getting started listening to digital modes

[DaddyHam]

I have a technician license and am studying for my general. Eventually I will have a HF transceiver. But in the meantime I do have one of the upgraded Drake SW8 receivers that people seem to love a lot.

Today I will set it up with a random length of long wire antenna (I'm hoping I can get at least 75 feet) and start to scan the HF bands. I have a XP laptop and a cable to feed the audio in to the laptop.

I'm hoping I can start to detect and decode some of the digital modes today.

Any advise I can get on which software and what modes I should start with would be very much appreciated.

Yesterday I did a little test with a pretty short wire (10 feet maybe) and only could hear a few transmissions across the bands). But in reading about some of the low power modes like jt65 it implied that sometimes you can't hear the digital part above the background noise but software can. Is this true.

Oh also for jt65 I do know I will set up dimension 4 for making sure the time right on the laptop.

Thanks in advance for helping this new ham.

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Eric
KK4MWM

 

[DaddyHam]

Okay I did read another post about the software sorcerer and will try that. My Drake is not on their list but I guess it can't hurt to try.

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Eric

 

[ka3jjz]

This article will help...

HF Digital Decoding - The RadioReference Wiki


Subscribing to Yahoo groups like the UDXF is the single best way to find logs of stuff that's readable. Keep in mind that since it's a worldwide list, you must consider propagation as one of the criteria for trying to hear something.

Whether you're just tuning digital, or doing anything on HF (really), getting a good antenna outside and away from the house is a must. We have a separate forum for receive antennas, so any questions should be posted there, but see the HF antennas link in the article. We've got lots of possibilities there

Mike

 

[DaddyHam]

This article will help...

HF Digital Decoding - The RadioReference Wiki


Subscribing to Yahoo groups like the UDXF is the single best way to find logs of stuff that's readable. Keep in mind that since it's a worldwide list, you must consider propagation as one of the criteria for trying to hear something.

Whether you're just tuning digital, or doing anything on HF (really), getting a good antenna outside and away from the house is a must. We have a separate forum for receive antennas, so any questions should be posted there, but see the HF antennas link in the article. We've got lots of possibilities there

Mike

Thanks for the help. I will dig in deep tonight on the wiki and join the yahoo group.

I'm limited in outside antennas because of the neighborhood rules but I will string a temporary long wire today for a little fun. Overtime as I learn more about HF I plan on getting some decent antennas but they may have to be in the attic.

I met a gent recently that has a nice Kenwood transceiver (a TS-590 I think) and a antenna in his attic. He has a very nice antenna tuner (I don't remember the brand) and does mostly JT65 DX work. He has been very successful with 5 and 10 watts.

Hopefully when we move out of the neighborhood in a few years I can go with a outdoor antenna.

Thanks again for the help
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Eric

 

[DaddyHam]

I made some progress today. I set up a temporary long wire antenna that was about 80 feet long and oriented N / S. It was only about 5 feet of the ground. It was connected to 10 feet of 50 ohm coax.

I was able to pick up some voice HF conversations in the 7150 to 7250 MHz range. Some of these were very clear and strong forn NJ, PA, FL and the ARRL shack in CT. I'm in VA. I also heard several digital transmissions but did not connect the Drake to my laptop yet.

Progress is a good thing.

---
Eric
KK4MWM