Fldigi Fast Light Digital Workshop February 14, 2015 Maumee, Ohio
What we will cover Session 1 (Today) 1. Hardware needed 2. Software needed 3. Hardware installation 4. Software installation 5. Software configuration 6. Transmitting and receiving digitally Session 2 - Date TBD 1. NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging Software) 2. Flwrap 3. Flmsg 4. Modes when to use 5. Logging with fldigi 2
What do you need? Transceiver for the band desired Laptop/Desktop with sound card Sound card may be part of the interface hardware Hardware interface between computer and radio Not required if acoustically coupled Software Readily available & most are free 3
What do you need to receive? You do not need an interface Typically 1/8 stereo audio cable or computer mic RadioShackModel: 42-2387 $14.99 Software - fldigi Computer & Receiver/Transceiver/Scanner 1/8 stereo phone plug audio cable Mic In Mic In or Spkr Out Acoustic Coupling 4
Simple Acoustic Coupling Transmit and Receive Computer No Interface Radio Built in Microphone Receive Speaker Out Built in Speakers Transmit Microphone Simplest, but least reliable 5
Simple Acoustic Coupling Transmit and Receive Manual Control 6
Using the computer soundcard 1. Four or Five cables 2. Soundcard is not designed around communications 3. Other programs can change sound card settings 4. May need to change sound card settings to run other programs Most Computers: Desktop = Line in/line Out Laptops = Mic in/headphone 7
Interface without a built-in soundcard Computer Interface Transceiver USB Port Serial In Mic/Line In Spkr Out Headphone/ Line Out Audio In Mic Out Mic/Data In 8
Interface without a built-in soundcard Rigblaster Plus $160 9
Interface with a built-in soundcard USB Cable Cable Mic or data Tigertronics SignalLinkUSB $110 http://www.tigertronics.com/ Additional Mono Cable Used with radios that do not have Receive Audio on the Mic jack. If you connect to your radio's Data or Accessory Port, not needed 10
Signalink to Radio Cables SignaLink USB Part Numbers (please specify when ordering): SLUSB4R - For 4-Pin Round Mic Connector SLUSB8R - For 8-Pin Round Mic Connector SLUSBRJ1 - For RJ-11 Mic Connector SLUSBRJ4 - For RJ-45 Mic Connector SLUSB5PD - For 5-pin DIN Data / Accessory Port Connector SLUSB8PD - For 8-pin DIN Data / Accessory Port Connector SLUSB13I - For ICOM 13-pin DIN Accessory Port Connector SLUSB13K - For Kenwood 13-pin DIN Accessory Port Connector SLUSB6PM - For 6-pin mini DIN Data / Accessory Port Connector SLUSBK3 - For the Elecraft K3's rear panel Audio In/Out & PTT jacks SLUSBKX3 - For the Elecraft KX3's Mic and Phones jacks SLUSBHTW - For various Baofeng, Wouxun and Kenwood HTs including the UV-5R, KG-UV6D, TH-F6A and TH-F7E (click here for a complete list of supported radios) SLUSBHTY - For various Yaesu HTs including the FT-60R and VX-8GR (click here for a complete list of supported radios) SLUSBNC - Un-terminated cable (bare wires on radio end) for building your own cable 11
How does one interface work with many radios? 1. Radio specific cable (specify radio when purchasing) 2. User installed jumpers (or jumper module) 12
The Software Why fldigi (fast light digital)? 1. Free 2. Works with all modes (PSK, MT63, Olivia, etc.) 3. Easily configured (macro, looks, etc) 4. Constantly upgraded to match emcomm requirements 5. Designed to handle most/all message forms 6. It s what the rest of us use 13
Where to find it www.w1hkj.com/download.html 14
Installing The Software 1. Right click on each of the 3 programs and save to the desktop 2. From the desktop, run each setup program Takes 5 minutes total Break for software installation 15
The fldigi screen Receive Text Area Transmit Text Area Macros Waterfall 16
Setting up the software Configure>Operator 17
Configure>Operator Save then Close 18
Configure>UI>Macros Save then Close 19
The fldigi screen RxID will change modes if sending station has TxID turned on Tune will send a homing signal until turned off TxID will transmit mode being used Receive Audio Level Black>Green>Yellow>Red Good>----------------->Too High Adjusting RF Gain may help AFC Leave off Waterfall SQL Squelch If on, adjust vertical slider 20
Setting up the software Op Mode 21
Modes 22
Digital Modes BPSK31 Olivia 8-500 Contesia 4-250 MT63-1000 RTTY 23
Where to find PSK31 2 Meter Band FM: 145.55 2 Meter Band SSB: 144.144 6 Meter Band: 50.125 10 Meter Band: 28.110-28.125 Mhz 12 Meter Band: 24.920-24.930 Mhz 15 Meter Band: 21.060-21.080 Mhz 17 Meter Band: 18.100-18.110 Mhz 20 Meter Band: 14.060-14.080 Mhz 30 Meter Band: 10.130-10.145 Mhz 40 Meter Band: 7.035, 7.070 Mhz 80 Meter Band: 3.620-3.640 Mhz USB Note: Some radios have digital specific modes. ie D-USB 24
7.000 to 7.300 MHz - 40 Meters www.qsl.net/sp9hzx/bandplan.html 7.000-7.020 CW DX Window simplex or split 7.030 IOTA CW Calling Frequency 7.030-7.040 Hellschreiber (USB) 7.035-7.040 BPSK31 (ITU Regions 1 & 3) 7.035-7.045 RTTY (ITU Regions 1 & 3) 7.039 JT65A (USB) 7.039 Hellschreiber (USB) 7.040 RTTY DX 7.040 QRP Calling Frequency (Region 2) 7.070-7.075 BPSK31 (Region 2) 7.076 JT65A (USB) 7.080 RTTY (Region 2) 7.084 Hellschreiber (USB Region 1) 7.075-7.100 SSB Calling Simplex or split 7.100-7.200 SSB (Region 1) 7.125-7.300 SSB (Region 2) 7.171 SSTV 7.285 QRP Calling Frequency 7.290 AM Calling Frequency 25
Understanding Macro Keys Left click will run the macro Right click will allow editing of the macro Anything between Waterfall <> will run the function Anything not between <> will simply print/transmit 26
Understanding Macro Keys To move a function from the right box to the macro Click on the function Click on the green arrow Waterfall 27
Understanding Macro Keys Create the following macro in the row 1 of macros, number 12 (last one) Note Blank Create the following macro in the row 1 of macros, number 11 Waterfall 28
Understanding Macro Keys Create the following macro in the row 1 of macros, number 10 <TX> Test <MYCALL> <ZDT> <MYCALL> SK <RX> Waterfall 29
QSO Screen Capture Screen From Actual QSO - BPSK31 30
Etcetera How much power do I need? 10-20% of normal (25 watts is a lot) Are there nets available? wpanbems SATERN Local 2 Meter Simplex 146.40-146.58 147.42-147.57 31
No. HF Net Name Day Time-ET HF Frequency Waterfall Mode-1 Mode-2 PL Echolink Contact 1 panbems 80m Net Sunday 10:00am 3.5835mhz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 MT63-1K kb3fxi@yahoo.com 2 panbems 40m Net Sunday 11:00am 7.073mhz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 MT63-1K 3 Satern Net ( Alberta Canada) Mon-Sat 12 pm,6 pm 14.065.00 mhz 1 khz Olivia 16/500 4 Virginia Digital Net (VDN) Nightly 7:15pm Eastern 3.578.5 mhz 1.3 khz Olivia 4/500 5 Ohio ARES / OES HF Digital Net Tuesday 8:00pm 3.580.00 mhz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 MT63-1k nj8bb@ohden.org 6 panbems 80m Net Tuesday 7:30pm 3.5835MHz or 3.5920MHz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 MT63-1K kb3fxi@yahoo.com 7 Maine NBEMS 80m Net Wednesday 6:30pm 3.590 mhz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 MT63-1K kb1tce@belljar.net 8 Ohio Communications NBEMS Net (OCN) Thursday 7:00pm 3.612.5 mhz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 MT63-1k w8ter@bex.net 9 MI Digital Traffic Net Tue,Thu,Sat 8:00pm 3.5830 mhz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 10 Minnisota ARES Digital Net (MN ARES) Thursday 9:00pm 3.583.5 mhz 1 khz Olivia 16/500 wfosler@gmail.com 11 Tri State NBEMS net (PA) Saturday 9:30am 3.9530 mhz 1 khz 12 Chautauqua County ARES Digital Net (NY) Saturday 2:00pm 3.5830 mhz 1 khz Olivia 8/500 MT63-1k k3uk@winlink.org No. VHF/UHF Net Name Day Time-ET VHF/UHF Frequency Waterfall Mode-1 Mode-2 PL Echolink Contact 13 Midcoast NBEMS VHF Net (ME) Sunday 7:00pm 147.060 mhz 1.5 khz FM Phone MT63-2k 91.5 kb1tce@belljar.net 14 wpanbems UHF Net Sunday 8:00pm 443.450 mhz 1.5 khz FM Phone MT63-2k 100 443450 kb3fxi@yahoo.com 15 CVARC Digital Net (PA) 3rd Sunday 9:30pm 147.120 mhz 1.5 khz FM Phone MT63-2k n/a kb3mun@mcglothin.us 16 Berks County NBEMS Net (PA) Monday 7:00pm 147.180 mhz 1.5 khz FM Phone MT63-2k 110.9 wa3wsj@arrl.net 17 Scott County Training Net (MN) Monday 7:00pm 146.535 mhz 1 khz Olivia 16/500 MT63-2k wb0kon@q.com 18 Toledo Mobile Radio NBEMS Net (OH) Sunday 7:00pm 147.270 mhz linked 442.850 mhz 1.5 khz FM Phone MT63-2k 103.5 w8ter@bex.net 19 SPA NBEMS Net (PA) Tuesday 8-9pm 146.970 mhz 1kz PSK-250 MT63-2k 123 wa3usg@verizon.net 20 NW PA NBEMS Net ( Union City, PA) Wednesday 6:30pm 146.700 mhz Link 147.030 1.5kz MT63-2k MT63-1k 186.2 207-642 frank_henry_erie@msn.com 21 Columbiana County Digital Net (OH) Wednesday 8:30pm 145.510 mhz simplex 1 khz BPSK-125 n/a nn8b.oh@gmail.com 22 Sussex County RACES Digital Net (DE) 1st & 3rd Thu ~8pm 146.425 mhz 1.5 khz MT63-2k n/a kb3pml@yahoo.com 23 Chautauqua Cnty ARES Digital Net-NY Wednesday 8:30pm 146.880 & 146.940 mhz 1 khz FM Phone MT63-2k k3uk@winlink.org 24 Chester County UHF NBEMS Net (PA) Thursday ~8pm 446.175 mhz 1.5 khz FM Phone MT63-2k 100 wb3gck@arrl.net 25 Lebanon Valley Digit. Rndup Net-PA Friday 8-10 pm 146.610 mhz 1 khz BPSK-125 MT63-2k 131.8 REVISED JANUARY 13, 2013 32
Questions? Let s Have Some Fun Test our installations 33