Digital Modes

1. Digital Modes • There are lots of Digital Modes. • The oldest is RTTY (teletype - in this case it is Radio Teletype). • The current modes are classified in sound card modes and specialty modes. • Sound Card Modes • PSK-31 • Specialty CW modes (for satellite, EME, etc.)

2. Digital Modes cont’d • Non-Sound card modes • Packet • Pactor I & II • Pactor III • Winlink 2K • Non-Sound card modes usually uses a special hardware type Terminal Mode Controller (TNC).

3. Digital Modes cont’d • Computers and the Internet has made several Modes etc. • EchoLink is one of the major modes. • Modes for linking repeaters etc. • D-STAR - digital modes for repeaters and radios

4. RTTY • This has been around for a long time. • The modulations is FSK or AFSK - this is a two tone system - called Mark & Space • FSK - Frequency Shift Keying • Shifting the Transmitter frequency • AFSK - Audio Frequency Shift Keying • Shift audio tones

5. RTTY cont’d • There are special RTTY converters (these were used in the old days), now most operators use sound cards and sound card TNCs. • There are lots of freeware programs that you can use for RTTY, most of the sound card software has a RTTY mode. • Digipan • MTTY

6. RTTY cont’d • Some of the newer transceiver has built-in RTTY receive converters (ICOM 746 for example).

7. PSK-31 • This is one of the newer Digital Modes. • This is a two-tone systems, with a bandwidth of 31 Hz. • This is a sound card type mode and uses a sound card TNC. • Sound Card TNCs interfaces the transceiver with you sound card and also has a keying circuit.

9. Apple Program for Digital Modes

10. PSK31 Frequencies Where to Listen - official PSK 31 frequencies: 1838.1503580.1507035.15 for ITU region 1 and region 3, and 7080.15 for region 2 *10142.15014070.15018100.15021080.150 (although most activity can be found 10 kHz lower)24920.15028120.150 * The USA is in region 2 but there is a lot of activity on

11. Packet • Packet and similar modes uses a smart Terminal Node Controller • These can run from $ 75 to $ 500 and more. They have a small computer with memory etc. and circuits to decode the modulation. • Most of these modes are error-free.

12. TNC-X - KISS Mode TNC KPC-3+ PK-232

13. WinLink 2K • This is a special form of Packet (uses a packet TNC) • You can send and receive e-mail over your amateur radio. • It has two parts (VHF & Low Band) • VHF uses Packet • HF uses Pactor I, II, III • Pactor III – is a proprietary mode (requires special TNC $$$$

15. This is Tom’s Station - You can connect to it Using NK5Z-10

16. HF - Winlink 2K

17. EchoLink • This is a VOIP (Voice over Internet) • You use your computer to connect to a server and from the server you can connect to amateur repeaters all over the world, or just to another amateur (direct keyboard to keyboard). • Some of the old timers don’t consider this amateur radio (you will have to decide).

19. I‘m connected to Repeater K4OBX –R (-R designates for a Repeater) I’m Online List of Stations Online at this time

20. I’m connected to EchoLink Server XXXX

21. Receiver Digital Buffer - This is sent from the Repeater Station

22. Digital Tx Buffer Rx & Tx Level

23. XXXX • Some

24. XXXX • Some

25. XXXX • Some