Good source for all the digital modes

WB8NUT has put together a very comprehensive summary of digital modes at http://wb8nut.com/digital/.

Check it out!

TDRC Meeting Saturday, May 14th at 1 PM

The next Tulsa Digital Radio Club meeting will be Saturday, May 14th at 1 PM.  It will be held at the Broken Arrow Central Library at 300 W. Broadway.

We'll be discussing plans for operating our club station QRP/Digital for the upcoming ARRL Field Day in June.

Also, don't forget to check in to the statewide APRS net this weekend, which coincides with the start of the meeting at 1 PM.  We will be operating the net from the library.

Hope to see you at the meeting!

--Jeff AE5ME

Digital Opportunties with Armed Forces Day on May 14th

Several different digital modes (ALE, MFSK, PSK, etc.) will be used during this exercise.  More information about frequencies and modes to follow.....

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04/21/2016

The US Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard will cosponsor the Armed Forces Day Military/Amateur Radio Cross-Band Communications Test on Saturday, May 14, 2016. The event gets under way at 1200 UTC, with activity continuing throughout the day. Some military stations may not operate for the entire period.

 

“New for Armed Forces Day this year, military stations and Amateur Radio operators are authorized to directly communicate on the 60 meter interoperability channels,” US Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, pointed out.

This year marks the 66th Armed Forces Day (AFD) observance, a week later than the radio event. Armed Forces Day is observed this year on May 21, but the Military/Amateur Radio Cross-Band Communications Test is held earlier in order to avoid conflicting with Dayton Hamvention®.

The annual communications exercise is an opportunity to test two-way communication between amateur and military communicators and features traditional military-to-amateur cross-band SSB and CW communication and offers an opportunity for radio amateurs to utilize modern military communications modes such as MIL-STD serial PSK and automatic link establishment (ALE). These tests give Amateur Radio operators and shortwave listeners (SWLs) a chance and a challenge to demonstrate individual technical skills, and to receive recognition from military radio stations. QSL cards will be provided to stations that contact military stations during this event. The complete announcement of stations, times, and frequencies— subject to change — is available on the US Army MARS website.

 

Participating military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and listen for Amateur Radio stations on selected amateur frequencies, which the military station operator will announce. Contacts should be limited to a minute or two, so all participants get a chance. Some stations will operate on Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) frequencies; others will use CW.

 

Amateur Stations with automatic link establishment (ALE) capability can contact military stations on specific half-duplex cross-band channels established for this purpose. Military stations will scan and receive certain Amateur HFLINK ALE frequencies, and transmit on the corresponding military ALE frequency. Military stations will also transmit ALE station identification (soundings) on each military frequency at 30 to 90-minute intervals.

 

The traditional Secretary of Defense message will be transmitted via Military Standard radio teletype modes, described in MIL-STD 188-110A/B. Reception of serial PSK will provide a technical challenge to amateur stations to receive the broadcasts using a high symbol rate serial PSK waveform not utilized in Amateur Radio, but found in all modern military equipment. See the complete schedule for details. Additional transmissions will use wide-shift FSK (RTTY), as this mode represents a baseline in interoperability common in all radio services. Most RTTY programs can be set to decode this mode. To accommodate amateurs some stations will transmit the Secretary of Defense message using common ham radio modes such as RTTY, PACTOR, AMTOR, PSK31, MFSK and MT63.

 

Transcripts of the received text should be submitted “as received,” without attempting to correct possible transmission errors. Provide time, frequency and call sign of the military station copied, including the submitter’s name, call sign, and address (with ZIP code). This information should appear on the paper containing the test message.

 

Stations copying the Secretary of Defense message from Army and Navy stations should send their entries to Armed Forces Day Celebration, Commander Netcom, ATTN: NETC-ITSMD, Bldg 90549 Jim Ave, Fort Huachuca, AZ 85613-7070.

 

Stations copying Secretary of Defense message from Air Force stations, should send entries to Armed Forces Day Celebration, 38CYRS/Chief AF MARS, 203W Losey St, Room 1200, Scott AFB, IL 62225.

Amazing reception in spite of Radio Habana interference, both MFSK32 and Olivia 64-2000

Another neat posting from the NBEMSham Yahoo Group:

Sat Apr 16, 2016 4:24 pm (PDT) . Posted by:

kd9xb

Tim, K0RUS, in Colorado produced this YouTube video of his reception and decode of VOA Radiogram at 1600-1630 UTC on 17580 kHz. VOA Radiogram and Radio Habana Cuba were mixing fairly evenly in Colorado, but as you can see, the MFSK32 and Olivia 64-2000 were successful.

https://youtu.be/TUeuCuihui4

Amazing Olivia 64-2000

From the NBEMSham Yahoo Group:

Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:54 am (PDT) . Posted by:

kd9xb

In reception conditions unsuitable for voice or for VOA Radiogram's usual MFSK32 mode, the Olivia 64-2000 segment decoded 99.8% in Sydney, NSW, Australia, 15500 km from the North Carolina transmitter. 5745 kHz ...

Olivia 64-2000 - 16 April 2016, 0930 UTC http://voaradiogram.net/post/142890107842/voa-radiogram-16-april-2016-0930-1000-utc-5745

http://voaradiogram.net/post/142890107842/voa-radiogram-16-april-2016-0930-1000-utc-5745

Olivia 64-2000 - 16 April 2016, 0930 UTC http://voaradiogram.net/post/142890107842/voa-radiogram-16-april-2016-0930-1000-utc-5745 VOA Radiogram, 16 April 2016, 0930-1000 UTC, 5745 kHz, via North Carolina transmitter, as received in Sydney, NSW, Australia, about 15500 k...



View on voaradiogram.net http://voaradiogram.net/post/142890107842/voa-radiogram-16-april-2016-0930-1000-utc-5745
Preview by Yahoo

Upcoming MARS COMEX on May 7th

From KC5MWZ:

 

(If you would like to participate, please contact ae5me at yahoo.com)

 

Below is the condensed version of the op order for the upcoming Communications Exercise suitable for distribution to the Amateur Radio community.

 

There has been a MAJOR change from what was previously reported. 

 

The exercise will take place on Saturday May 7 between 6AM CST and 6PM.  (It was previously reported for May 12.)

 

Based on previous experience,  DOD will put requests for information into the MARS network early in the exercise.   Amateur Radio stations should expect MARS operators to come up on Amateur radio frequencies sometime in the mid morning hours with requests for information.  That is all the detail we have or will probably get. 

 

Here is the condensed Operations Order

 

GENERAL OVERVIEW: 

 

EXECUTION OF THIS COMEX REQUIRES COORDINATION WITH RADIO STATIONS IN THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE (ARS).

 

TRAINING EXERCISE SIMULATES A NATIONAL CRISIS SITUATION.  

 

THROUGHOUT THE COMEX, STATIONS SHOULD OPERATE UNDER EXERCISE CONDITIONS THAT SIMULATE A COMPLETE UNAVAILABILITY OF CYBERSPACE, ELECTRICAL, AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME.  ALL MARS AND AMATEUR RADIO STATIONS SHOULD PLAN TO TRAIN IN THE COMEX, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO USE BACKUP POWER.

 

FRIENDLY FORCES

     (1)  AIR FORCE MARS

     (2)  ARMY MARS

     (3)  AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS

     (4)  DOD FORCES

     (5)  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

     (6)  AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE

 

MISSION

 

AD HOC LOCAL COORDINATION WITH AVAILABLE AMATEUR RADIO RESOURCES.

 

DEMONSTRATE INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN DOD NETWORKS, GOVERNMENT, AND AMATEUR RADIO STATIONS.

 

INTENT

 

ESTABLISH AND SUSTAIN DEPENDABLE, MULTI-LAYER HF RADIO-ONLY NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS TO SUPPORT DOD OBJECTIVES AND INTERFACE WITH RELEVANT AMATEUR RADIO NETWORKS AS REQUIRED TO FULFILL DOD REQUIREMENTS.

 

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

 

THIS COMEX IS DESIGNED TO EMULATE A SCENARIO THAT WOULD NORMALLY OCCUR FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL MONTHS OR LONGER.  HOWEVER, THE COMEX IS CONDUCTED OVER A HIGHLY COMPRESSED TIME PERIOD TO EXERCISE REQUIRED MISSION CRITICAL TASKS WITHIN A VOLUNTEER FORCE.

 

UTILIZING MARS STATIONS AND LOCALLY AVAILABLE AMATEUR RADIO STATIONS AS SOURCES, REPORT ON ALL OBSERVATIONS AND INFORMATION AS REQUESTED.

 

REPORTABLE OBSERVATIONS

 

REQUESTED OBSERVATIONS MAY BE REPORTED FROM MARS STATIONS, AMATEUR RADIO STATIONS, OR ANOTHER VALID SOURCE SUCH AS GOV AGENCY, WEATHER SERVICE, ETC.  ONLY REAL CONDITIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY OBSERVED ARE REPORTED.  

 

AMATEUR RADIO ACTIVITY

 

AMATEUR RADIO ACTIVITY IN THIS COMEX IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUAL, NON MARS AFFILIATED AMATEUR RADIO STATIONS TO SUPPORT A DOD ACTIVITY IN A REALISTIC, AD-HOC MANNER. STATE MARS DIRECTORS, THROUGH THEIR CIVIL AFFAIRS OFFICERS (A) AND EMERGENCY COORDINATORS (AF) HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR COORDINATING LOCAL, AD-HOC AMATEUR RADIO SUPPORT AND SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO COORDINATE THIS ACTIVITY WITH IINTERESTED LOCAL AMATEURS, GROUPS, AND CLUBS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS COMEX NO DISTINCTION IS INTENDED BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AMATEURS, ARES OR RACES AFFILIATED AMATEURS AND ORGANIZATIONS. 

 

INTERNET AND STORE AND FORWARD TYPE SYSTEMS WILL NOT BE USED DURING THIS EXERCISE.

 

 

Bill Stewart WA9AQQ / AFD6SC

Deputy Director Region 6 Air Force MARS

wrkestew@...

WTX COMEX

The El Paso ARES group conducted a COMEX on last Saturday, April 16th.

I am pleased to report that Olivia 8-500 (using FLDIGI) was able to make the path between AE5ME and KB5HPT on 30m.  The only stations able to make contact were AE5ME and a station 40 miles away from KB5HPT.  Band conditions were extremely poor throughout the morning of the exercise.  Even PSK31 was barely readable on 14.070 Mhz, which is a rare situation!

This illustrates the need for having a variety of modes and bands to make contacts.  While we wouldn't normally use Olivia 8-500 as it only has a throughput of 29 wpm, it allowed a contact to be made when other modes were lost in the static.

--Jeff AE5ME