Digital modes

[DarkPhoenix]

I've been an HF listener for about 5yrs now and have had alot of fun listening to the USCG and USAF hot freqs. as well as searching for other stuff along the way. But recently I've felt that I should jump into the digital decoding end of things, as I feel I'm missing out on some interesting stuff. I've visited a few sites and read up on what is out there to decode. My question is....What software are you guys using? I just want to get an idea of what I should try and ultimately buy.

Thanks!

[ka3jjz]

The best stuff is either up on the satellites and/or heavily encrypted up to wazoo- but there's some interesting stuff on HF nonetheless.

If you regularly watch the UDXF, you'll find a lot of folks using SkySweeper or one of the very expensive Wavecom or Hoka 300-32 units. But just to get your feet wet, I would get a copy of PC-ALE. If you've been listening on the GCS system, from time to time you will hear a warbling sound, followed, sometimes, by a station. That's ALE - we have a section in our Wiki that talks a little about it. It's freeware.

It takes a little bit to learn how to read the text that results - you would be primarily interested in knowing who is signalling. Once in a while, operators will insert a text message, and that might tell you some more about who is using the frequency. It's very much a detective game.

I would also get something so you can copy the SitorB weather broadcasts from the USCG, as well as the various FAX stations around the world. There are a couple - such as SeaTTY - which are quite inexpensive.

Just keep in mind that there are lots of modes on HF we will never copy - It's much harder to find something that you can read, and that's part of the game. Our utility monitoring wiki has links for PC-ALE and for Utility Monitoring Central, which has a seperate page dedicated for just software decoders.

73s Mike

[zz0468]

Outside the amateur bands, I have not been able to decode anything other than marine and aviation weather for several years. Most of the digital signals I'm hearing are encrypted. If anyone is actually succesfully using Hoka, Skysweeper, or anything similar to catch something interesting, I'd be curious as to just what they're hearing and how they're doing it.

[DarkPhoenix]

Well I DL PC-ALE last night and was tuned to one of the Cothen ALE Network freqs. where there were some voice comms as well (new freq. for me so it was a surprise). I had everything set up but I couldn't get the program to decode. Nothing was showing up. So I'm not sure exactly what I was doing wrong. It's kinda fun though searching for an active freq. and tring to get it to work.

I DL the SkySweeper Demo, which really is not a what you think a demo would be. You can't try it, but is shows you what it can do. I think I will purchase SkySweeper in the near future.

[ka3jjz]

Originally Posted by zz0468

Outside the amateur bands, I have not been able to decode anything other than marine and aviation weather for several years. Most of the digital signals I'm hearing are encrypted. If anyone is actually succesfully using Hoka, Skysweeper, or anything similar to catch something interesting, I'd be curious as to just what they're hearing and how they're doing it.

Take a look in the Utility DXers Forum in Yahoo; there are many folks doing exactly that. Our European friends seem to get some pretty interesting stuff sometimes, no doubt partly due to propagation differences between the States and Europe. ALE is very big nowadays. There seems to be no end of methods to how folks find readable stuff. Many, I'm sure, use a very structured method of developing lists of frequencies and agencies they'd like to see - and I am sure there are those that tune around and try to find something readable. That can get pretty frustrating in a hurry. For me, a structured list is the way to go, modifying it as I go due to propagation or other conditions, of course.

73s Mike

[ka3jjz]

Originally Posted by DarkPhoenix

Well I DL PC-ALE last night and was tuned to one of the Cothen ALE Network freqs. where there were some voice comms as well (new freq. for me so it was a surprise). I had everything set up but I couldn't get the program to decode. Nothing was showing up. So I'm not sure exactly what I was doing wrong. It's kinda fun though searching for an active freq. and tring to get it to work.

I DL the SkySweeper Demo, which really is not a what you think a demo would be. You can't try it, but is shows you what it can do. I think I will purchase SkySweeper in the near future.

I would stick with the simpler software first before going to SkySweeper. Your DX394 isn't really outfitted to handle some of the more esoteric modes. Getting expensive software for a mediocre receiver is not likely to produce much good.

Re PC-ALE- 3 things come to mind;
a. Many ALE stations (certainly not all) transmit in USB mode - so that's where you want to listen.

b. Make sure that when you plug in your speaker to your soundcard, that you are hearing noise in your speakers. Some systems have the mic in or line in muted, and you need to go to Control Panel (or if there's an icon for your soundcard in the system tray, click that),
and make sure it's not.

c. There's a little setup you need to do before you will receive anything. If memory serves, the PC-ALE website has JPEGs with the examples for the settings. Even though you're not transmitting with the software, the settings will get you started. In my case, I make sure the LQA, Sounding, Polling and THIS IS boxes are all checked. You can leave the TX LEVEL at 0, but you may need to adjust the RX LEVEL for your system. It will take some playing around with that setting, as there's really no set standard for input levels on soundcards.

73s Mike

[DarkPhoenix]

Thanks Mike! I went to the WIKI and found some documentation on how to set up the software. I'll work on that stuff as well as the soundcard issue. I can't hear the audio from my speakers, but I made sure that it wasn't muted. I might need to try another jack. On the PC-ALE display it shows that it is getting the audio because I can see the bars in the spectrum display. If after all that doesn't give me any results, maybe I'll switch to my 398.

[DarkPhoenix]

Well gentlemen, when I returned home from work this afternoon, I had quite a few data strings on my PC-ALE window. IT WORKS! Although I still haven't figured out why I can't get the audio to go to my comp speakers. I'm not to worried about it I have a splitter with a lapel speaker on one side and my line in on the other. I left the radio on the COTHEN freq and got some good results. I've confermed a few call ID's but some I have not.

Thanks for all your input!

[lurking]

I use either a direct cable connection from an Yaesu 817 to the computer or a Donner's interface. I can't tell you why, but the Donner's Interface is far superior for many applications in digital. mode.

I think there's a feedback loop in the Donner's that makes a difference.

Has anyone every played with the different connecting cables to see what has the superior perfromance. I not that interested in transmitting PSK which would require the Donner's, but just reception.

When my computer gets healed, I use a variety of programs for different stuff. (I'm on my wifes computer right now so I can get my internet fix)

I use Seatty, MTTY, several for SSTV, Ham Deluxe, 817 Commander, SelCal, and several spectrum analyzers.

[electricman]

Hi Chris,

Just read your thread, I am trying to monitor ALE, I have to run RS and pickup a patch cable and I hope to be in business tonite.

I am glad to hear you had good results, couple of questions, which radio did you end up using? I have a DX-398 that I am going to use. On one of the pages on PCALE there was a list of radios to choose from and the DX-398 was not listed, should I just use the one listed as generic? Patch cable, does it matter if it is stereo or mono?, I was going pick up this one:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family

Do I want to use the rec line out instead of the headphone?

Could you post the USCG and USAF hot freqs, those sound interesting.

Thanks.

[ka3jjz]

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index...Communications

This has a link for both our COTHEN and HF GCS articles 73s Mike