JT65-HF - A digital mode for those with lots of time but not much to say


On occasion I've made contact with someone with whom I feel an immediate affinity. I can easily talk for 20 or 30 minutes with someone like that. But when I want to rack up contacts for DXCC or WPX awards I just want to cut to the chase. For these times I find JT65-HF to be the perfect mode.

JT65-HF is a variant of a mode created by Joe Taylor (K1JT). Originally devised for EME, it's now been adapted for weak signal HF work by Joe Large (W6CQZ). It's distinctive chirpy tones sound like Olivia in slow motion.

Common frequencies for JT65-HF are (USB):

• 80 m - 3576 mHz
• 40 m - 7039 mHz
• 30 m - 10139 mHz
• 20 m - 14076 mHz
• 17 m - 18102 mHz
• 15 m - 21076 mHz
• 12 m - 24917 mHz
• 10 m - 28076 mHz

The software package of choice is JT65-HF, and the latest version is available here (http://sourceforge.net/projects/jt65-hf/). Be sure to sign up for email notification when new versions are released. I use Ham Radio Deluxe 5.5 for rig control and logging, but other programs are available.

Installation and set up is fast and simple. Timing is critical in this mode so before each session always synchronize your computer clock. Set your power output to 5 or 10 watts. More than this is seldom necessary because of the extreme sensitivity of the software. In addition, be aware that JT65-HF is a 100% key down transmission for a full 50-seconds. High power could easily damage your rig!

Each exchange begins on either the even or odd minute, i.e., you transmit on the even minute and listen on the odd, or vice versa. For example, I might choose to listen at 13:02 and transmit at 13:03. Each transmit or listening phase lasts for 50 seconds with the remaining 10 seconds used as an idle period.

Here's how a typical session progresses:

• 10:00 TX CQ KB3IHX FN10             I call CQ for 50 seconds, adding my grid
• 10:01 RX KB3IHX KI7RM CN85     The DX station responds with his grid
• 10:02 TX KI7RM KB3IHX -13          I respond with his signal report
• 10:03 RX KB3IHX KI7RM -15         The DX station responds with my signal report
• 10:04 TX KI7RM KB3IHX RRR       I send RRR (all received)
• 10:05 RX KB3IHX KI7RM 73          The DX station sends 73
• 10:06 TX KI7RM KB3IHX 73           I sign off with 73

During the final round you have the option of sending a custom message, perhaps including info about the contact. Examples include 5W DPLE 73, LOTW KB3IHX, or TU KB3IHX 73.

JT65-HF color codes contacts for your convenience: green for stations calling CQ, red for transmissions directed to you, and gray for all other ongoing contacts. Moreover, each response can be created by simply double-clicking the other station's response. It's incredibly easy.

That's it. Seven minutes from start to finish, although I have seen contacts that go straight to 73 after exchanging signal reports. JT65-HF users tend to confirm contacts via LoTW so building credit for ARRL awards is relatively painless.

Check it out. I hope to see you on the waterfall.

-73
- Steve KB3IHX

Computer control of the Kenwood TS 440S

My station currently consists of an ICOM 706MKIIG driven by an Dell laptop with a Rigblaster Pro interface for all my digital modes, and a Kenwood TS 440S rig for phone communications. Tying it all together is Ham Radio Deluxe for digital modes, logging and ICOM rig control. My desire, however, has been to tie in the Kenwood for rig control and logging as well.

Two issues have prevented me from doing this:

• The Rigblaster Pro can only drive one rig at a time without reconfiguring the jumper cables and reconnecting the cables


• The TS 440S does not natively support rig control

Yes, I could upgrade my Rigblaster, but I just couldn’t justify the extra expense. Now, fortunately, I don’t need to.
I was perusing eBay last week and ran across the items I needed. First, I found the IC10 computer chip set (virtual.swap.meet, $22.95) that need to be installed in the TS 440S for computer control. Second, I found a 6’ USB CAT cable (Affordable Radio, $34.00) that would work with the existing Rigblaster serial cable attached to my laptop.

The first step was to remove the top and bottom covers from the TS 440S, slide out the front control panel and install the chips. It’s a pretty tight space where the chips plug in, but it took me only about 30 minutes from start to finish.

The big question was whether the USB cable would work. It calls for the COM Port to be set to 1, which HRD reserves for the Rigblaster connection. Disregarding the cable driver installation instructions I selected COM Port 4 and started HRD. Within the HRD setup for rig control, I selected:

• 4800 Baud
• RTS checkbox checked 'on'

The result? It works quite well for a radio that is 20 years old. HRD both sets and reads frequency and mode, and selects the VFO (A or B) and sets frequency splits. Switching between rigs and modes is now simply a matter of changing selections in HRD. Very cool, and I recommend both of these vendors.

-73
-Steve KB3IHX

Traveling light with the Yaesu VX-6 HT

When I travel I have a backpack dedicated just to gadgets -- camera, iPod, Nintendo DS Lite, scanner, shortwave receiver, and dual-band HT. Carrying it is back-breaking, and getting through airport security usually raises TSA eyebrows. So when I found the Yaesu VX-6 tri-band transceiver I bravely imagined throwing away my backpack for something more discrete like, say, a fanny pack.

The VX-6 is not perfect, but it's got a pretty good mix of features: 3 FM bands (144, 220, and 440) plus wide band coverage from .5 mHz all the way through 999.990 mHz (cellular blocked), and supports AM, FM and WFM modes. Output is 5 watts on 144 and 440, and 1.5 watts on 220 with selectable intermediate power levels on all three bands.

So how well does it work? Let's talk about the transceiver first. I live in central PA where we have a fair number of hills. Nonetheless I have talked through repeaters up to 25 miles away with perfect copy using the stock rubber duckie antenna. I'm told the audio is crisp (the VX-6 has an adjustable mic gain setting) and the volume from the small speaker is adequate in all but the noisiest environment.

When it comes to scanning above 30 mHz, the VX-6 is a reasonable performer. With 900 channels you can program any combination of public service, aircraft and repeater frequencies needed. Again, the stock antenna does a pretty good job at picking up most stations.

What about shortwave? Well, no one's perfect. I must say that the VX-6 does better than the Icom R-5 wide band receiver below 30 mHz, but that's not saying much. In truth, you can pick up strong shortwave signals even with the squelch on, but to really listen to shortwave you'll need to replace the rubber duckie with something more robust. Be careful, though. Too much antenna and you'll simply overdrive the receiver, giving a whole new meaning to the term 'wide band.' That said, I can receive without difficulty stations like Radio Havana, China Radio International, plus the usual Eastern European stations and plethora of religious programming.

The VX-6 comes pre-programmed with 89 shortwave frequencies, 280 marine channels, and 10 weather channels. In addition, the 900 programmable memories can be distributed across 24 memory banks.

But if you're considering the VX-6, I have a few recommendations. First, get the software to program it. Programming this radio without the software is cruel and unusual punishment. With the software it's a snap.

Second, get an external mic. I use the earpiece/microphone combo, a nifty little ensemble that has a remote keyer and a collar clip to keep everything neatly in place.

The 7.4 volt lithium ion battery supplies about 7 hours of normal duty cycle usage, or 15 hours of receive only. There's a raft load of other features, but the bottom line is that the VX-6 is a capable tri-band FM transceiver with the added advantage of a wide band receiver. I would buy it again.

It might even be the only gadget I take with me on my next trip!

-73
-Steve KB3IHX

Building the Small Wonder Labs PSK-20

Encouraged by success in building the Hendricks Scout Regen shortwave receiver last winter, I decided to take the next step -- building a transceiver. I like phone QSOs, but my first love is digital, particularly PSK31. After looking around I settled on Small Wonder Labs' PSK-20 kit, a crystal-controlled QRP SSB rig operating at 14.070 mHz. While not a project for beginners, construction doesn't require advanced tools or calibration equipment. You'll need a multimeter and a 25 watt soldering iron plus the usual assortment of needle nose pliers, diagonal cutters and wire strippers.

The assembly instructions are clear, and the silk screened printed circuit board makes placement of components straightforward. Stage operation throughout construction can be checked with strategically placed tests using a multimeter. Two transformers were missing in the original shipment, but Small Wonder replaced them with no hassle. The only serious challenge was winding the four toroids, but a careful count of the turns reduces the chance of error.

Small Wonder recommends using Digipan to align the transceiver and for subsequent operation. I prefer Ham Radio Deluxe, so after alignment with Digipan I set up for operation with HRD.

With only 3 to 4 watts output, making a QSO requires patience. Not only that, but my vertical multiband antenna is hardly ideal for QRP operation. Nonetheless, my patience was rewarded with a contact -- AJ4YM in South Carolina (470 miles) . In quick succession I racked up contacts with K9AAN (500 miles), NS2C (840 miles), and VE4KZ (1207 miiles). And through PSK Reporter I can see my signal reaching the West coast, about 2400 miles from my QTH in central Pennsylvania.

It took me about a week's worth of evenings to build the PSK-20. Now, every evening -- and a lot of weekends -- are filled with my latest self-imposed challenge. Making a QRP contact with Europe!

-73

-Steve KB3IHX

Amateur Extra exam - a retrospective

After months of study I successfully passed the Amateur Extra exam last weekend. I did it for several reasons. First, I like to finish what I start, and the Technician and General levels were nice but just didn't feel like where I wanted to stop. Second, I wanted access to a larger slice of the radio spectrum that the Extra ticket provides.

But as I studied the ARRL curriculum I began to wonder how I would actually use this new knowledge. Sure, the RF safety material is important, as is the discussion on rules and regulations. But exactly how will I use my new ability to calculate half bandwidths or circuit Q. I don't plan to build any tranceivers from scratch, nor do I plan to do radio repairs. Moreover, the Extra curriculum provides nowhere near the background skills remotely required to do either.

So what's the point of studying this content? If it's meant to be a gate keeper and keep all those grubby CB types off the world bands, then it works...sort of. But I often hear old timers moan about how tough the exam used to be, that a 5 wpm code test means nothing, and that publishing the exam questions makes it too easy to pass the test. And it's particularly galling to them that us new guys don't build all our of own equipment. What we do, according to them, is merely operate 'appliances.'

Of course, all of this "in the old days" stuff is nonsense. If you could have bought a SSB transceiver on eBay in 1920 you would have done it. I immensely enjoy photography, my other hobby, but I didn't build my own digital camera. Does this make me any less of a photographer. I don't think so.

Even more, as an educator with advanced degrees in teaching and curriculum design, I can say with confidence that tests are not inherently required to be difficult. Look at it this way. You start with a needs analysis (a fancy way of saying you look at what people gotta know to do their job), gather the content that will help them do it, and then design a test that will measure whether they meet those requirements. If you correctly identify what they need to know, teach it competently, and then test to see if they learned it, where's the difficulty? You're simply asking them to apply what they've been taught. What's more, you can even start with the test and use that to teach the salient points.

Does this mean that those who have recently passed the Extra exam will have the same knowledge as someone who has been involved in the hobby for 20 or 30 years? Of course not, any more than new college graduates have the knowledge of seasoned professionals. But they do have the requisite knowledge to enter the field and begin to build their experience.

And this brings me back to my original point. How am I to use this new information? Designing a circuit by choosing capacitors, calculating resistors and then selecting the closest values, using truth tables, or any of the advanced trigometric calculations are pointless. Instead why don't we focus on newer digital modalities, computer skills, VoIP protocols, and use of cloud computing that more accurately reflect where the hobby is today?

Adhering to modes and methods determined by the way things used to be does nothing to advance the hobby, and it needlesly antigonizes the next generation of enthusiasts. Let's focus on the essentials of producing competent hobbyists at each license level and encourage them to grow their skills as they move forward.

-73

-Steve KB3IHX

Hendricks QRP radio - an easy intro to kit building

The holy grail of ham radio is to build your own equipment - receiver, transmitter, antenna - the works. So when my grandson needed a radio project for Cub Scouts I persuaded him that building a shortwave receiver was exactly what he needed to impress his follow scouts, and get me on the road to creating a home-built rig.

I searched the web and compared prices, features, and ease of building and selected the Scout Regenerative receiver from Hendricks QRP Kits. The kit features two bands (3.5 mHz to 10 mHz) powered by a 9-volt battery or optional 12-volt external power source.

The kit includes a double-sided silk-screened printed circuit board and all components, and very clear step-by-step instructions, including tests to insure everything is working as you complete the kit. The instructions recommend identifying all of the parts before starting, but this was fast and easy thanks again to the color photos included by Hendricks. Only basic tools are needed for construction - a 30 watt soldering iron, 60/40 rosin core solder, and a multi-meter. The printed circuit board is double-sided, so soldering is straightforward. As with any electronic kit construction, paying close attention to putting the right part in the right plus being careful about polarity for electrolytic capacitors and diodes is critical. Removing soldered parts is a hassle, so I was lucky that everything went in correctly the first time.

Hendricks provides convenient construction check points to test voltage and current through the circuit. My measurements were close but not exactly on the mark as indicated in the manual.

Perhaps the hardest part of construction was winding the coils. It requires at least three hands to hold the wire tight, insert it through the holes in the PVC pipe, and tie it off so it doesn't unravel. When winding coils, neatness counts. Too many - or too few - turns in the coil push the tuning out of tolerance, so count carefully.

With the last component soldered in place, I did a quick review of the plans, snapped in the 9-volt battery, attached a long wire antenna, and plugged in a pair of earphones. WoW! China Radio International, Radio Havanna, Radio Tirana - I could hear them all. True, the regeneration control takes some getting used to, sort of like letting out the clutch while stepping on the gas in a manual transmission, but once you get used to it it becomes second nature.

All in all, Hendricks has done a nice job of creating a sensitive regen shortwave receiver for $40. And yes, my grandson's Scout buddies were impressed!

- 73

- Steve KB3IHX

Scanning the airwaves

I’m an avid Police/Fire scanner enthusiast. When the sirens sound, I reach for my scanner. I’ve heard everything from criminals stealing police cars to cops chasing bank robbers on foot. If it’s happening, I want to know about it. So when I went on vacation this summer I took my scanner with me.

I have two scanners – a RadioShack Pro-97 and an ICOM IC-R5. Both are programmable via serial cable and offer a thousand or more memory channels, but that’s where the similarity ends. The PRO-97 scans both trunked and conventional frequencies, but scans only within specific bands (25-54 MHz, 108-136.9875 MHz, 137-174 MHz, 216.0025-221.9975 MHz, 222-225 MHz, 225.025-405.975 MHz, 406-512 MHz, 806-960 MHz excluding cellular frequencies, and 1240-1300 MHz), all using AM / FM modes. The IC-RX5, on the other hand, is a wide band receiver (495 kHz – 1309 MHz with cellular frequencies blocked), and AM / FM / WFM modes are selectable.

Neither scanner is particularly user-friendly, something that seems to be a common characteristic of scanners. The only reasonable option is to clone frequencies using a PC and a cable. Fortunately both scanners have good PC-based software alternatives.
For the Pro-97, Win97 (www.starrsoft.com/) offers the best mix of features and ease of use. The GUI is clearly labeled and allows copy-and-paste from one section to another, and from spread sheets. Even better, Win97 lets you download and import frequencies from RadioReference.com. Note that this requires a premium membership from RadioReference. Win97 is stable, even on Vista.

An added benefit of the Pro-97 is the PowerScan feature that picks up any strong signal within 1000 yards. Don’t know the exact frequency, but you’re close to the action? Hit PowerScan and you’re in business.

The ICOM requires either the OPC-474 cloning cable (radio-to-radio) or the OPC-478U with Windows cloning software. The ICOM software is functional, if unimaginative. ICOM does offer a very clumsy download feature from their site that lets you select stations based on various criteria – none useful – for import into their software. You’ll need a stiff drink before tackling this one, though.

So, you want to know the real scoop on why your plane is delayed? Use your scanner – discretely, of course – to listen in on air traffic control. My snooping once revealed that the company had misplaced the plane. Misplaced! They had a crew, but no plane! This gives a whole new meaning to “lost luggage.”

Nevertheless, which ever scanner you use, if you have a taste for vicarious violence, unfortunate occurrences, or virtually anything else that involves radio communications, don’t forget to pack your scanner before leaving home.

- 73
- Steve KB3IHX

RSID IDs QSOs

If you're like me you sometimes have trouble recognizing digital modes when you hear them. Sure, you recognize PSK when you hear it, but can you tell the difference between PSK31 and PSK64? Or how about MFSK and Olivia? If not then RSID is perfect for you.

The Reed Solomon IdentifIer system (RSID) provides automatic identification of 103 digital modes using a short tone on transmit (1.4 seconds) similar to MFSK encoding. When received, RSID identifies the digital mode and -- depending on the particular software package -- displays the mode and a clickable link to tune to the transmission, and automatically begins decoding. To date there are four programs aimed at the amateur radio market that include RSID.

• DM780 (part of Ham Radio Deluxe)
• FLdigi
• Multipsk
• FDMDV

As digital modes proliferate, RSID-enabled decoding may well be the most useful software package in your shack.
-73
-Steve KB3IHX

SOLAR on cycle 24

In October 2006 NASA launched the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), part of the NASA Solar Terrestrial Probes program. STEREO is a two-year mission that uses two nearly identical satellites - one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind - to provide the first-ever three dimensional observations to study both the Sun and its coronal mass ejections. Of particular interest to amateurs, however, is that SOLAR's unique perspective allows astronomers to detect sunspots before they're visible here on earth. And we all know that as sunspots increase, so too does propagation.

So what is SOLAR telling us? According to the ARRL, sunspot numbers for September 17 through 23 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 11, 26 and 31, with a mean of 9.7. So is this the beginning of the long awaited solar cycle 24? Perhaps not. The Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel at NASA now agrees that the last solar minimum occurred in December, 2008, but in the words of the panel the next cycle is shaping up to be "the lowest of any cycle since 1928."

"In our professional careers, we've never seen anything quite like it," says Dave Pesnell from the Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA's lead representative on the panel. "Solar minimum has lasted far beyond the date we predicted in 2007."

Right now the prediction is that solar cycle 24 will peak in May 2013 with a below-average number of sunspots, providing only modest propagaton enhancement.

What's a ham to do? My suggestion -- tune up the antenna, invest in a beam, levage gray line propagation, enjoy the hobby, and let the sun take care of itself.

-73

-Steve KB3IHX

Of sunspots and Stradivarius

Amateur radio operators watch the latest sunspot reports much like investors watch Wall Street tickers. Are we coming out of the bottom of the lastest cycle? Are there signs of new spots on the solar disk?

As we all know, sunspot activity has a major effect on long distance radio communications. As sunspot activity increases, so too does propagation on shortwave frequencies. Sunspot cycles last about 11 years, and we're currently at the bottom of Cycle 23. But as many have noted, Cycle 24 seems to be slow in starting, leading to concerns that we may be entering another Maunder Minimum.

The Maunder Minimum (aproximately 1645 to 1715) was a period of exceptionally low sunspot activity. Whether a direct correlation exists between sunspots and global temperature is open for debate, we do know that this period corresponded to what became known as the "Little Ice Age" during which record low temperatures were experienced across North America and Europe. We also know that the variation in cosmic radiation bombarding the earth was affected, and this was reflected in the amount of carbon-14 found in tree rings. It's hypothesized that the colder temperatures led to slower tree growth, resulting in a very hard wood that Stradivarius used to such great advantage in crafting his incomparable violins.

Similar periods of extended solar minimums have been observed or indirectly detected via carbon-14 dating from 1450 to 1540, and again from 1790 to 1820. In fact, over the past 8,000 years the sun has spent about a quarter of its time generating few or no sunspots.

Nonetheless, scientists at the National Solar Observatory in Tucson, Arizona say the solar mechanism that generates sunspots is functioning just fine, albeit more slowly than usual. According to these scientists, the solar jet stream has reached the 'critical' latitude, and the number of observable sunspots is already on the rise. If this proves true then we can expect to see marked improvement in propagation from 20 meters all the way up through 6 meters nearly any time of day.

And that's music to my ears.

73
Steve KB3IHX

Sky writing

I love PSK31. It's my preferred mode of contact over all others, voice or digital. It suits my low power station and modest antenna configuration perfectly, and I can decode a signal that's barely visible on the waterfall. My most prized PSK31 QSO to date has been on 20 meters with ZL3KR in Christchurch, New Zealand (about 9,000 miles).

Along the way I've met some interesting characters, like the Old Testament professor at a German university, a large animal vet in Colorado, and the guy in Alabama who slammed into another car during a head-on collision, leaving an imprint of his son's face on the dashboard of his truck (he's OK).

PSK31 (Phase Shift Keying with a bit rate of 31) was created by Peter Martinez (G3PLX) in 1998. Using little more than a computer sound card, a SSB radio and a few cables, PSK31's strength lies in its ability to overcome poor propagation. It accomplishes this by transmitting a series of zeroes at the beginning of each transmission so both transmitter and receiver are synchronized. Moreover, the structure of the varicode data itself is mathematically predictable so even if the transmission is dropped mid-QSO the receiving station can easily resynchronize and continue decoding the message. In spite of its exceptional weak signal performance, difficulties sometimes occur over transpolar paths where the signal phase can be adversely affected by auroral events.

PSK31 doesn't use error correction and it's relatively slow, so it isn't suitable for mission critical files, like sending executable applications. On the other hand, it hums along at a reasonably comfortable typing speed of about 50 words per minute so a QSO can sustain a lively conversation.

My hardware setup consists of an ICOM 706MKIIG, a Dell laptop and a Rigblaster Pro interface. While homebrew equipment is fine, the Rigblaster greatly simplifies the interface between the computer and transceiver. I generally use about 50 watts, an output that I've successfully used many times during routine 4,000 mile QSOs with Europe.

I use Digital Master 780, part of Ham Radio Deluxe, for encoding and radio control. The SuperPSK function lets me easily see who's on the band, and I can shoot my completed QSOs right into my log book.

My preferred operating band is 20 meters, right around 14.070. I've recently begun a foray into PSK contesting which allows me to rack up as many as 100 contacts per hour. Nonetheless, I still prefer a more leisurely QSO where I can get to learn something about the other guy. After all, isn't that what ham radio is supposed to be about?

-73
-Steve KB3IHX

Mapping your QSO

As I've written in this space before, amateur radio is a wonderful way to see the world, albeit vicariously. Personally, I like to peer into the hometown of my QSOs, tracing streets and streams and really learning something about the locale. A map is a great resource, as is a globe. But the best mapping application for doing this, hands down, is Google Earth.

Even by itself Google Earth would be a fantastic application, but combined with a logging program plus some free plug-ins it becomes an indispensible tool.

What makes Google Earth so powerful is "metadata," a dynamic layer of information about specific places, like repeater sites or station locations based on latitude and longitude. Metadata is saved in ‘My Places’ which offers persistent storage for personal information within Google Earth.

Tom White (K5EHX) has taken advantage of this feature with his collection of radio repeaters.” Tom has plotted the location of every repeater site in the continental United States. With this file loaded into Google Earth I can see all of the repeaters in my area. By flicking the yaw control I can fly over the terrain from my home QTH to the repeater site, inspecting the terrain along the way.

HB9TLK has taken this a step further by enlisting amateur operators around the world to contribute their home QTH to his Ham World Map project. Enter your call sign and latitude/longitude in decimal degrees (Google Earth can report information in this format) and click ‘Submit.’ Now open Google Earth, click ‘Add’ and then ‘Network Link.’ Enter a name for the file, say ‘Ham World Map,’ and type ‘www.qslnet.de/member/hb9tlk/hammap.kmz’ in the link field. Click ‘OK’ and you’re ready to roll. Now when you look in the ‘Places’ window you’ll see the Ham World Radio and a list of call signs. Scroll through them – they’re alphabetized – double-click the call sign of your contact, and Google Earth will fly you there. Voila! When other hams search for your call sign using the Ham World Map database they’ll see your home QTH. Lean out the window and wave!

For my money the best integrated package is still Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD), a free logging program from Simon Brown, HB9DRV. Enter your QSO’s call sign in the log, confirm the info at QRZ.com from within HRD (the maidenhead coordinates are required for this to work), click the ‘Google Earth’ lookup button, and you’ll see your contact’s home QTH up close and personal.

There you have it – three ways to use Google Earth to visit your latest QSO. Bon voyage!

- 73
- Steve KB3IHX

Is anyone listening?

I'm a visually oriented person, so that's one reason I gravitate toward digital modes like PSK -- you can "see" your signal on screen. But the real question is not whether I can see my signal, but whether anyone else can. That’s why I was thrilled to learn about PSK Reporter, a free web-based service that, according to its creator Philip Gladstone, displays PSK31 reception reports in near real time. As a point in fact, PSK Reporter tracks many other modes, like RTTY, MFSK, Throb, and even CW.

PSK Reporter displays reception data on top of a base map provided by Google Earth. Pull-down menus let you select various parameters, like monitoring by specific band or digital mode. Several software packages, such as the excellent Digital Master 780 (part of the Ham Radio Deluxe suite of applications), have the PSK Reporter client integrated into the basic package. DM 780 and other applications that support the client silently monitor the frequency and fire the data off via internet to PSK Reporter. Every five minutes Reporter updates its map showing stations received, the distance from the transmitting station, and other sundry data.

But PSK Reporter provides more information than who can hear your signal. It also provides a good picture of band openings to specific geographic areas. For example, if I see reception reports clustered on the west coast on 20 meters then I know I’m likely to get more contacts in that region using that band.

So now when I call 'CQ' and get no response I can eliminate a host of issues – bad cable connections, low power output, poor modulation levels – and simply check whether the band conditions are conducive to a QSO. If not, I can switch to another band and try again.
- 73- Steve KB3IHX

QSL anyone?

Like a kid at Christmas, I get excited when a new QSL card arrives to confirm a QSO from weeks or, curiously, years past. It's a reminder of people I've met and places I've visited, albeit vicariously. It's also part of a century-old tradition begun circa 1916 by Mr. W. T. Fraser (8VX) from Buffalo, NY who sent a card to Edward Andrews (3TQ) in Philadelphia, PA.

Some cards simply contain the operator's call sign and QTH, but my favorite card is from Cuba which, in addition to the usual contact confirmation, displays the photo of the Cuban Five. Depending on your politics, they are either a). Cuban nationals convicted of espionage, conspiracy to commit murder, and other illegal activities while in the United States, or b). heroes for sacrificing their liberty in the glorious defence of the Motherland. Why send just a QSL card when you can make a political statement!

The problem with QSL cards is that they take so long to get from the other guy. But there is another way, and it's free -- at least, most of the time.

eQSL.net is an easy way to exchange electronic QSL cards. You register (free for a basic account), choose an eQSL card design (more elaborate designs are available at extra cost), upload your contacts in Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF), and you're in business. Now when you complete a QSO you're contact info is sent automatically (if you use the excellent Ham Radio Deluxe) to eQSL.net. Chances are good your contact also uses eQSL. When your card arrives you're notified by email. That's it!

What makes this particularly important is that CQ Magazine now accepts eQSL QSO confirmations for its operating awards. Currently only confirmations from "Authenticity Guaranteed" members of eQSL will be accepted, meaning that a membership of bronze or higher is required. Applicants for CQ DX and CQ DX Field Awards must print out their eQSLs and send them in accompanied by their conventional QSLs to a either a CQ checkpoint or CQ DX Awards Manager.

Of course there's also the tremendously useful Logbook of the World (LoTW) from the ARRL. It's open to all, not just ARRL members. You'll need a free digital certificate before submitting log data, but the software to accomplish this is also free. Charges occur only when you apply for an award using QSL matches obtained through LoTW, but that's true no matter what the source or format of QSL cards.

LoTW does not offer electronic QSLs so the two programs are not direct competitors. Instead they offer amateurs different opportunities to pursue awards programs.

I can get excited about that!

- 73

- Steve Hulse KB3IHX

Baseball and espionage

I was sitting at my grandson's baseball game last Saturday afternoon aimlessly tuning the 41 meter band when I ran across one of the infamous 'numbers' stations. You've probably heard it -- a woman speaking in Spanish endlessly repeating blocks of five digit numbers. Although no one knows for certain, this station and others like it are believed to be aimed at spies in the United States.

The first numbers stations date back to World War I, placing them among the earliest broadcasters on shortwave. Since that time their use has only increased, including during the post Cold War era. This tells you something about the security of the current world order.

According to intelligence experts, the intended target of a numbers station uses a 'one time pad' to decode the message, and then destroys it by burning, flushing, or eating it -- it's rumored that some pads turn into bubble gum upon chewing -- so that other intelligence services can't decipher the communication.

I was using the ICOM IC-R5 Wide Band receiver with a pair of Ipod earphones. The IC-R5 is really an excellent little rig, although the term 'Wide Band' describes not just the frequency range but also the width of any given station channel. My numbers station, for example, covered almost 15 kHz. I'd also recommend swapping out the stock antenna for something more robust, like the very useful Nagoya telescopic antenna.

And so between innings and the usual on-the-field drama -- the players are all about 7 years old and the umpire was totally blind, resulting in lots of unhappy faces and even some tears partially hidden by baseball mitts -- I listened to someone using radio to attempt the overthrow of the United States government.

It was a sobering thought.

- 73

- Steve KB3IHX

The romance of radio

I confess to having a certain nostalgia for the distant days of my youth... bands that played music you could whistle, gas that cost 35 cents, and radios that didn't require a computer interface. So it was inevitable that I would turn back to the way radio used to be -- no digital signals, no single side band, not even AM, but pure unadulterated CW.

The homebrew radio with tubes glowing and antenna thrown over the tree outside the farmhouse window conjures up not just a simpler time but a period in which getting on the air meant building your own set. And to talk with like-minded individuals you needed to know code, a tradition that was passed down through the decades, only recently falling by the wayside.

I passed my General license exam back when the code test was still mandatory, but I did the bare minimum to pass. Now I find myself drawn to it. So it was with some interest that I saw a Bencher iambic paddle on eBay and seriously considered trying code again, and $90 later it was mine.

OK, so I'm cheating on the 'no computer' part, but the keyer is built in to the radio.

Now what? My code skills are hopelessly weak, so I'm hauling out my old ARRL practice CDs and listening to other hams on the air. But I'm still approaching my first code QSO with some trepidation -- will the other guy laugh at my ragged dots and dashes, thinking I'm a total amateur (no pun here)? On the other hand, I'm exhilarated at the thought of trying something new.

So if you hear what sounds to be erratic 'dots' and 'dashes' sprinkled amongst serious code QSOs, relax. You've discovered me making my CW debut.

- 73

- Steve KB3IHX