The initial reason for this page was documentation for DARC for their General and Technician classes...however...the problem with paper documentation is that the instant that the documentation is created it becomes out of date. So...rather than creating paper documentation, I created a website. Go figure, right?
Most of my operation is digital modes, primarily JT65, JT9, FT8, PSK31, Olivia, and RTTY. I do SSB and CW occasionally, most often when I am operating portable, but in my shack I tend to operate one of the above digital modes. I have actually set things up so that I can operate remotely as well as when I'm actually in the shack, and a very large percentage of my contacts have been made when not actually in my shack.
For the purposes of this discussion I am going to keep it to free software, so HRD and MixW will not be discussed here, since I can't adequately compare them. I know people who use both of those programs and are very happy with them. However, since I've never installed or used either, I can't speak to them either way. Also, by "digital" I'll be talking about anything related to a computer in the shack, or that requires some sort of outside computer to use--namely, the "digital wormhole" technologies I talk about later on.
I'd be amiss if I didn't mention an invaluable resource, the book Get on the Air with HF Digital from the ARRL. This was very valuable, since I had bought it primarily to reacquaint myself with RTTY and PSK31, and it was this book that led me to JT65, JT9, and Olivia, as well as FLDigi and JT65-HB9QHX (indirectly), as well as confirming my decision to buy the Signalink. I'll be talking about modes first, then software, then interfaces.
It makes more sense to talk about RTTY first, since that is the granddaddy of the digital modes, but my first introduction to digital was using PSK31. The waterfall first used in Digipan has become synonymous with digital operation, and is used in almost all the software mentioned below. PSK31 has both advantages and disadvantages. It is ubiquitous, does not take up too much bandwidth, and is fairly resilient. However, if there are poor band conditions or interference it can be problematic. Per long-standing gentleman's agreements, PSK31 has a set place on the dial on most bands (17 meters is "up for debate" due to issues caused by FT8 camping on 17m PSK31 frequencies).
Calling (dial) frequencies for PSK31 (USB):
| 80m | 3.580 |
| 40m | 7.070 |
| 20m | 14.070 |
| 17m | 18.100 |
| 15m | 21.070 |
| 12m | 24.920 |
| 10m | 28.120 |
RadioTeleTYpe, arguably the oldest of the digital
modes (and no, I'm not getting into the "CW is a digital mode" argument
here) is one of the favorite Field Day and contest modes. Extremely fast,
it is most often used for quick contacts, although I've had a couple of
RTTY ragchews. Like PSK31, it has no FEC (Forward Error Correction), but
it is often not necessary due to the speed of the mode. RTTY does not have
a specific calling frequency, and you need to be willing to spin the dial
and listen for the distinctive warble. RTTY is in use in both HF and VHF
bands.
This is one of my favorite ragchew modes, especially in the middle of bad band conditions. Often I'll barely be able to see the signal on the waterfall, if at all, yet I can copy 100 percent. The modes can be slow, but very enjoyable. This is probably one of the more poorly documented modes currently used on HF, but very very enjoyable. Like the JT modes mentioned below, they use Forward Error Correction allowing for clean copy in poor band conditions. Use of Reed-Solomon ID and Video ID is highly encouraged to help others determine which sub-mode you are using, and to identify the mode to those who are not familiar woith it. They are actually two different modes, but look very similar on the waterfall, and Olivia supports upper and lower case, while Contestia is upper-case only.
JT65 for me was absolutely huge in helping me get back into the hobby the way that I did. Originally developed for moonbounce on VHF, it was quickly used on HF bands for terrestrial contacts. Joe Taylor (K1JT) designed JT65 to be highly resilient, and the protocol exchange really does the bare minimum to be considered a contact. I found it very useful starting out because of the heavy reporting to PSKReporter, which meant that I could tell that I wasn't operating into a dummy load. If you are operating digital for the first time, or are nervous about what to say on the air, I can't recommend remind JT65 enough. JT9 came out a few years later, and uses less bandwidth and also less power for the same results. Limited to 13 characters, this is not a ragchew mode. Although in October of 2016 I *did* see "go cubs go" as a 73.....
I've....a love-hate affair with FT8. The way that Joe Taylor dropped it in the middle of Olivia/Feld Hell space on all the bands except for 17 meters (and there he put it squarely in the middle of PSK31 space) has been a huge problem. There were well-established calling frequencies per the gentleman's agreements that were flat-out stomped on with no apology or justification. It's fast and resilient, 4x as fast as JT65/JT9, but not nearly as weak signal as either of those two modes. I do see potential use for it during Field Day, and I do hope that it is used in that way.The exchange is the same as JT65/JT9, but rather than the 47/50 seconds of JT65/JT9, the transmission period is 13 seconds with a response time of 2 seconds. I've called FT8 a "twitch mode" compared to the leisurely pace of JT65/JT9.
WeakSignalPropagationReporter, or WhiSPeR, Like the JT/FT modes, you transmit your call sign and maidenhead grid locator, but you also transmit how much power you are using. Each transmit period is 2 minutes. WSPR reports are collected and analyzed, and allow for real-time insights into current band conditions.
I can't say that I've ever truly run SSTV, though I have set up and listened to it when away from the shack. Slow Scan TV is a QSO via sending images back and forth. The complete QSO, including CQs, signal reports, and 73s, are carried out through the exchange of images. A popular frequency for this on 20m, where I've listened, is 14.230.
Packet is really one of the original data modes, in that it was used not only for keyboard to keyboard communication, but to transfer files. Packet lent itself to VHF use, since the allowed data rates are higher on VHF and UHF than HF. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, packet bulletin boards were all over the US. As the Internet started to become more prevalent, packet systems started to fade, but they are still very much in use, especially for APRS, which is the combination of GPS with amateur radio.
Many people start operation on 40m, 80m, or lower, and complain that no one is responding. It's because unlike SSB, you need to have your rig set to USB, not LSB. Also, JT65/JT9/FT8 all require an accurate computer clock. Either configure NTP properly (Mac OS X or Linux) or install Dimension 4 or Meinberg (Windows). If on Windows, do not trust the native Windows timekeeping software.
Digipan can be considered one of the granddaddies of digital software. I
remember running Digipan from the club station up at Motorola, and being
amazed that I could talk to someone using the computer. There are
advantages and disadvantages to using it. The main advantage is that imit
is very simple to set up and use, but the main disadvantage is that it
doesn't integrate well with modern logging software. Digipan is actually
where the term "waterfall" came from, and removed the need to manually
tune in the PSK31 signal on the dial.
'Winlink is a wonderful system using email over amateur radio. As far as I know it's Windows-only, and I've not tried to run it under WINE...hmm..... But anyway, Winlink interfaces with standard Internet-based email systems, and allows you to relay mall using VHF and HF. Or it will send and receive mail directly over the Internet if you are dealing with poor propagation or are in an area where there isn't an easy VHF/HF relay. Unlike standard email, you need to explicitly whitelist standard Internet email addresses in order to easily communicate with them, and remember, Winlink is not for business use. Like EchoLink, you actually don't need a radio to start using it.
Especially for JT/FT modes, but really for digital mode, this website is incredibly valuable. It can tell you what stations are active, what the current propagation is like, and there have been times where I've thought that no one was out there due to a lack of answers to my CQ, and this website has shown that yes, in fact, I wasn't operating into a dummy load.
From a spec perspective all three of their USB interfaces are similar, but MFJ and West Mountain Radio also makes the standard sound card interfaces. Personally I recommend the Signalink, but that's my personal opinion. Very much Your Mileage May Vary. More and more modern systems are coming with digital interfaces built-in.
For various reasons EchoLink has its own page. Not because I think it's better than the other two, but because I run several EchoLink proxies and an EchoLink conference node for YACHT.
Before I start talking about the three modes, I should endeavor to clear up some serious misconceptions about all three of these modes. In the US at least, there is a perception that DMR is completely open and D-Star is owned by Icom. Nothing could be further from the truth. D-Star is an open standard designed by JARL (Japan's ARRL equivalent), and DMR's primary use is public service, with until recently the main provider being Motorola. All three use the same proprietary AMBE chipset.
One common objection to all of these is the lack of a local repeater, and I do understand this problem. Where i live in the Chicagoland area has a lot of VHF and UHF repeaters with EchoLink support, but none that support D-Star/DMP/System Fusion. There are several devices that allow one to create a digital hotspot, and I actually use one of them both at my home and traveling. In a later version of this page I'll go into some of the other devices, but my favorite one so far has been the OpenSpot. That might sound odd as a Raspberry Pi enthusiast, but there are times when even I want something that I'm not responsible for supporting, and unlike the Pi-based systems, the OpenSpot can be shut down cold, making it perfect for portable ops. Before I go too far into the modes, an excellent podcast on these wormholes can be found here. This is an excellent overview of D-Star, DMR, and System Fusion, and helped me decide to take the plunge into DMR.
Enough of that, though...on to the modes themselves.
I will very readily admit to my bias here, that of the three I prefer D-Star over DMR or System Fusion. However, I do own a DMR radio, and hope to begin exploration soon. One advantage to all four of the above wormholes is that they expand the reach of the typical Technician license.
EchoLink, D-Star, DMR, and System Fusion all can and should be integrated with repeaters. However, what are you to do if you aren't near a repeater that runs the digital wormhole you want to use? Well, in the case of EchoLink it's easy...install the software on your PC. But what about the other three? Run a hotspot, of course! I'm going to use the term hotspot a little more broadly, since there are several kinds of systems that could be set up.