Calling Olivia-mode Operators (from All Regions)

Calling all Olivia-mode operators with experience using the Olivia digital mode in all areas of the world:

Please join our Facebook group at the following link. We are discussing important operational changes!

If you are on Facebook, and interested in the Olivia HF radioteletype chat mode, please join the community group at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/olivia.hf/

If you want to join our discussion by way of the Olivia group on Groups.io, please feel free to spread the news, and also to subscribe to that group email reflector. We’ll start discussions, soon. Here’s the link: https://groups.io/g/Olivia

OLIVIA (Also, Olivia MFSK) is an amateur digital radioteletype mode designed by Pawel Jalocha, SP9VRC, starting in 2003, and in use by 2005. The Olivia-mode goal was to be effective even in poor propagation conditions on the high frequencies (shortwave).

OLIVIA can decode well under noise, propagational fading (QSB), interference (QRM), flutter caused by polar path propagation and even auroral conditions and sporadic-E. Olivia uses a 7-bit ASCII alphabet. There were a handful of amateur digital modes that were derived from Olivia, including RTTYM and PAX.

Outside of amateur radio two-way communication, this mode is utilized during the tests run by the VoA every weekend. See the VoA RadioGram website, VoARadiogram.net, for the schedule.

The Olivia QSO between K4SOL and NW7US 20170806 @1410UTC

The Olivia QSO between K4SOL and NW7US using 16/500 mode settings on shortwave, 2017-AUG-06 @1410UTC

The first on-the-air tests were performed by two radio amateurs, Fred OH/DK4ZC and Les VK2DSG on the Europe-Australia path in the 20-meter amateur band. The tests proved that the protocol works well and can allow regular intercontinental radio contacts with as little as one watt RF power. Since 2005 Olivia has become a standard for digital data transfer under white noise, fading and multipath, flutter (polar path) and auroral conditions.

Voluntary channelization

Since Olivia signals can be decoded even when received signals are extremely weak, (signal to noise ratio of -14 dB), signals strong enough to be decoded are sometimes below the noise floor and therefore impossible to search for manually.

As a result, amateur radio operators have voluntarily decided upon channelization for this mode. This channelization allows even imperceptibly weak signals to be properly tuned for reception and decoding. By common convention amateur stations initiate contacts utilizing either the 16/500 or 32/1000 modes and then switch to other modes to continue the conversation. The following table lists the common center frequencies used in the amateur radio bands.

The traditional channels are now under heavy use by newer modes. Thus, this Olivia group is working on refiguring the strategy for continued use and channelization. Please join us for discussion.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/olivia.hf/

Thank you,

Tomas / NW7US

Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

6 Responses to “Calling Olivia-mode Operators (from All Regions)”

  • Rick DeMattia KD8WCK:

    A worthy project, however I am not on Facebook so won’t be able to participate in the discussions. I look forward to seeing the outcomes. The recent popularity of FT8 has seen a lot of activity in the former Olivia calling channels.

  • Elwood Downey, WB0OEW:

    I support channelized Olivia calling because of the potentially very low SNR. But I am not a FB user so please post new calling freqs here if the dust settles.

  • Mark GØNMY:

    Maybe a groups.io Olivia group would also be worthwhile?
    They have the advantage of emailing members all posts but without the spam you get from using Yahoo groups.
    This I think would be a better option as I know Many Hams who wont go near Farcebook.

  • Mark:

    Great idea! I have created a group on Groups.io. Please feel free to spread the news, and also to subscribe to that group email reflector. We’ll start discussions, soon. Here’s the link: https://groups.io/g/Olivia

  • Boots VK3DZ:

    On a tangent today I see data showing a decline in FB use amongst 18-34 yo…

  • Mark GØNMY:

    Thanks Thomas I think the https://groups.io/g/Olivia will attract alot more users, and the added input for this excellent weak signal mode will be helpful lets hope we get a large uptake to the group.
    73 Mark GØNMY

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