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PA-SitRep is dedicated to promoting all (and the most efficient) means of emergency communications. Computer sound card-based digital communications capabilities have been under development for many years and are now being used more than ever before.
Being at the bottom of the solar cycle has had at least one advantage... with HF conditions being as poor as they have been in years, this gives the amateur radio community the perfect excuse to utilize sound card based data communications. Once you are up and running on the digital modes, you will quickly realize that you can conduct reliable communications - using low transmit power - even under poor radio conditions where voice communications would be virtually impossible.
PA-SitRep would like to promote the use of some of the more advanced digital modes for use in emergency communications. To that end, we are conducting a weekly digital mode net for the purpose of testing and training in the use of various digital modes.
The net is conducted Friday evenings at 10 PM, on or about 3.5785 MHz USB (always use USB - Upper Side Band - for digital modes) at 1000 Hz on the waterfall. Initial operating mode will be PSK31 (BPSK31). All are welcome.
Here are the goals of the net:
1) Encourage participation in amateur radio digital modes by conducting an informal PSK31 (BPSK31) net. PSK31 was chosen for general check ins, not as an emergency communications mode, but because its widely deployed and easy to use.
2) Encourage the experimentation and use of other digital modes that are suitable for emergency communications. At the conclusion of the general check in PSK31 segment of the net, we will advise participants that at the conclusion of the following week net that we will experiment with a different designated mode. This will give anyone interested, the time to experiment with the new mode on their own, prior to the next net.
We will be testing on the following modes:
* BPSK31 - (extreme ease of use - bring as many people into the net as possible.)
* MFSK(16) - (good under poor conditions - keyboard to keyboard, forward error correction, small photo transfer - intermediate level operators.)
* Olivia 250/8 tones and 500/16 tones - (excellent under extremely poor conditions - keyboard to keyboard, forward error correction - advanced operators.)
* MT63 1000/Long Interleave - (good under any conditions - for larger messages and binary file transfers - advanced operators.)
The Net starts on the PSK31 mode for general check ins, then we switch to more advanced digital modes for the purpose of testing, training and experimentation. All General, Advanced and Extra class licensees interested in the use of sound card digital modes are encouraged to check in.
If you are a properly licensed general class or higher amateur radio operator, we'd like to see you on the net.... anyone, from anywhere... all check ins are welcome!
73
-Dave, KB3FXI
Here's a link to a directory where you can download the raw text files of the net as received at the net control station:
PA-SitRep highly recommends the use of MixW software for amateur radio sound card digital mode operations. Here's the link to the MixW website for more information:
There are many sound card interfaces available. The Signalink USB is an excellent product that is well designed and very easy to install and use. Here's the link to the Tigertronics USB Signalink webpage:
http://www.tigertronics.com/slusbmain.htm
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