New to HF and SWL -- PC ALE?

[ch40n1k]

Hi all,
I'm brand new to SWL ... just happened across a Grundig G5 sw receiver. Where is the best place to get started on decoding digital modes, beacons, sats etc?

I've looked at PC ALE, but apparently I need to be a member of the yahoo group, which I've been waiting two days for approval for.

Any help would be awesome ... maybe a link or two?

 

[Shortwavewave]

I dont know much about PC-ALE but im sure our wiki does

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_link_establishment

http://www.hflink.com/beta/

 

[ka3jjz]

Like the Good Book says, Seek and ye shall find...(anything in blue and/or underlined is a link)

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/ALE

Unfortunately PC-ALE doesn't work on Vista, and it seems questionable whether the author is going to update the software.

I suppose the stronger stations, ones that aren't subject to much interference, would work using a G5. Personally speaking, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't. But for getting into digital modes, a desktop rx (such as the R75, or a used ham transceiver, most modern ones have very good general coverage rx built in) is going to work far and away better.

73 Mike

 

[andrewccm]

The link for PC-ALE is invalid in the WIKI.. Or at least it goes to a page cannot be found for me...

 

[ka3jjz]

Yeah looks like it's gone - looks like Charles' website got deleted (he posted a message on this). This is going to affect his versions of PC-HFDL as well. Hopefully he'll let everyone know if he decides to bring it back somewhere else.

In the meantime, I'd check the HFLink Yahoo group (or the HFLink website as given in the article) for the latest versions of PC-ALE, and the HFDL Yahoo group will, I will wager, house the latest versions of PC-HFDL (a.k.a HF ACARS) decoders.

You can edit in the wiki, too (hint hint) 73 Mike