In my experience, teaching skill are often inversely proportional to a persons knowledge in the fields of computing and ham radio. Let's face it, we've all been there with eyes glazed over, and growing frustration as some whizz kid tries to help us and fails. You walk away angry and he walks away thinking you are stupid. Thank goodness for people like David Casler. Knowledge and the ability to pass it on so that it all seems so obvious and straight forward to the beginner. Thanks Dave.
Thanks Dave for helping us " newer" hams get a better understanding of how to get these systems installed and running. Thanks also for the enjoyable QSO this evening on 20 M...VA4EEE
APRS is often incorrectly said to stand for Automatic Position Reporting System. This is an understandable error, as GPS-derived position reports were the most common type of information reported using the system. However, APRS is Automatic Packet Reporting System. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Packet_Reporting_System Thank you for the time and effort of putting these videos out, and for sharing your knowledge with others.
Wow, excellent explanation, thanks! There's so much about digital modes that's been a mystery to me. In explaining them, hams I've heard tend to gloss over fundamental points, assuming some basic knowledge. I love your step-by-step approach in explaining things, and your wonderful graphics always help me enormously.
In the mid 1970s I had a Model 28 KSR and HAL RTTY equipment and it was exciting to see RTTY decoded on a monitor and reply on the attached keyboard. That became my favorite mode.
Thanks Dave. Nothing trivial about this subject, and I'm going to have to listen again when I'm more wide awake. It wasn't _that_ long ago that they had RTTY machines at some places where I worked. Still going at the Bangkok Post Newspaper in 1997 as I recall, though not used so much.
Great video, Dave, thanks! I used to work for InCoTerm, a company that made intelligent computer terminals that could emulate any communications protocol by simply loading a paper tape into the core memory of a small computer packed inside a plain old ASCII terminal. This was before PCs were even a word. The airlines loved the devices and used them to develop the first computerized ticketing systems back in the 70s and early 80s. Now retired, I'm finding that Digital modes (and indeed all of ham radio) is still quite mysterious, but with help from these videos it is beginning to come together. I still often wonder why people bother with digital radio at all as it seems so much easier to simply pick up a microphone, but I didn't make a career in networking for nothing. Hams love technology and get more fun out of exploring complex ways of doing seemingly simple tasks. The often unexpected worlds they open up makes it all worth the effort! With that in mind, have you or anyone else in internet-land ever interfaced a decidedly non-digital Kenwood TS-830S to a computer? Are there any articles describing the process? That'll be my next project after I get my station on the air. Thanks again.
As I’m hearing impaired (SSHL), I have an especial interest in digital data modes. I’ve worked RF (SATCOM) for many years (military), but just relatively recently got into amateur radio. Ran (dialup) BBS’s as a hobby going back to the 80’s. Even had my BBS connected to BITNet/Internet (in a roundabout way) through a local University in the late 80’s. Running a BBS over packet radio (U/V) seems interesting, but guess I missed the heyday of that period. I have an IP block on AMPRNet that I’ve been looking to do something with though...
USB directly to the radio is very, very nice.. My IC-9100 has this feature. No more messing with audio levels, cords, IRQ's... it just works with the USB driver. And the CI-V on the same cable! :-) Great video Dave. We just reviewed Chap 8 in our General license class and about every week I add "Ask Dave has a video on this, check it out". 73, N5ZY.
Great video David! I have seen this before, but am watching again. You are very clear in your description. By the way, the good old ASCII terminal lived far beyond the introduction of the computer. It was handy to power off and not have any nagging data that would survive so in secure environments liked that feature. Loved all that technology and great memories for a career that watched all this develop before my eyes. So in regards to old radios and a box like signal link, is there a list of radios that can be FT8 enabled? The two hidden questions here is how do some of the old radios deal with the Signal Link and the normal audio they are processing? Thanks, 73!
Dave, thanks for all the knowledge you share. My question, is FSQCALL still being widely used? An Emcomm group I joined recently uses it and now I am learning it. Seems like folks stopped talking about it 5 or 6 years ago. Thanks again for everything.
Dave or anyone, advice please - Should I convert my AEA DSP 232 MultiMode or Pakratt 232 to USB (if that's possible) or should I just go and get a SignalLink USB for RTTY (and HF digital modes)? Or is there something else that's better and more recent that I don't even know about? FYI, my rig is a Ten-Tec 580 Delta and I run power when needed. I used to enjoy SSTV as well, but for that, I converted an old 486 PC (because of its clock)(not one slanted pic ever!) to use the audio going to its built-in speaker and a DOS program. That's all gone now. I would just like to get back to where I was. Oh, and Lord willing, I'd like to get one of those RSP1A SDR radios for its spectrum display. I think that's so neat to see what's on both sides. Second question, what are guys mainly using to protect their SDRs when they Tx? Thanks
I'd say get the Signalink and fldigi and set the 232 aside. That's what I've done. Re the SDR, use the IF or low-level RF output on the back of your transceiver. If it doesn't have such an output, MFJ makes a device that shorts out the SDR input while your rig transmits.
Hi Dave. I just bought a used w0 power supply for running my base station ( test in 9 days) . With it came a Vega model IP223 zEthernet remote panel , no phone type Mic with it . Is this what you are talking about in this parti ulnar video? And should i definitely hold on to it? Both units were 70$ . I don't feel like I did too bad on the deal What's neat is I got the tech manual for the Ip223. Schematics and all.
Thank you for the video. Been off the air since 1993 and a lot of the stuff sounds very familiar but This is. 2018. I'm in the process of setting up by station again. Have a lot of things going on I power supply comes on but no power comes out. I'm trying to work on 5 band 2 ele quad. Wish me luck. Bank you ever have any more questions I will death would be back. OMI transceiver is a Kw 850. Just hope everything comes together. 73 KQ4CDPaul
Paul, Look towards the Output of the Amp...Could be a blown Zener Diode that’s keeping all of those “Excited Electrons” from Leaving the Final Transformer? Good Luck my Friend!
JT 65 sounds like a type of aviation fuel. I take my hat off to you Sir - each to their own on the bands. I'm old and backwards. SSB and CW with crystals and tubes is more my style. Most of this video was way above me. But that's not your fault. Nice picture of Mt Sneffel - you live in the nature - Nice :-)
Dave, love your videos! I am having great difficulty getting fldigi to work with my ic 7300. I have all the settings on the ic 7300 per your instructions, I have downloaded the Ic7300 xml file but I can’t get settings correct. The xml file appears and com port 3 is selected. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks Don kb3yrp
David, I am unable to get fldigi program to reconize the windows audio settings, it was working, but now when I try to check port audio the program trips an alarm that reads port audio device is not available. windows settings says audio devises are all ok, but program will not talk to windows so I can program sound card. Help please if you can!
I would consider myself extremely new to HAM radio....but I do have an Extra class license. With that being said, I have recently been moving toward digital modes as a part of my overall knowledge of the hobby, and to diversify my abilities with it. However.....yes, here we go.....I may very well be off path, but isnt all of this in some sense a rebirth of communication technology that has far surpassed what is being done here? Lets face it, we can simply use a cell phone to access internet, take and send pictures or videos, email data files, or text messages. While I understand that many will say that this radio form, at least in some sense, it more “pure” since no paid coverage is required etc. And I suppose I get that....however, it still seems that we are reinventing what has already been invented, and this technology is far behind the other. And let us not forget that this too requires a computer, other hardware, software, power sources etc. So again...I am in fact interested and have been moving forward, but am I simply overlooking something here?
There are lots of commercially-available communications options for point-to-point activity and of course video options for live streaming. But when you just want to play around with radio, or see how far you can talk or what new countries you can get, there’s nothing like ham radio.
David Casler I know P25 phase 1 at least is an FSK (phase 2 is CPQSK if that makes much difference - haven't researched that side of it) but I'm not sure if there are different codecs for FSK (likely).
David Casler bittorent is just a decentralized file sharing protocol designed to allow the distribution of files/ data without a main server. Unlike a standard file server bittorent works better with more people downloading as they are uploading as well. By itself Bittorent is fine its only an issue if you download files that are copyright protected. Its wonderful for downloading large files that arent though like Linux operating systems. Also its very secure if you get the .tor file from a trusted ssl secured site and run a sha256 checksum to ensure you know youre downloading what you want
Torrents have a bad reputation because malware is common in the illegal copies that basically are the bulk of it. There are plenty of alternatives. Even if dome of those are full of scamware as well.
Dave, great video but you need to correct your explanation on how CW mode works. Although, your diagram is functionally correct your audio stating that a CW transmitter puts out a single tone on a single frequency is not. A CW transmitter does not put out any tone, it puts out a carrier only [no modulation] that is keyed on and off as necessary to send Morse code. As your explanation and diagram show, the tone is generated in the receiver so the listener can transcribe the message. Incorrect explanations, although unintentional, lead new hams astray and make it difficult for them to understand how radio really works. It is better to impart correct knowledge from the start rather than putting someone in a position of having to 'unlearn' wrong knowledge. Thank you for your efforts.
In my experience, teaching skill are often inversely proportional to a persons knowledge in the fields of computing and ham radio. Let's face it, we've all been there with eyes glazed over, and growing frustration as some whizz kid tries to help us and fails. You walk away angry and he walks away thinking you are stupid.
Thank goodness for people like David Casler. Knowledge and the ability to pass it on so that it all seems so obvious and straight forward to the beginner. Thanks Dave.
Watch it 5 years later. Dave is such a good teacher. Still very interesting and lots of information.
This is one of the best explanations of the digital modes for ham radio I have ever seen. Thank you!
Good history class on HF digital mode
Thanks Dave for helping us " newer" hams get a better understanding of how to get these systems installed and running. Thanks also for the enjoyable QSO this evening on 20 M...VA4EEE
APRS is often incorrectly said to stand for Automatic Position Reporting System. This is an understandable error, as GPS-derived position reports were the most common type of information reported using the system. However, APRS is Automatic Packet Reporting System. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Packet_Reporting_System
Thank you for the time and effort of putting these videos out, and for sharing your knowledge with others.
Thanks
Wow, excellent explanation, thanks! There's so much about digital modes
that's been a mystery to me. In explaining them, hams I've heard tend to
gloss over fundamental points, assuming some basic knowledge. I love
your step-by-step approach in explaining things, and your wonderful
graphics always help me enormously.
Another outstanding production. Will watch how to operate the digital equipment next.
Fantastic, quality video. Thanks for making these, I'm sure they will be very useful to many amateurs and potential amateurs.
In the mid 1970s I had a Model 28 KSR and HAL RTTY equipment and it was exciting to see RTTY decoded on a monitor and reply on the attached keyboard. That became my favorite mode.
Thank you Dave! Most informative info on Digital.
Thanks Dave. Nothing trivial about this subject, and I'm going to have to listen again when I'm more wide awake. It wasn't _that_ long ago that they had RTTY machines at some places where I worked. Still going at the Bangkok Post Newspaper in 1997 as I recall, though not used so much.
Unhackable RTTY teletype.....
Love your videos Dave, so well put together and tremendously helpful. 73's.
Thanks for the good overview of digital. I am a potential ham in training.
Check out www.KEØOG.net/training.
You whole channel is incredible. Thx !!
All of your videos are awesome...Thank You. 73s....awesome pictures as well.
Dave, thank you for creating such excellent videos for us!
thanks for the coaching.
Dave, outstanding!
+K7AGE Thank you!
Great video, Dave, thanks! I used to work for InCoTerm, a company that made intelligent computer terminals that could emulate any communications protocol by simply loading a paper tape into the core memory of a small computer packed inside a plain old ASCII terminal. This was before PCs were even a word. The airlines loved the devices and used them to develop the first computerized ticketing systems back in the 70s and early 80s.
Now retired, I'm finding that Digital modes (and indeed all of ham radio) is still quite mysterious, but with help from these videos it is beginning to come together. I still often wonder why people bother with digital radio at all as it seems so much easier to simply pick up a microphone, but I didn't make a career in networking for nothing. Hams love technology and get more fun out of exploring complex ways of doing seemingly simple tasks. The often unexpected worlds they open up makes it all worth the effort!
With that in mind, have you or anyone else in internet-land ever interfaced a decidedly non-digital Kenwood TS-830S to a computer? Are there any articles describing the process? That'll be my next project after I get my station on the air. Thanks again.
Thanks for making this video Dave.
Outstanding digital introduction and high production value Dave. N1EK
As I’m hearing impaired (SSHL), I have an especial interest in digital data modes. I’ve worked RF (SATCOM) for many years (military), but just relatively recently got into amateur radio. Ran (dialup) BBS’s as a hobby going back to the 80’s. Even had my BBS connected to BITNet/Internet (in a roundabout way) through a local University in the late 80’s. Running a BBS over packet radio (U/V) seems interesting, but guess I missed the heyday of that period. I have an IP block on AMPRNet that I’ve been looking to do something with though...
downloaded and made a qso before your video ended. thanks dave. wouldn't have bothered with this mode without watching.
Enjoy those digital modes! No better way to learn them then to get on the air.
Thanks for making this video.
Another great one
USB directly to the radio is very, very nice.. My IC-9100 has this feature. No more messing with audio levels, cords, IRQ's... it just works with the USB driver. And the CI-V on the same cable! :-)
Great video Dave. We just reviewed Chap 8 in our General license class and about every week I add "Ask Dave has a video on this, check it out". 73, N5ZY.
Thank you Sir!
Nice photo of Mt. Sneffels. Hope you don't mind if I borrow some of this for my club presentation on Friday.
Great video David! I have seen this before, but am watching again. You are very clear in your description. By the way, the good old ASCII terminal lived far beyond the introduction of the computer. It was handy to power off and not have any nagging data that would survive so in secure environments liked that feature. Loved all that technology and great memories for a career that watched all this develop before my eyes.
So in regards to old radios and a box like signal link, is there a list of radios that can be FT8 enabled? The two hidden questions here is how do some of the old radios deal with the Signal Link and the normal audio they are processing? Thanks, 73!
All SSB radios can do FT8 with an appropriate interface such as the SignaLink USB. Be sure to throttle the power back.
Note there were SignaLink RS232 boxes long before there was USB!
Dave, thanks for all the knowledge you share. My question, is FSQCALL still being widely used? An Emcomm group I joined recently uses it and now I am learning it. Seems like folks stopped talking about it 5 or 6 years ago. Thanks again for everything.
Dave or anyone, advice please - Should I convert my AEA DSP 232 MultiMode or Pakratt 232 to USB (if that's possible) or should I just go and get a SignalLink USB for RTTY (and HF digital modes)? Or is there something else that's better and more recent that I don't even know about? FYI, my rig is a Ten-Tec 580 Delta and I run power when needed. I used to enjoy SSTV as well, but for that, I converted an old 486 PC (because of its clock)(not one slanted pic ever!) to use the audio going to its built-in speaker and a DOS program. That's all gone now. I would just like to get back to where I was. Oh, and Lord willing, I'd like to get one of those RSP1A SDR radios for its spectrum display. I think that's so neat to see what's on both sides. Second question, what are guys mainly using to protect their SDRs when they Tx? Thanks
I'd say get the Signalink and fldigi and set the 232 aside. That's what I've done. Re the SDR, use the IF or low-level RF output on the back of your transceiver. If it doesn't have such an output, MFJ makes a device that shorts out the SDR input while your rig transmits.
Finally found it (maybe)... I'm guessing that would that be:
A close look at the MFJ-1708SDR T/R switch (#148)
ua-cam.com/video/nchpTOfdjoI/v-deo.html
Hi Dave. I just bought a used w0 power supply for running my base station ( test in 9 days) . With it came a Vega model IP223 zEthernet remote panel , no phone type Mic with it . Is this what you are talking about in this parti ulnar video? And should i definitely hold on to it? Both units were 70$ . I don't feel like I did too bad on the deal
What's neat is I got the tech manual for the Ip223. Schematics and all.
Thank you for the video. Been off the air since 1993 and a lot of the stuff sounds very familiar but This is. 2018. I'm in the process of setting up by station again. Have a lot of things going on I power supply comes on but no power comes out. I'm trying to work on 5 band 2 ele quad. Wish me luck. Bank you ever have any more questions I will death would be back. OMI transceiver is a Kw 850. Just hope everything comes together.
73 KQ4CDPaul
Paul,
Look towards the Output of the Amp...Could be a blown Zener Diode that’s keeping all of those “Excited Electrons” from Leaving the Final Transformer? Good Luck my Friend!
JT 65 sounds like a type of aviation fuel.
I take my hat off to you Sir - each to their own on the bands.
I'm old and backwards. SSB and CW with crystals and tubes is more my style.
Most of this video was way above me. But that's not your fault.
Nice picture of Mt Sneffel - you live in the nature - Nice :-)
Dave, love your videos! I am having great difficulty getting fldigi to work with my ic 7300. I have all the settings on the ic 7300 per your instructions, I have downloaded the Ic7300 xml file but I can’t get settings correct. The xml file appears and com port 3 is selected. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks Don kb3yrp
David, I am unable to get fldigi program to reconize the windows audio settings, it was working, but now when I try to check port audio the program trips an alarm that reads port audio device is not available. windows settings says audio devises are all ok, but program will not talk to windows so I can program sound card. Help please if you can!
Nice vid very informative
On your 3000, what options did you get?
Just the digital voice recorder
I would consider myself extremely new to HAM radio....but I do have an Extra class license. With that being said, I have recently been moving toward digital modes as a part of my overall knowledge of the hobby, and to diversify my abilities with it. However.....yes, here we go.....I may very well be off path, but isnt all of this in some sense a rebirth of communication technology that has far surpassed what is being done here? Lets face it, we can simply use a cell phone to access internet, take and send pictures or videos, email data files, or text messages. While I understand that many will say that this radio form, at least in some sense, it more “pure” since no paid coverage is required etc. And I suppose I get that....however, it still seems that we are reinventing what has already been invented, and this technology is far behind the other. And let us not forget that this too requires a computer, other hardware, software, power sources etc.
So again...I am in fact interested and have been moving forward, but am I simply overlooking something here?
There are lots of commercially-available communications options for point-to-point activity and of course video options for live streaming. But when you just want to play around with radio, or see how far you can talk or what new countries you can get, there’s nothing like ham radio.
How does FSK31 compare to P25, DMR and that branded Yaesu mode that I hate (because it is locked to one provider only)?
+Glen O'Riley Sorry, I haven't used any of them. Perhaps another viewer might have some experience.
David Casler
I know P25 phase 1 at least is an FSK (phase 2 is CPQSK if that makes much difference - haven't researched that side of it) but I'm not sure if there are different codecs for FSK (likely).
So a bit confused here...what's the difference between "Packet Mode" communication and "Packet Radio"?
Pretty much the same thing.
I'm surprised more open source software isn't distributed via BitTorrent. I get all my Linux distros that way
I'm afraid I can't comment. Bit torrent has a bit of a bad reputation because of all of the copyright issues. That may be why.
David Casler bittorent is just a decentralized file sharing protocol designed to allow the distribution of files/ data without a main server. Unlike a standard file server bittorent works better with more people downloading as they are uploading as well. By itself Bittorent is fine its only an issue if you download files that are copyright protected. Its wonderful for downloading large files that arent though like Linux operating systems. Also its very secure if you get the .tor file from a trusted ssl secured site and run a sha256 checksum to ensure you know youre downloading what you want
Torrents have a bad reputation because malware is common in the illegal copies that basically are the bulk of it. There are plenty of alternatives. Even if dome of those are full of scamware as well.
Fun of digital modes: receiving no problem but trying to send a signal already for a week and it refuses. 😠 icom703 and wsjt-x
wow, you have outstanding presentation and teaching skills! Are you a professor, educator, teacher of some sort? 73 de IU2KIY
I inherited it. My dad was a teacher.
Thanks for sharing, 73 kc1ero
Dave, great video but you need to correct your explanation on how CW mode works. Although, your diagram is functionally correct your audio stating that a CW transmitter puts out a single tone on a single frequency is not. A CW transmitter does not put out any tone, it puts out a carrier only [no modulation] that is keyed on and off as necessary to send Morse code. As your explanation and diagram show, the tone is generated in the receiver so the listener can transcribe the message. Incorrect explanations, although unintentional, lead new hams astray and make it difficult for them to understand how radio really works. It is better to impart correct knowledge from the start rather than putting someone in a position of having to 'unlearn' wrong knowledge. Thank you for your efforts.