Overview of Digital Modes FLDigi and N 1

Overview of Digital Modes, FLDigi and N 1 MM Logger+ Collin Howe AA 0 CN Rochester Amateur Radio Club - rarchams. org Relevant Links on Last Slide

Digital Modes § Mechanism of communication using discrete signals (Non-Infinite, repeatable) § Often uses specialized hardware/software (Teletype Machine, Modem, Computer) § Can be much faster than voice (at the expense of reliability) § Can be much slower (can work in low-signal conditions at expense of speed) § CW: Simplest “Digital” mode, high reliability

Rig Control / Communication § Digital Modes often use Computer through a purpose-built interface using the computer’s Sound Card as a modem § Many Radios have USB control built-in § Signalink USB control interface § Homebrew COM / Sound Card interface: § PTT On/Off, RX Audio, TX Audio § KF 5 INZ Easy Digi Interface: § Or just use speaker and mic, and manually switch TX/RX!

Rig Control: Example Interface RX/TX Control Signal PC “Mic” or “Line In” PC “Speaker” PTT Pin/Gnd Radio RXOut Speaker Radio TX MIC In

Digital Mode Considerations § High Duty Cycle, turn down the power! § Some Auto. Tuners have Digi power limits § Volume-sensitive (driving radio direct, ALC) § Some radios have a “Digital” mode, won’t take USB audio if not in Digi Mode § Sometimes tricky setup for PC Interface (You kept the manual, right? ) § Use ferrites to reduce hardware issues § Limitless potential!

FLDigi: Rig Control Software

FLDigi Intro Decoded Text Out Waterfall and Current Freq (Audio)

FLDigi Intro Text To Encode

FLDigi Intro Current Mode & VFO Freq Current Freq and Log Info Note: Current Frequency = (VFO Freq ±Offset) + for USB, - for LSB

Waterfall Signal Identification: Carrier Wave (CW) / Morse § On/Off encoding § Single Carrier § Narrowest Bandwidth Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Amplitude Modulation § Voice/Music/Broadcast § Single Carrier with Products Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Single Sideband (SSB) § Most Common HF Voice § No constant carrier § ~1500 -2000 Hz bandwidth Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Radio Teletype (RTTY) § Text-Only Baudot Encoding § Two distinct carriers (Mark and Space) § RTTY-45 : 200 Hz bandwidth, 45 Baud § Transceiver often set to LSB for RTTY-45, may be used in USB Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Phase Shift Keying (PSK) § Uses 2 (Binary), 4 (Quad) or 8 “Phase Constellations” § BPSK-31 most common, “typing speed” 31. 25 Baud § Narrow ~60 Hz bandwidth § Usually used in USB mode § Common Freqs: 3. 580, 7. 040, 10. 142, 14. 070, 18. 100, 21. 080, 24. 920, 28. 120 MHz Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Multi-Freq. Shift Keying (MFSK) § Keying is done by one tone at different frequencies § MFSK 8: 8 tones, 7. 8 baud § MFSK 16: 16 @ 15. 625 Bd § 154 Hz / 218 Hz bandwidth Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: THROB / THROBX § 9 or 11 tones § 1 to 4 Baud (10 -40 WPM) § Throb 1: 72 Hz Bandwidth § Throb 4: 144 Hz Bandwidth § Throb. X 4: 94 Hz BW § Throb. X 4: 188 Hz BW Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Olivia / Contestia § Many tones 2 N, 4 thru 256 § 8 Hz – 2000 Hz Bandwidth § Good for poor propagation and High QRM § Use USB Mode § Contestia: An Olivia variant, twice as fast Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Other HF Modes § JT-65 Weak Signal / QRP § UTC time synched, ~50 seconds, 13 chars § WSJT Software by K 1 JT § SSTV § Many different modes § MMSSTV Software Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

Waterfall Signal Identification: Other Modes, VHF/UHF § Packet / AX. 25 / APRS § USB, FM for VHF/UHF § APRS on 144. 390 FM § MT 63 § High bandwidth, Fast § Audio coupling for ARES: MT-63 2000 L @ 200 WPM Waterfall/Audio source: http: //www. sigidwiki. com

FLDigi Useage

FLDigi Mode Selection

FLDigi Config (Rig, Audio, Etc. )

FLDigi Config, Operator

FLDigi Config, Rig Control (USB)

FLDigi Config, Rig Control (HW)

FLDigi Config, Audio In/Out

FLDigi Config, Audio In/Out

FLDigi Config, Audio In/Out

FLDigi Rig Control Rig will display, Freq. will sync T/R button

FLDigi Macros

FLDigi Macros (Edit)

FLDigi Intro Type or use Macro to populate text, Before or during TX Click to select signal on waterfall RX/TX Toggle

FLDigi Transmit

Contest QSO Format (Not fixed) § CQ CQ CQ DE K 0 AAA K § K 0 AAA DE AA 0 CN K § AA 0 CN 5 A WTX DE K 0 AAA K § K 0 AAA DE AA 0 CN 1 A MN SK §… § CQ CQ CQ DE K 0 AAA K §…

FLDigi Macro QSO

FLDigi Macro QSO

FLDigi Macro QSO

FLDigi Macro QSO

N 1 MM Logger+

N 1 MM Logger+ § Logger § Record callsign, report, time, note Dupes § Radio Interface § Record Frequency, Mode § Digital Interface § Use FLDigi component for Rig Control, Digital Interface Modem, Macros § Record Exchanges § Network-attached Log

N 1 MM Logger+ : Initial Setup

N 1 MM Logger+ : Control Setup

N 1 MM Logger+ : Audio Setup

N 1 MM Logger+ : Digital Interface

N 1 MM Logger+ : Digital Modes

N 1 MM Logger+ : Digital Modes

N 1 MM Logger+ : Digital Modes Waterfall & Freq Selection Macros

N 1 MM Logger+ : Digital Modes Callsign set to be logged Select Callsign

N 1 MM Logger+ : Add Log Entry Report (If Any) Comment/ Exchange Hit “Enter” to add to log

N 1 MM Logger+ : Basic Hotkeys Space or Tab for next box Shift+Tab for previous box Hit “Enter” to add to log

N 1 MM Logger+ : Log Added

N 1 MM Logger+ : Log Duplicate Indicator

N 1 MM Logger+ : Log Duplicate Possible Duplicates Duplicate Indicator

Reed-Solomon Identifier § Data Sent/Received before main transmission body to identify mode § FLDIGI can be set to automatically switch to mode identified by RSID § Immediately followed by transmission

Reed-Solomon Identifier RX & TX RSID Toggles RSID Receive Mode QPSK-250 RSID

FLMSG / MT-63 2000 L § Used to Send/Receive Forms

FLMSG / MT-63 2000 L § Interfaces with FLDigi and Sound Card Modem § Can Acoustically Couple (Using mic/speaker)

FLMSG / MT-63 2000 L § Can Display/Print messages on Receipt

FLMSG Android: And. Flmsg § FLMsg for Android Phone or Tablet! § http: //www. w 1 hkj. com/vk 2 eta/

SDR Sharp with RTL-SDR § USB General Receiver, 25 MHz – 2. 2 GHz, $15 § Samples wide section of band, good for finding nearby interference and VHF/UHF Listening

Web. SDR Receivers § Online, Free, no hardware/software needed § Wideband, multi-user. http: //www. websdr. org/

Questions?

Links: § FLDigi / Fl. Msg: http: //www. w 1 hkj. com/download. html § Ham Radio Deluxe: http: //www. hrdsoftwarellc. com/ § N 1 MM Logger+ https: //n 1 mm. hamdocs. com/tiki-index. php § WSJT by K 1 JT: https: //physics. princeton. edu/pulsar/k 1 jt/ § Android And. Fl. Msg: http: //www. w 1 hkj. com/vk 2 eta/ § SDR# (RTL-SDR): http: //airspy. com/download/ § Web. SDR Receiver List: http: //www. websdr. org/ § Signal Identification Wiki http: //www. sigidwiki. com