/Intro-to-Digital-Modes

This workshop held at HOPEXII introduced hams to digital mode communications using a laptop, free open source software, and about $70 in radio hardware. Attendees either had FCC-issued amateur radio operator or prospective hams under the supervision of a licensed operator.

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Intro to Digital Modes through Amateur Radio

This page is now an archive of a workshop.

Abstract

You want to play with wireless communications and heard getting an Amateur Radio license expands the spectrum available to you to transmit on? That’s great but experimenting is all you want to do and any communication with another “ham” you would like to keep it “short and sweet” and to the experiment at hand. Playing with the various digital modes of communications used in Amateur Radio can be a good starting point to ease into the hobby both cheaply and at a comfort zone of human interaction desired.

This workshop will introduce various digital mode communications used in Amateur Radio using a simple setup they can build with a laptop, open source software, and around $65 USD in hardware. Note the following:

  • The activities being performed during this workshop require a FCC Amateur Radio Operator license.
  • Students are expected to have an FCC issued Amateur Radio Operator license and purchase the hardware listed at this Amazon Idea List link prior to the workshop.
  • Insure your Baofeng UV-5R is FULLY CHARGED PRIOR to the workshop. It supposedly takes FIVE HOURS to re-charge a dead battery with the standard charger though personal experience has been much shorter.
  • We will have a couple of piece of extra radio equipment for use by those without an FCC issued Amateur Radio operator license under the supervision of an FCC issued Amateur Radio operator serving as control operator per FCC regulations.

Presentation

Lecture source material and slides used for the workshop.

Lab Exercises

While the software used in the workshop is cross-platform, all lab exercises have been documented and tested with Windows and Linux (Debian variant) platforms only. Mac OSX testing was performed but not documented. Any OS specifics and/or exceptions are called out in the labs. Lab material details will be posted on day of workshop.

Questions

Any questions can be directed to consigliere AT cupano DOT com

73,

- Joe, NE2Z