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Ferry van Eeuwen

PSK10

Patrick Lindecker  -  call sign F6CTE   -  from France has written a very niece piece of software for a new PSK-mode (PSK10) which is very suitable for (slow) teletype communication under minimal  short wave radio propagation. Another big advantage of the PSK10 mode is a small amount of bandwidth it claims. With PSK31 that required bandwidth is about 33 Hertz and with this mode it is even less, probably down to 10 Hers. For comparison, a R adio T ele TY pe  - RTTY   - signal requires at least the 7 to 10 fold of this bandwidth. As frequency bandwidth resources on the Amateur bands are low, the economy of the PSK modes is a definite advantage over other modes. His latest program version can also handle PSK31. It allows to communicate in PSK31 or in PSK10. The mode used is automatically detected by the correspondent OM. For example, one QRP OM may used PSK10 and the correspondent QRO OM PSK31. You can download this program as well as some other interesting programs from his web site:  http://members.aol.com/f6cte

Furthermore it is reminded that:

* the PSK10 mode is designed to assure communications with weak ratio Signal-to-Noise until 0.016 (-18 dB), so a signal 62 less powerful that noise. The equivalent Morse speed is 18 words/minute,

* the PSK31 mode is designed to assure communications with ratio Signal-to-Noise until 0.062 (-12 dB), so a signal 16 less powerful that noise. The equivalent Morse speed is 37 words/minute in capital and 51 words/minute in small letters (2.8 times PSK10 speed).

Note: these figures are available only in gaussian random noise (of 3KHz band) but give an idea for real HF -and VHF) conditions (although, unfortunately, others parameters influence the capacity to receive under good conditions...).

Test transmission in PSK10 with MULTIPSK in January at 21h00 GMT (UTC) on 7034 +/- 1 KHz USB the Friday only / Transmission de test en PSK10 avec MULTIPSK en Janvier, à 21h00 GMT sur 7034 KHz +/- 1 KHz USB le vendredi uniquement.

FUNCTIONS OF THE SOFTWARE This software works on Pentium 200 or more, under Windows 95 or 98. The others PC or Pentium (<200) are not enough speedy for this software. It allows:

* firstly, to translate a PSK10 (differential two phases modulation at 10 bauds) transmission received under acoustic form from a SSB receiver (in USB), in text,

* secondly, to transmit in acoustic form PSK10 code to an OM-SSB transceiver (in USB). The transmitted signal in AF frequency is modulated in phase at a rate of 10 bauds.

The PSK10 mode is designed to assure communications with weak ratio Signal -to-Noise (until 0.028, so a signal 35 less powerful that noise).

These two operations (transmission/translation) are done through a sound card embedded in a free slot of your computer, card which is connected, in input to the speaker of the transceiver or to the auxiliary AF output (AFSK OUT) and, in output, to the RTTY input (AFSK IN) of the transceiver.

The sound cards 100 % SOUND-BLASTER compatible must work without any problem.

It is supposed that your transceiver dispose of the VOX function. If not, the Push To Talk terminals must be connected with an adequate electronic set to the RQS or DTR pin of the selected serial port.