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North Shore Radio Club What’s New in Digital Modes November 12, 2013

North Shore Radio Club What’s New in Digital Modes November 12, 2013. Warren Pugh, KC9IL Mark Klocksin , WA9IVH Dave Hewitt, N3BXY. Agenda. Digital mode basics HF update VHF/UHF update Q & A Demonstration FreeDV > HF digital voice JT-9 > weak signal mode for HF/VHF/UHF.

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North Shore Radio Club What’s New in Digital Modes November 12, 2013

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  1. North Shore Radio ClubWhat’s New in Digital ModesNovember 12, 2013 Warren Pugh, KC9IL Mark Klocksin, WA9IVH Dave Hewitt, N3BXY

  2. Agenda • Digital mode basics • HF update • VHF/UHF update • Q & A • Demonstration • FreeDV> HF digital voice • JT-9 > weak signal mode for HF/VHF/UHF Digital Update - KC9IL

  3. Digital Mode Basics - Hardware & software - Plus a little history Digital Update - KC9IL

  4. Digital Mode Basics • What is a “digital mode”? • At its basic level, it consists of two discontinuous states, “on” and “off”. • With a computer, “on” and “off” equate to 1’s and 0’s. • A Digital Mode transmits 1’s and 0’s by using a carrier. • Can create tones by sending carriers offset from a BFO frequencyto represent data bits. Digital Update - KC9IL

  5. Digital Modes • In the beginning, there was: • Spark gap • CW (on-off with timing) • RTTY (offset carriers creating tones) • Facsimile (Hellschreiber) • Slow Scan TV Digital Update - KC9IL

  6. Digital Modes • Then (starting in the 80’s) came: • Packet (AX.25) • 300 baud on HF • 1200 - 9600 on VHF/UHF • AMTOR (AMateurTeleprintingOver Radio) • HF - 100 baud, not much use currently • PACTOR – FSK mode combining Packet and AMTOR technology (still popular but fading) • G-TOR – proprietary to Kantronics. Rarely used. Hardware based modes Digital Update - KC9IL

  7. Digital Modes Green = More mainstream Software based modes • Next wave (1990’s & 2000’s) • PACTOR II – 8x faster than PACTOR, proprietary • CLOVER – full duplex PSK mode • PSK31 – by Peter Martinez, G3PLX in 1998. Hugely popular. Also PSK63 & PSK128. • MT63 – DSP based, 64 tones, 100 WPM, wide. • THROB – DSP mode, 9 tones • MFSK16 – improvement on THROB, using 16 tones. Digital Update - KC9IL

  8. Digital Modes Software based modes • More recent modes: • Olivia – weak signal capable. 5 different flavors. • 125/4, 250/8,500/16, 1000/32& 2000/64 (BW/Tones) • JT-65 – weak & varying signals using 65 tones and FEC. Meteor scatter and moonbounce. • DominoEX – another weak signal MFSK mode, in six flavors. • Contestia – derived from Olivia. 2x speed. 5 bandwidths and 8 tone options = 40 variations. Digital Update - KC9IL

  9. Why Soundcard modes? • Soundcard (software) advantages: • Computers and soundcards are cheap, yet offer high performance • Lots of free software • Can be used with almost any radio • Easy to change digital modes • Developers can quickly create new modes • Lots of great logging options Digital Update - KC9IL

  10. How to set up a Digital Station Works for most non-proprietary modes * Darren Rook, KC9SSL, West Mountain Radio Digital Update - KC9IL

  11. Digital Mode Interfaces • Interface to any radio • Isolated audio • Rig control (CAT, CI-V, etc) • Many now contain sound cards KH6TY interface kit Digital Update - KC9IL

  12. Digital Mode Software • Unique: • Digipan – PSK31/63 • PSK31 – original software from G3PLX • MMTTY – RTTY • WSJT – JT65 by Joe Taylor, K1JT • JT65-HF by W6CQZ (improvement on original WSJT) • IZ8BLY Hellschreiber – all HELL modes • Stream – by IZ8BLY for MFSK Digital Update - KC9IL

  13. Digital Mode Software • Multimode: • FLDigi – for Windows, MAC OSX, Linux • Ham Radio Deluxe – most popular modes • Hamscope (PSK31, RTTY, ASCII, MFSK, Packet & CW) • MixW – multimode software developed in the Ukraine • MultiPSK - the Swiss Army Knife of soundcard mode software. Very busy user interface. Digital Update - KC9IL

  14. Criteria for Digital Modes • RF bandwidth used • Speed/data rate • Error correction • Reception at lower signal/noise ratio Can’t have it all, you must compromise! * Darren Rook, KC9SSL, West Mountain Radio Digital Update - KC9IL

  15. How the Modes compare * Darren Rook, KC9SSL, West Mountain Radio Digital Update - KC9IL

  16. HF Update • New modes • New Software Digital Update - KC9IL

  17. What’s New on HF? • New modes: • ALE 400 • JT 9 • LENTUS • WinMOR • WSPR • FreeDV • D-Star Digital Update - KC9IL

  18. Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) • Made for hands-free link establishment • Untrained operators (military and gov’t) • Scans available frequencies, picks the best one • Based on 1980’s era MIL-STD-188-141A (ALE141a) • 2 kHz bandwidth, 8 tone FSK) • Hardware based, cost prohibitive for hams Digital Update - KC9IL

  19. ALE 400 • Need to use MultiPSK software (only software with ALE support) • 400 Hz bandwidth • Internet e-mail gateway • 100% error-free (ARQ) full duplex link • Can use for real-time chat • dB rating and WPM will degrade due to retries. Digital Update - KC9IL

  20. ALE 400, continued Digital Update - KC9IL

  21. JT-9 • Refinement of JT-65 protocol developed by Joe Taylor, K1JT • About 1-2 dB better than JT-65, but can receive signals at – 42 SNR (30 minute mode) • Approximately 16 Hz wide, compared to approx. 178 Hz for JT-65 • Implemented in WSJT-X software. • Also uses time sync. (Dimension 4 or similar) • Cycles of 1,2,5,10 or 30 minutes Digital Update - KC9IL

  22. JT-9 • Seems to work as well on 5 watts as JT-65 does on 20 watts. Good for QRP or stealth! Digital Update - KC9IL

  23. JT-65 / JT-9 Spotting Web Page Digital Update - KC9IL

  24. LENTUS • Extremely weak signal contact, reception down to -35 dB • Experimental, part of MultiPSK software • 5 minute TX/RX cycles (approx 13 characters) • 32 tone MFSK, 23 Hz bandwidth. • PC clock synchronization is critical • Similar to JT-9 in long cycle modes. (JT9-5 is -34 dB). Digital Update - KC9IL

  25. WinMOR • Soundcard interface to Winlink 2000 • Replaces expensive packet radios traditionally used to connect to Winlink • Developed by Rick Muething KN6KB in 2008, deployment in 2010 • 500Hz or 1600Hz bandwidth • 67 to 1300 bits per second • Can exceed Pactor-2 rates Digital Update - KC9IL

  26. WinMOR to Winlink configuration Digital Update - KC9IL

  27. WSPR • Weak Signal Propagation Reporter • Joe Taylor K1JT • It is not used for DX contact • Software automates TX and RX of beacons which can the be viewed on wsprnet.org • Tool for determining band conditions • A beacon is TX or RX every 2 minutes. • Narrow band 4-FSK with RX at -28dB SNR Digital Update - KC9IL

  28. WSPR Recommended Software • WSPR • Joe Taylor K1JT • Windows and Linux • http://wsprnet.org • View beacon logs • Dimension D4 (or similar) • Time synchronization software Digital Update - KC9IL

  29. wsprnet.org Digital Update - KC9IL

  30. WSPR Screen Shot Digital Update - KC9IL

  31. FreeDV • Digital voice soundcard mode • Open source software and codec (based on FDMDV) • Written by David Witten & David Rowe • Response to low acceptance of AOR system, “proprietary” D-Star and IP concerns of FDMDV. • Released 2012, now in its 3rd version. • Designed to be analogous to SSB • 1.125KHz bandwidth (half of SSB) • 16 QPSK carriers, 1 BPSK carrier, 75hz spacing • High data rate, fast synch, low latency • 1600 bits/s (1375 b/s codec, 25 b/s call sign id, 200 bits/s FEC error correction) Digital Update - KC9IL

  32. FreeDV Setup You need a second sound card! * Darren Rook, KC9SSL, West Mountain Radio Digital Update - KC9IL

  33. FreeDV Software features • Windows, Linux, Mac, Android • Full record of QSO (both TX and RX) • Extensive audio filtering and processing (both TX and RX) • Turn off digital and run in analog (SSB) • http://qso.k7ve.org/ • QSO Finder Website Digital Update - KC9IL

  34. FreeDV QSO Finder Digital Update - KC9IL

  35. FreeDV screenshot Digital Update - KC9IL

  36. D-Star • Open protocol developed by JARL & Japan gov’t • Up until recently, only for 2 meters, 70 cm and 23 cm bands • HF and 6 meters only with 9600 baud capable radios, software and an AMBE chip (DV Dongle, MOEN Comm board, etc) • Now with Icom 9100 and 7100, full D-Star capability on HF. • Nets and QSO’s are now appearing on HF Digital Update - KC9IL

  37. What’s New on HF? • New software • PSK Reporter – (basically a reverse beacon) • Airlink Express – for PSK, MFSK and RTTY • WSJT-X – enhanced for JT-65 and includes JT-9 Digital Update - KC9IL

  38. PSK Reporter • Automatic Propagation Reporter • Software automatically sends received QSO information to Internet server • http://pskreporter.info • Used for many modes, not just PSK • Compatible software • HRD, Airlink Express, JT65-HF, FLDIGI Digital Update - KC9IL

  39. PSK Reporter Digital Update - KC9IL

  40. Airlink Express • Free, easy to use DX contact software • Similar to Digipan • Supports PSK, MFSK and RTTY • Logging • Multichannel display • PSK Reporter compatibility Digital Update - KC9IL

  41. Airlink Express Digital Update - KC9IL

  42. WSJT-X • Updated version of WSJT, by Joe Taylor, K1JT • Vastly improved user interface from prior version (more like JT65-HF, by Joe Large, W6CQZ) • Needs time sync (Dimension 4 or similar) • Runs both JT-65 and JT-9 • Point and click operation • Split screen mode Digital Update - KC9IL

  43. WSJT-X Digital Update - KC9IL

  44. WSJT-X Can have JT-65 on this side Can have JT-9 on this side Digital Update - KC9IL

  45. Try these – they cost NOTHING! • New modes: • ALE 400 • JT 9 • LENTUS • WinMOR • WSPR • FreeDV • D-Star • New software: • PSK Reporter • Airlink Express • WSJT-X Digital Update - KC9IL

  46. VHF/UHF Update • Current overview • New equipment • Enhancements Digital Update - KC9IL

  47. Current Overview – VHF/UHF • Analog FM – been around nearly 50 years • Digital Linking (VoIP based) • IRLP – (1997 – by David Cameron, VE7LTD). Must have a radio at each end. • EchoLink – (2002 - by Jonathon Taylor, K1RFD) can have a radio, PC or smartphone at each end. • Currently over 200,000 registered users • Both formats support “reflectors” Digital Update - KC9IL

  48. Current Overview – VHF/UHF • Digital modes: • APCO Project 25 (P-25) • Created in 1989 • Intended for mission-critical applications • Phase 1 equipment started showing up in the late ‘90’s • Fairly small number of machines • Can run dual mode (Analog & Digital) Digital Update - KC9IL

  49. Current Overview – VHF/UHF • Digital modes: • D-STAR • Developed by JARL & Japanese government • Spec released in 2001 • Icom began shipping in 2004 • 2 worldwide networks (approx 1500 repeaters) • Icom G2 • > 1,000 repeaters, > 30,000 registered users • ircDDB(Jonathon Naylor, G4KLX) • > 1,000 repeaters, 8,500 users Digital Update - KC9IL

  50. Current Overview – VHF/UHF • Digital modes: • DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) • Based on a European standard (ETSI) published in 2005 • Intended for professional use, low complexity & low cost, narrow band • Many manufacturers (Motorola, Hytera, Harris, Vertex) • Dual slot TDMA (Slot 1 linked, Slot 2 local) • MotoTrbo – Motorola’s implementation of DMR • Multiple linked networks (DMR-MARC, DCI, Trbo-6) • Nearly 400 repeaters as of Nov 2013 • Approximately 4,000 registered user ID’s Digital Update - KC9IL

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