Posted: 10/11/2008 9:16:05 PM EDT
| Anyone interested in trying to work some PSK? Let me know and I'll fire up the digital interface. |
If I can find a serial cable to hook up to the TS-2000 I'm using in the interim I'll let you know. I'm sure I've got one somewhere.
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It's really not that expensive to get into. Depending on your rig, may not even need an interface if you have a decent VOX. You can also build an interface with a few bits 'n pieces and there are schematics all over the web. I've got a Rigblaster Plus and it was about $100, iirc. Allows you to still use your radio on voice modes while still interfacing with the computer. It's great fun. A few weeks ago on 40m I was working QRP and with a guy in Georgia. I got the power cranked down so far I was getting about 1700 miles per watt and he could still copy me 100%. All of this with a dipole that's mounted too close to the ground. |
I bit the bullet today  I downloaded Digipan, nestled the computer microphone into my HF rig headset.What a h00t! I was copying stations from St. Croix, Santo Domingo, NJ, FL, TX and MN. That was all at 14.070 after watching the K7AGE video. This evening I got the brilliant idea to prop my HF mike up against the PC speaker and turn on VOX, but 20 meters was dead. I looked at the band plan and found the other starting frequencies for RTTY, but nothing coming in tonight. I'm going to see about gathering up the materials this week to build that interface shown by GySgtD. What other frequencies are you folks using besides 14.070? |
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I've had my SignaLink USB on order for weeks and it finally arrived late last week. I got it up and running yesterday with my laptop. It was very easy to install and configure. Hunting season here is in November. I have plans of operating some PSK from the camp. Compared to what I had been doing for PSK this SignaLink is a welcome addition to the shack. |
| Not sure. I have incredibly low rx audio. I pretty much have the gain cranked and I can still barely hear incoming signals. It's done this before but it always been intermittent and clears up. Now it seems to be permanent. I haven't cracked the case yet to see if there's anything obvious. I called Icom and got their diagnostic fee ($42) and rate ($84/hr) so I just need to box it up and see what they say. |
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all this talk about psk31, I downloaded digipan, I've been using MixW, but digipan is alot easier. wow,, it is.. I'm holding a computer mic up to the speaker of the HF radio. and even turned down to a low volum it seems to work real good. will it work the other way around too?? can hold the mic up to the computer speaker when it transmits my signal???? if so, I'm dialed in with that.. hope my eye/hand/ear coordination is working.. |
I did just that last night and had a great 599 both sides QSO with a fellow in Creel, Mexico. As I stated in a previous post, I jammed the computer microphone into the HF headset and turned on VOX for the HF rig. I had my beer can insulator propping my microphone up to the PC speaker. As I drank the beer it wouldn't hold the mike in place as well  I'll correct that tonight. BUT, now that I know this works I'm going to track down the pieces parts to build the interface!
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