHz bandwidth proves this. I am amazed at the number of times I will be working PSK in a digital band-plan segment and a SSB phone signal will appear. Does one move or stay put? I tend to think of it from my communications perspective - I move as far from them as I can so as to make RX easier for me and hopefully also for the station I am trying to work. I get a lot of OHR (over the horizon radar) qrm here on 40m and 80m at night. Does one move when this appears? I find that if I keep transmitting it tends to move on. I use this strategy as I did some research on the net which showed that the OHR ops use automated systems to find quiet pieces of bandwidth in which to work - if you keep transmitting through the QRM then somewhere else looks more quiet and so they move on. In the end, band plans are just Gentlemen's agreements. You can violate them however you want - but then you have to expect that some gentlemen will not want to know you anymore. Everybody has to find their own balance of minimising interference whilst at the same time not being pushed around by others - whether those others be jammers, other legitimate ops within the band plan, ops outside of the band plan, ops who are inside the band plan within their region but outside within yours, broadcasters, OHR or bandplan police. As for QRMing someone who is operating in the wrong place - that is not nice behaviour, and certainly not in the spirit of Amateur radio. You would think that people have better things to do - like making contacts of their own. 73 de Brett VK2TMG On 9/27/06, arswm3t <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com , > "expeditionradio" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > RTTY Hall of Shame > > > > Here is a list of some of the RTTY operators transmitting > > on the international IARU beacon frequency 14100.0kHz today. > > > > 73---Bonnie KQ6XA > > > > Saturday 23 SEP 2006 > > > > WM3T/4 (repeat offender) > > I was on 14.100.4 from 2005-2341z Saturday. Had I known/remembered > about this beacon stuff, I would have been on a different frequency. > What bothers me about this whole thing of the "Hall of Shame" is the > public forum that it posted in. A simple email to me Saturday would > have been suffice to get me to move, not the deliberate QRM'ing and > trying to tell me something from the other side of the country when I > am beaming to EU, because I simply ignored it. My email address is > not a secret, it's on my QRZ profile! Also, how can you be a "repeat > offender" per the list when I was there for 3.5 hours, wouldn't that > be considered one offense, technically? > > I have been doing some thinking about this over the last couple of > days and have come to a couple conclusions: > > 1.) The beacon network is important, and I will be considerate of it > in the future by not transmitting from 14099.4 to 14100.6. > 2.) People take this hobby WAY too seriously. It is a HOBBY and you > should be considerate of other people, bash them to their face > (direct email) instead in a public forum! > 3.) If I was causing interference to the beacons, what is the > justification for sending RTTY to me for 1/2 hour trying to get me to > move? (I would love an answer to that one.) Were they not causing > just as much interference by calling me from a different geographical > region? > 4.) Again, how did the arbitrary 17 stations get listed and why was > I listed first? > > I guess life has one thing on us, we never see it coming... > > 73 de > Anthony, WM3T > > > -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net [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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <
Re: [digitalradio] New digital mode proposal for CW transceivers
Vojtech,Using fldigi on linux you can send CW via either your key line or via the sound card. Apparently the problem with using the sound card is possible poor opposite sideband suppression with filtering SSB generation schemes, which can result in a CW signal on the opposite sideband. I am using the key line - it is amazing to see the computer key the CW, and having macros allows for a great reduction in the amount of typing. I experimented with CW receive with fldigi and got good results with strong signals once the speed was around 15 wpm. Running at slower speeds the decoder appeared to lose sync. Farnsworth mode seems to make it worse as well. In my research, I found a field of study called CCW (Coherent CW). This was typically 12 wpm cw that had a special starting pattern and also an idle pattern. No doubt 12 wpm was some sort of magic number that they found worked the best. Then further reseach led me to find that CCW eventually mutated into PSK31. I am still working on my aural CW reception capabilities - and using the computer still feels like cheating, especially for sending.73 de Brett VK2TMG __._,_.___ 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) SPONSORED LINKS Ham radio Ham radio antenna Ham radio store Digital voice Digital voice recorder mp3 Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe __,_._,___
Re: [digitalradio] Poor Excuse for FCC Staff Re: Part of the problem
Hello All, I've been watching this FCC discussion for some time regarding your rule changes. It would seem that, like it or not, that these changes are coming. And what can you all expect - the ARRL and others have been feeding ideas into a huge government bureaucracy for some time and like all organisations of this type eventually they may get organised and assign a budget and project team and start changing things and adding to the mess. Because that is how big bureaucracies work - they listen to complaints/suggestions and then react. So, a minority interest can gain control if it is vocal enough - even if it is not representative of the whole. If enough of you write letters (the paper sort - not email) then you can sort this out. But propose removal of legislation, not adding to or modifying it - as they will just get it wrong again. You really don't need the government deciding your bandplan for you - do you? The thing is, they are doing what has been suggested. Your ARRL, rather than trying to push the one item which would really enhance ham radio ie the removal of the morse requirement for HF operation, has instead put on the agenda an increase in the rules, not a reduction. It would appear from my viewpoint that the ARRL represents the views of phone SSB HF operators and is using the system to further their own interests (for which CW is not a mode that they use but was something that they got tested on to get active on HF - so why shouldn't everyone else have to endure the same rigors they think). And the FCC thinks that is acting on what is most important for the Amateur community - as it is just working through the list of suggestions presented to it. The fact that the most important item is missing does not matter. Now, I don't want to get into the Code/No-code fight. Here in Australia I was lucky enough that when the code requirement was dropped my Limited license (basically all bands and modes full power 6m and up) turned into an Advanced license - the same as your Extra pretty much. This allowed me to get active on HF and surprise, since then I have been active on SSB, PSK, RTTY and CW. When the removal was proposed our fcc equivalent here - the ACMA - actually wrote to all licensed amateurs and asked them to comment. You can be sure that I wrote a long detailed letter encouraging the change. Lobby away people. That is the way of change in this world in which we live. Give the pen-pushers something to do and send them your list of what you would like to see changed. 73 de Brett VK2TMG -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] MFSK beacon
Alves, That is a shame, as I, like many, are monitoring your progress. Have you considered running an omni antenna and increasing output power - then you will not be limiting yourself to listeners in some particular direction, whilst still keeping radiated power in any direction the same, thus preserving the validity of your experiment. 73 de Brett VK2TMG On 11/23/06, Alves <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Well, I'm getting out of this list, nobody seems to be interested by my experiments. Ciao, F4EOB. -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] MFSK 16 Beacon
HI Alves, I am listening for you here in VK. I have my radio on 14.293 USB with an indicated waterfall frequency of 1000 hz - so hopefully that is where you are putting your RF. Software is fldigi 1.01 (now out of beta) in mfsk16 mode. I don't have windows on my hf computer so can't run any of these RS ID things unfortunately. What is the nature of the beacon - is it continuous or on a timer? Perhaps if you can beam towards VK early morning your time we might be able to find an illuminated 20m path. 73 es best of luck with it de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] New Year Digital Contest: IDEAS ???
Andrew, Your exchange format sounds great - and easy to score just by examing the logs. As for mode, do you take the stance of using the mode that everyone is farmiliar with and has software for - which is rtty or psk31 - or do we go for the slowest, most FEC, most DXish mode? I think that going one way or the other would be good, and would result in the greatest number of contacts. We just have to ensure that if we go the slow/fec route that software is available for the majority of users. I personally can't operate my station for long periods of time as I have work and family committments. But I normally can get in a few hours each evening after about 20:00 local. I normally miss 20m by then and end up on 40m in the VK digital allocation of 7030 - 7040, normally at 7035 USB indicated on the radio. 40m is good here in the evenings as I can catch the grey line to the US. What bands do you propose - it would be good if we had some defined dial frequencies? 73 de Brett VK2TMG On 11/25/06, Andrew O'Brien <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Any interest in a digital contest held on New Year's Day? Here's the idea Stations work as many other stations as possible. Exchange is your LOCAL TIME , local date. and name of your local time zone. Points 10 points for any QSO ivolving two years (one station is in 2006 and the otehr station is in 2007, local date). 2 points per QSO between stations in the same year. For a QSO to be valid , the local date must be either 31/12/06 or 1/1/07. Modes: PSK63, MFSK16, Olivia, Domino Ex. Or maybe just one mode? Please takes the above idea and critique it, input welcome. Will refine after feedback is received Andy K3UK. -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] Linux versis Windows: Let the debate begin!!
John, I run one of each in my shack - Windows XP for VHF APRS AGWPE/UI-View and Linux for HF fldigi. That way I get to run the best-of-breed software on each, and get to make use of my available sound cards and serial ports. The linux box is very quiet RF-wise on HF. I install my debian systems from a Knoppix live cd (use 3.9 - it is good) and then update the machine over my ADSL - I can have a box built and fully patched in about an hour - at which time it is ready for years of service with virtually zero maintenance. I think Harv's hamshack is based on knoppix - I expect that a hard disk install of that would be possible also. I am a believer in the philosophy of doing the simplest thing that will work. Sometimes, Windows is the simplest thing - and sometimes it is linux. Why not have both? Hook them all up with Ethernet and Wifi and you can have a home network that puts most small-business computer systems to shame. hi hi. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] CW decoder
The first thing you need to do is to learn the characters by ear. You just need lots of repetitions and lots of drilling. Have a look here http://c2.com/morse/ - it is good stuff. Once you know the characters find a HF or VHF morse beacon somewhere (3699 East-coast Australia, w1aw in the USA) and listen to it when you are in your shack. Letters and words will pop out if you listen. I have been learning for about a year now and have made a number of contacts and now enjoy listening to CW. You can practise sending by sounding out car numberplates in your head - just say dah and dit in your head and you are sending! I have even caught myself sending in my head when stuck in lines, meetings etc. You can get a straight key later, or use a keyer or keyboard. I use a bencher paddle with an MFJ keyer mostly, as I find the straight key very tiring. CWget is a morse decoder. I tried it, and it works about 95% on very strong clean signals. But, it won't help you learn the code. Maybe you could use it as an aid for on-air contacts. fldigi, a linux Digital mode program, has extensive CW send and receive capabilities - I just have not been able to find anyone willing to run high speed keyboard CW. It's on-air copy seems as good as CWget. Best luck with it es 73 de Brett VK2TMG On 11/29/06, REAL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I have started using a new program and It doesnt like me very much. I am trying to learn code and have started using this CWget. Can anyone help? -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
[digitalradio] best mode to use for weak signal HF work and other mode discussions
All, I find that I normally use PSK31 - as that is what most other stations use and is popular. But, I see a lot of stations that I cannot work - yet I can see their trace on the waterfall. Often, they are responding to my CQ and they just don't make it. Why do people respond to a 2 * 3 call with a 1*1 or 1*2 call? There seems to be a strategy for psk31 mode that involves sending information multiple times - like a poor man's FEC. I expect that is why they know who I am - from listening to my 2 * 3 call. The thing is - is there a mode that if I can see them on the waterfall then I can work them? I see no reason why we can't just go narrower/slower/more FEC and go right down into the noise. And why not have it be adaptive - and be able to become faster and wider if conditions are good - and even have a feature of being able to set a max bandwidth for those who may be constrained or for where a number of stations are sharing a 2.4KHz segment? Things I like about PSK31: - easy to tune with start bars, idle bars and ending tail (sorry, my naming scheme here) - narrow bandwidth - popular Things I dislike: - lack of RX sensitivity at times - errors at low SN Features that would be nice: - reliable, verified delivery - ability to use as part of a 'stack' so as to use for APRS or TCP/IP or file transfer or ALE or sounding or whatever - easy tuning - highly adaptive under trying conditions - be basis of keyboard mode DX mode - Open Source Please - I would like your opinions on this. Perhaps one of the current modes could be adapted - or am I trying to re-invent the wheel? What is the best that is out there currently and can we make use of it? In an ideal world what would be the theoretical best that we could aim for? I understand that with Turbo codes that it is possible to come very close to theoretical limits - are amateur protocols using such techniques? Having done some reading about DominoEX there appears to be various workarounds which may be required in order to make a mode practical - like being able to work around a carrier on the frequency. 73 de Brett VK2TMG -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Linux versis Windows: Let the debate begin!!
HF setup I run an Alinco DX-77 with a homebrew interface. KVM cables and old scsi cables make for great shielded wiring. It's all a bit basic with TX keying hanging off the back of DB9s plug etc - but it works. Computer is 2.2 GHz P4 with Debian installed from a Knoppix CD, and then updated over the Internet. 20m antenna is a dipole with coax balun, and 160-40m is an inverted L through a manual ATU situated at the feedpoint to the shack. I build all of my antenna and interfaces but typically buy radios new - less headaches that way. Primary software is fldigi alpha versions. For VHF APRS (VK2TMG-1) I run an ebay special FDC FD-150A HT to a 1/4 wave groundplane, and also an FT-2800M to a copper jpole for local repeater use. This is connected to a 1GHz P3 Windows XP box running AGWPE and UI-View. On my motorcycle (VK2TMG-10) I run an APRS tracker comprising 1/4 wave groundplane, Opentracker and Tait 2020 on 2m - all re-programmed/constructed by myself. Internet setup comprises ADSL router, IPCOP (Linux-based 166 MHz P2) firewall, primary lisp.homeunix.net (Linux Mandrake install) 500 MHz P2 server, Wifi AP, 2 switches, XYL computer (XP) and laptop (Win 2k). If electricity ever get's real expensive I will have to shut some of it down hi hi. 73 de Brett VK2TMG -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] cw
Here in VK interest in CW has been increasing one we no-coders got HF privileges. The code practice beacons are an invaluable resource for those learning. On-air code practice sessions take place and have increasing number of participants, including those who did not require the code to get on HF - I often participate and check-in after the session. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Establishing digital calling/beacon frequencies ?
Andrew, 14073 sounds good but 7073 and 3573 are up in the heavy use SSB phone portion of the band here in VK - plus our bandplan puts digital mode on 80m on 3620 - 3640, which I understand is outside of your allocation. Our bandplan is 3620 - 3640 digital, 7030-7040 digital and 14070-14080 digital. Now, I don't see any QRM problems with 40m with your suggestion - especially at night when the band goes long, but 3575 LSB gets a bit of use and that clashes with 3573. Nonetheless, your proposal is legal for VK ops and there is nothing to stop us operating if we get in first and don't QRM anyone. I like the idea of camping on 14073 plus 1000 Hz and using that as a meeting point. I have enabled my fldigi waterfall ID and am transmitting Olivia there now. I'd give 7073 a try except my 40m antenna runs too close to my TV antenna and interferes with the XYL's TV hi hi. So 40m is a late night affair. I am seeing some MFSK16 activity now on 14071 + 1735 Hz UN7QN de HB9EBV/P - I worked Toni in Basel only a few days ago on MFSK16. I know that **73 has a nice ring to it but maybe pushing down to **72 would get us on more 20m waterfalls? I have been getting some good late night openings on 20m lately so I'll just put some calls when I am in the shack using Olivia as you have suggested. Hope to catch someone on the air! 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Establishing digital calling/beacon frequencies ?
Yes, I agree. The frequency would be where we were putting our RF energy - not what the dial on our radio said - and the maths that we do to get the energy at that particular frequency is our own business. For instance if I normally sit with the radio at 14070 USB and transmit at +1800Hz then we could just call that 14071.8 - that is what I do in my logbook anyway. That is how the CW folks do it - they transmit a carrier on a frequency and how you choose to receive it (which sideband) is up to the receiver. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Re: GRUMBLE
I find that some ops use upper case for callsigns and the first letter of names and lower case for the rest. I also upper case CQ, prosigns etc. That provides for a good tradeoff between speed and readability. Converting all to lower case is reducing the information content of the transmission. 73 Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] CW software?
Robert, fldigi on linux does CW and in my tests received as well as cwget. It allows for AFSK and hardline keying via the key input on your radio. There was a bug with hardline keying in the older alpha versions so it is best to run the latest code from w1hkj.com. Of course, full source code is available, and there is an active user and support base. It seems to receive best with machine generated code at > 10wpm. Like most programs it seems to lose sync with slower or farnsworth code - I think it would be a lot of fun with digital ops at each end at 20 wpm or so running QRO hardline keying. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Announcement: 14078.4 20M Calling Frequency
Andy, I am calling CQ on 14078.4 there now using Olivia, MFSK16 or FeldHell - primarily with Olivia. Time now is 821z. I have enabled my waterfall ID in fldigi. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
[digitalradio] CQ 30m 10142 MFSK16
I am transmiting and listening 2357z 73, Brett -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] Regional communications ?
Hi Andy, I use 80m for a regular phone SSB sked with a ham 190 miles away. 80m is quite reliable at night apart from static crashes and a generally high noise level. We had a recent night where phone QSOs were just about impossible with high QRN so we did some RTTY tests. I transmitted at various power levels 10 - 50 watts and my friend received on his Icom 756 pro II - and copy was extremely good at all power levels - so I expect that digital operations over that same path would work very well using just about any mode. My 80m antenna is an inverted-L 40m in length with an ATU running against a ground system - it is only about a 1/4 wave high so is NVIS by default. 73, Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Digital havoc with devices in car
Hi Chuck, The attachment worked ok here for me. The sound seems to be saying 'trial' in a female voice. It sounds like a piece of applications software or your driver is doing this. Have you tried killing off processes using task manager to see if you can isolate what is causing it? 73, Brett -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] Re : Regional Communications
I have made a couple of VK east coast ssb phone contacts on 30m but no digital contacts yet. I have been trying mfsk16 at the recommended frequency of 10142 - I even put some spots in the dx cluster when I was calling. The band is very quiet with very little activity here. It is strange, as one would think that if 20m is open that 30m would be open as well - or would have been open a bit earlier in the day with it's lower MUF. 20m seems to open up here around 1600 local time and stays open for a few hours for VK/ZL contacts. During the solar peak a few weeks ago I made some good contacts on 20m - including a number of HB (Switzerland) on MFSK16. The solar flux is very low currently - it looks like early in the new year we might get some higher numbers and some better propagation - things should heat up when it gets around 100: http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/45DF.txt 45-DAY F10.7 CM FLUX FORECAST 28DEC06 075 29DEC06 075 30DEC06 080 31DEC06 085 01JAN07 090 02JAN07 095 03JAN07 095 04JAN07 100 05JAN07 100 06JAN07 100 07JAN07 100 08JAN07 100 09JAN07 095 10JAN07 095 11JAN07 090 12JAN07 090 13JAN07 085 14JAN07 080 15JAN07 075 16JAN07 075 17JAN07 075 18JAN07 075 19JAN07 075 20JAN07 075 21JAN07 075 22JAN07 075 23JAN07 075 24JAN07 075 25JAN07 075 26JAN07 080 27JAN07 085 28JAN07 090 29JAN07 095 30JAN07 100 31JAN07 100 01FEB07 100 02FEB07 100 03FEB07 100 04FEB07 100 05FEB07 095 06FEB07 095 07FEB07 090 08FEB07 090 09FEB07 085 10FEB07 080 73 Brett -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] Re: 30M OLIVIA (procedure suggestion)
I am transmitting olivia 1000/32 on 10142 at 228z -- === Brett Rees VK2TMG http://lisp.homeunix.net
Re: [digitalradio] External Hard drives
Another solution is to boot the machine via CD using a knoppix CD or knoppix-based ham distribution like Harv's Hamshack. You can have it automatically mount a home directory off a usb key or off a file on the windows disk. That way you get linux, and zero or a very minimal footprint on the laptop - as well as persistence of any config, logs etc. This works with desktop machines as well - as long as you can boot them from a CD. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Announcing : Annual Digitalradio Awards 2006.
Cecil, Thanks for the pointer to the Softrock txrx kit - it looks like a lot of fun for not many dollars. A question for you - is mounting the surface mount components do-able for the average ham with no special surface mount gear? Tnx es 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Best 40KHz for PSK & SSB QRP on 40 & 80M?
I have found most activity between 7035 and 7075 - this includes the recommended calling frequencies as used by this group for both region 1 and region 3. That would be the 40 KHz slice that I would choose. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Re: New to PSK31 - advice please ??
Adrian, Old computer scsi cables or cable cut off vga monitors works well and will give you many more nicely shielded pairs than you will ever need for any hookup. Differential SCSI cables come in lengths up to 20 feet or so. With vga cables there is normally a bare ground wire mixed in with the various cable outers which I ground at the PC end. I don't use an isolation transformer and no rf problems so far. Of course, if you have RF in your shack that will not help things. This could happen if you are using the tuner in your rig and have a high SWR after the radio - in which case you could have high currents on your feedline in the shack (no doubt my technical description is bad - but I hope you get the idea). Running coax to a tuner at the feedpoint to the shack will help in reducing this issue. Also, do you have your speech compressor switched off? Also, you may be running your radio too hard at the low power setting. Does it work better if you run it at full power but thottle back the drive? Best of luck with it. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
[digitalradio] how to make rig control cable for Alinco DX-77?
Hello All, I have resisted getting rig control of my radio working for some time now - mainly because I have not been able to work out how to make the cable. It appears to be a 3.5 mm stereo plug at the radio end I think - and I am not sure if I need some sort of rs232 level converter or suchlike. The manual and service manual don't tell me much - I looked at the circuit diagram and could not even find the serial port on there! Has anyone on the list made a cable for computer control of a dx-77 or dx-70? I have seen such a cable advertised on ebay by a UK seller but the shipped cost was going to be quite high. The aim is to get hamlib or suchlike working - and then to get accurate frequency details logged in xlog. 73 es tnx de Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Multi Hop NVIS Propagation Delay Interference Re: PSK Modes
Hi David, I did some experiments with VK2ZEN in Newcastle - 194km distance by GPS. We tried machine reception of CW, RTTY, PSK31 and MFSK16. There was a lot of QRN. MFSK16 provided 100% copy down to about 10 watts, with RTTY and PSK31 requiring about 30 watts for 100% copy. CW was woeful - about 30% machine copy (I think we were running it too slow to get good sync). This was on 80m at about 2300 local. I would think from my experiments that running MFSK16 at reasonable power (say 50W for a 100W rig) would provide for quite reliable communications using NVIS. 73, Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Re: Digital software, 2 rigs and one PC?
I lost my main ham hard disk and am rebuilding my machine using Vmware Server - which is available for free. I have Ubuntu 6.06 LTS ( which is supported by vmware) desktop running on the raw hardware, and have installed Ubuntu 6.06 LTS server on top of that - and am running my LAMP web server there. Next, the plan is to bring up a ham virtual server and get the audio and serial ports connected through. If successful then great - otherwise I will run the ham software on the raw dekstop box. The raw hardware is a 1GB ram P4 2.2GHz. It will be interesting to see if it works for digital modes. We are moving to vmware where I work so it is good to be learning this virtualization technology. 73, Brett VK2TMG
Re: [digitalradio] Computers that operate on 12 vdc
I had an old HP Omnibook 133 MHz (I think it was a model 800) machine that ran just fine on 12V. I ran it from a 2.5A 12V power supply, but could never get the sound to work ok. 73 de Brett VK2TMG
