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Yet Another Digimode

21 February 2010 | by Julian G4ILO | Leave a Comment (0)

Another new digimode has made its presence on the airwaves. Called ROS, it uses spread spectrum techniques in a bandwidth 2.2kHz wide and offers a choice of two symbol rates, 16 baud and 1 baud. The latter will be of great interest to QRP operators as it is claimed to allow communication at signal levels of 35db below noise, which is better even than WSPR. ROS is an interactive mode, so you can type what you want and have a real QSO, unlike WSPR and the other JT modes that can only send a limited number of fixed messages. What’s more it isn’t an all-or-nothing mode like the JT modes, so you can receive a message that’s part garbage and use your own intelligence to correct the errors if possible.

An interesting feature of ROS is that the software will automatically send an emailed reception report to any transmitting station that includes his email address in his transmission. Quite how it achieves this I don’t know, since I don’t have an email client set up on my shack computer (I do all my email through Gmail.) So I was quite surprised after receiving my first ROS signal from G3ZJO running 1 watt on 40m to see him send “HI” to me on his next over (as you can see in the screengrab.)

This is yet another program that only recognizes the “default” sound card so I am once again receiving using the HB-1A transceiver and am unable to transmit using the mode.

The weak signal capabilities will no doubt make this mode of interest to the QRP fraternity as well as VHF operators working EME and troposcatter. I think the ability to receive an emailed reception report is also rather cool, and a bit more personal than seeing your signal spotted on a website.

However I do wonder what will happen once the massed hordes start using it on HF and begin cranking the power up to try to work further afield. There isn’t enough space on the HF digital mode bands for many simultaneous contacts to take place using a 2.2kHz wide mode.

I’m now listening on 14.101.0 MHz USB so if you try this new program and put your email address in your message you might get a report from me.

Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].

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APRS using PSK63

21 February 2010 | by Julian G4ILO | Leave a Comment (0)

Chris, G4HYG, has just released a new Windows program called APRS Messenger which supports APRS messaging using the PSK63 mode. Various experiments made in the past suggest that this could give better reliability at low power levels than 300 baud packet which is normally used on HF. APRS Messenger also functions as an Internet gateway so any error-free packets received over HF are sent to the APRS-IS network.

An unfortunate limitation of the program at the moment is that it will only talk to the “default sound card” which on most Windows computers is the one used to play system noises, listen to Internet audio and video and so on. So I am unable to use it with my K3 at the moment. For test purposes I have connected my HB-1A QRP transceiver to my 30m antenna and fed the headphone output into the mic socket on the front of my PC.

I have decoded a few packets already, though many seem to contain some corruption. I am wondering why the little-used QPSK63 mode was not used for this application? As I understand it (and I could be wrong) QPSK63 takes up the same amount of bandwidth but incorporates some forward error correction that improves the likelihood of good copy compared with plain PSK63.

Chris has apparently agreed to talk with Lynn, KD4ERJ, about the possibility of making APRS Messenger work with APRSIS32. The possibility of using Lynn’s full-featured APRS client to send and receive APRS over HF using PSK is quite exciting.

By the way, if you are wondering why the screenshot shows a Mac program the reason is that I’m using an OS X theme under Windows XP!

Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].

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QSY? QSY. QSY? QSY. QSY? QSY!!!!

19 February 2010 | by Anthony K3NG | Leave a Comment (0)

Word has been going around in radio artisan blogademia that the lets-move-the-QRP-calling-frequency movement is afoot, yet again, apparently on QRP-L. I checked the QRP-L reflector and didn't see anything about it. Hmmm. Must be on that other QRP-L....let me check. What? They want me to subscribe in order to read the archive? No, I don't think so.

I don't know how much more can be said about moving the QRP calling frequency. RTTY interference. Check. Rock bound rigs. Check. Region 1 versus Region 2 bandplans. Check. 7040 on a gazillion website lists and stone tablets. Check.

What are we waiting for? A QRP elder to give their blessing? Hiram to appear and make known his wishes? A Rockmite retrofit kit?

Anthony Good, K3NG, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Pennsylvania, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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K3 Derangement Syndrome

19 February 2010 | by Paul Lannuier | Leave a Comment (0)

Seems W9OY is causing some heads to broil on the Elecraft list, thanks to Julian G4ILO stirring the pot. 😉

I don’t know W9OY but I read his blog often because I’m fascinated with the whole SDR aspect of the hobby. He’s as much a fanboy for the Flex 5000 as many are for the K3 (including me, I suppose). I have no problem with that, we all like to talk up the equipment we own. W9OY certainly knows his stuff, and even though he may toss out a jab at the K3 every now and then I just take it with a grain of salt — no burning desire to break out the dueling pistols, it’s just a hobby.

Often, though, I’ve heard hams on the air trashing the K3 as though anyone who owns one isn’t just wrong, but stoopid as well. I call it K3 Derangement Syndrome: any mention of the K3 causes them to prattle on about how inferior it is to their radio. They’ll harp about the K3’s “poor ergonomics,” as if pressing a button twice to move from 40m to 20m is somehow more of an inconvenience than having to boot Windoze every time you want to use your radio. They’ll talk about the size of the radio, as if the compact box isn’t one of the K3’s attractions for many owners. They’ll nitpick over specs, as if they really make a difference while working the DX. Mostly, it becomes evident after listening for a while that most of these K3DS sufferers have never actually used a K3, but merely heard all these horrible things from someone else. I guess the P3 will give them more ammo because it’s smaller than Power-SDR running on a 60″ plasma display — your sophomoric “mine’s bigger” kind of argument. Whatever.

Life is too short. We all have reasons for choosing the radios we choose. My big reason for not buying a Flex product is that it relies on Windoze; if it supported OS X, I might have one on my desk right now. But I have enough Windoze headaches in my daily life and don’t really want them to be at the core of my radio hobby. As Bones might tell Kirk, “Damn it, Jim! I’m a ham, not a systems administrator!” Those who might actually enjoy dicking around with computers will almost certainly report different mileage. Good for them.

Another good question has already been raised by someone else: What happens in 20 years? I have a garage full of 10-year old computer peripherals that simply won’t work with my current PCs and Macs. The Flex rigs, when you boil it all down, are computer peripherals. That it doesn’t rely on USB drivers makes it more likely to be supported years down the road, but what happens if FireWire goes the way of 5.25″ floppies? Or if future versions of Power-SDR no longer support anything older than the Flex 8000? To me, one of the things I love about ham radio is that people running vintage gear from the 50’s and 60’s are still able to do pretty much everything a guy with a K3 can do; with proper care and feeding, they can last a lifetime or more. On the other hand, computers and peripherals are throw-away items. Which category a PC-based SDR falls into, only time will tell.

That doesn’t mean I won’t someday own a Flex 5000 (or 6000 or 9000); maybe I will. Flex Radio Systems is every bit a great company as Elecraft, and their user base every bit as loyal. If I had the cash I’d probably own one now because I love the SDR concept. If someday it no longer works under Windoze 2036 or whatever cruel hoax Microsloth perpetrates on the masses in the future, oh well… out to the pile in the garage it’ll go, to be replaced by the newest model. But I won’t get rid of the K3 unless and until something else comes out that offers a significant improvement, and whatever may replace my K3 someday will sure as hell have knobs and buttons and be able to operate as a stand-alone instrument without a PC umbilical. These are my requirements; if yours are different, buy what you want.

And while others may take cheap shots at competing radios just to make themselves feel smart or superior to those who choose differently, I won’t do that.

(I will, however, continue to take cheap shots at Microsloth Windoze. It just plain sucks.)

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RadioSport History | CQ World Wide DX CW 1976

19 February 2010 | by Scot KA3DRR | Leave a Comment (0)

Brockman and Cox (1977) stated, “A record 2060 logs were received for this years event, up 6% over last year.”

I’m curious if RadioSport Clubs through the 70s had an important role in local event activity and technological innovation? The Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC) and the Frankford Radio Club (FRC) fiercely competed against each other for the top slot in the Club Box according to Brockman and Cox (1977).

I arrive at my bullet point that clubs have a significant role in the hobby in terms of motivating activity in addition to promoting the advancement of radio as an art.

A quick look at the Top Three Club Box scores from 1976 suggest RadioSport Club influence on activity and its aggregated score for example PVRC (n = 58.7 million), FRC (n = 40.3 million), and Northeast Contest Club (n = 26.1 million). In comparison, the 2007 Top Three Club Box scores are FRC (n = 266.9 million), Yankee Clipper Contest Club (n = 260.5 million), and PVRC (n = 139.6 million).

What type of change drove RadioSport club scores above the quarter million point mark?

I submit RadioSport clubs and modest stations significantly contribute to the overall success of the game. A club has enough resources to generate interest and execute that interest into activity. Whereas modest station operators even when competing for a personal best score are more than willing to go an extra mile when contributing to the success of one’s club.

There are variations to this theme and clubs could harness attitude in addition to willingness of modest stations in terms of activity. One may consider inter club competitions while promoting success through its newsletter and/or website.

For example, why not publish with photograph and narrative, the top three modest station winners?

The photograph of WA6NVR operating VP2MNR really defined the meaningfulness of a modest station in the game of RadioSport; simple yet effective.

Believe in your signal!

Reference: Brockman, L. N6AR, Cox, B. K3EST (September, 1977). CQ Magazine: 1976 CQ World Wide DX Contest: C.W. Results. pp. 42 – 47, 87 – 88, 90.

Scot Morrison, KA3DRR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from California, USA.

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3830 Claimed Scores | 2010 North American Sprint (Winter) | Low Power

17 February 2010 | by Scot KA3DRR | Leave a Comment (0)

Single Operator.

W9RE | 238 Qs | 40 Mults | 4hrs | 9,440 Points [SMC #1].
N4PN | 147 Qs | 43 Mults | 4hrs | 6,321 Points [Phreezing Sprinters].
KU5B (@NX5M) | 169 Qs | 34 Mults | 4hrs | 5,915 Points [Phreezing Sprinters].

n = 19 scores submitted for this category.

A tough weekend for sideband sprinters with a multitude of events competing for one’s attention. Mike, W9RE piloted his station to a first place finish while leading The Society of Midwest Contesters to another banner week. I recommend visiting his website and take time to study his station configuration especially Mike’s antenna systems and/or station layout; meticulous craftsmanship.

Believe in your signal!

Scot Morrison, KA3DRR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from California, USA.

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3830 Claimed Scores | 2010 Dutch PACC | Low Power

17 February 2010 | by Scot KA3DRR | Leave a Comment (0)

Single Operator All Band | CW.

PA3ARM | 894 Qs | 154 Mults | 20hrs | 137,676 Points.
UT8L (UY5LQ) | 217 Qs | 43 Mults | 17hrs | 9,331 Points [Ukrainian Contest Club].
VE9DX | 149 Qs | 48 Mults | 7,152 Points.

n = 10 scores submitted in this category.

Practice, practice, practice and believe in your signal going into the ARRL International DX CW event this weekend. Congratulations UT8L for leading the Ukrainian Contest Club to its Top Three finish and best RadioSport results going into the future from the shackadelic on the beach.

Believe in your signal!

Scot Morrison, KA3DRR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from California, USA.

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