For Any FLDIGI Users

[BOBRR]

Hi,

Totally new at playing around with the digital modes.
Trying to home in on a (very) easy to use program.
Really want to learn only one.

Re FLDIGI :

Is it possible to decode Navtex with it ?

Is it possible to decode Weather FAX (the NOAA broadcasts) ?

Any general thoughts on this program ?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[ka3jjz]

While FLdigi doesn't list Sitor-b on its most recent revisions page, it does mention that the author just added WeFax for both standard IOCs. Programs like SeaTTY will do the job for both, I believe.

You will find that most digital DXers have more than one piece of software to decode digital. This is because no one program (within the reasonable price range of most hobby folks, anyway) can handle it all. For example if you wanted to decode ALE, PC-ALE and MultiPSK both do (how well MultiPSK does in this application I don't know - never tried it with this mode), but neither FLdigi nor SeaTTY will. Some get good enough to use a waterfall display to analyze signal characteristics and therefore can get some idea of the signal's mode - sometimes this is a clue as to who the transmitting station might be (and I would add that in this kind of analysis, we're not talking about hams here, who can use many different modes).

These links will give you some ideas. The first one lists lots of software packages - some soundcard driven, which is basically the way to go these days - and if you look at the audio samples section of the 2nd one, you will have a list of sites with audio (and sometimes waterfall traces) samples of the various modes. Eventually you will be able to identify at least some modes by ear. This is a detective game, and the more tools you have available to you, the better off you are.

Utility Monitoring Central

HF Digital Decoding - The RadioReference Wiki

73 Mike

 

[Token]

Re FLDIGI :

Is it possible to decode Navtex with it ?

Is it possible to decode Weather FAX (the NOAA broadcasts) ?

Any general thoughts on this program ?

Re: Navtex, no idea, have never tried or looked for that.

Re: WeFAX, yes, the latest version of FLDIGI does doe WeFAX, and quite well I might add.

Re: General thoughts on the program...it is a valuable tool to have in the software collection. And the price is right.

As KA3JZZ very correctly said, there is no one piece of software that most hobby oriented people can afford that will do it all. On my desktop I have a shortcut to a folder marked "Digital Radio Tools". In that folder I have over a dozen shortcuts to different pieces of software, much of it freeware or shareware (by the way, if you use a piece of shareware and find it useful do kick the author something, writing such code does take time and effort, as does improvements to the code). Some are good for analysis of signals; some are good for decoding modes X and Y but not A and E, etc, etc. It is a little bit of a pain, to be sure, but that is the only way I have found to make it work.

If cost is no issue one of the expensive decoders might be the way to go, say Krypto 500 or Code 300-32, but for most folks that is not an option. I have used both of those pieces of software and still found the need for other software at times, but I turned to the other stuff much less frequently. For example, I feel that the WeFAX mode of the most recent FLDIGI works at least as well, if not better, than the WeFAX on either K500 or Code 300.

T!

 

[k8krh]

It decodes weafax very good, the other no idea. Someone mentioned ALE, never tried to decode with fldigi, I don't think it does.
I use multipsk for ALE, works great ..only 2 contacts on it in a year..like many other modes Thor, Throb, Mst 63 etc, available but few takers..

DOCTOR

 

[f4ecw]

WEFAX yes, Sitor no (Not yet)

Yes it decodes (and sends) Wefax. About Navtex, not at the moment, although it is doable. Do you think there is some interest to add this mode to fldigi ?

 

[f4ecw]

Navtex and SitorB will be available in fldigi for reception and transmission in version 3.22.

One can already download and compile the source from here:

git.berlios.de Git - fldigi/shortlog

 

[n2nov]

Navtex and SitorB will be available in fldigi for reception and transmission in version 3.22.

One can already download and compile the source from here:

git.berlios.de Git - fldigi/shortlog

Looking forward to it as I use the SeaTTY software for NavTex. Any idea when the various AX25 speeds will be added to FLdigi? How about the various ALE/MilStd modes that MARS uses?

 

[f4ecw]

Ax25, ale.

"Any idea when the various AX25 speeds will be added to FLdigi?"

Packet will be available too. Btw, what do you think about adding a KISS interface ?

"How about the various ALE/MilStd modes that MARS uses?"

No plan at the moment although it has been suggested.

 

[n2nov]

"Any idea when the various AX25 speeds will be added to FLdigi?"

Packet will be available too. Btw, what do you think about adding a KISS interface ?

"How about the various ALE/MilStd modes that MARS uses?"

No plan at the moment although it has been suggested.

KISS is good as I use programs like JNOS that use KISS. It sure alleviates the need for a TNC box.