According to Dave, “In my judgment there is benefit coming from the existence of a forum where digital radio enthusiasts can exchange information and help each other.”
And there you have it!
This is the last call for articles for the End of Summer - Pre-Digital Communications Conference (DCC) issue of TAPR's quarterly newsletter, PSR.
The deadline for the next issue is Thursday, August 15. So, please send your cards, letters, articles, etc., whatever you have, to the editor of PSR, wa1lou (@) tapr.org
FYI - the DCC is in Seattle this year, September 20-22. The DCC details are here.
Reading "Coak and Dagger: More Cuban Spy Broadcasts" in the July issue of Popular Communications, writer Steven Handler mentioned that Cuban spy stations transmit data using "Redundant Digital File Transfer (RDFT), a digital mode developed for amateur radio operators."
I need to get out more because I was not familiar with RDFT. In fact, I had never heard of it.
A little Googling and I discovered that RDFT was the first digital modulation signal format for digital SSTV and was the brain child of Barry Sanderson, KB9VAK. I plead ignorance because SSTV is one of the few ham radio modes I have not tried. (After all, who wants to see my mug? I might get an FCC citation for scaring the kids.)
Chapter 9 of Image Communications on Short Waves also known as the "SSTV Handbook," a freely downloadable e-book by Martin Bruchanov, OK2MNM, covers RDFT.
There is also a YouTube video of a recording of a Cuban numbers station using RDFT on July 24, 2011, on 9063 kHz in the AM mode.
Beyond RDFT, Rick Muething, KN6KB, proffered SCAMP (Sound Card Amateur Message Protocol) at the 2004 Digital Communications Conference (DCC). "SCAMP leverages the work by Barry Sanderson, KB9VAK and employs an ARQ 'wrapper' around Barry's Redundant Digital File Transfer (RDFT) scheme to provide the error-free automatic operation necessary for today's modern digital message systems.
Until next time, keep on surfin'!
TAPR is the initialism for Tucson Amateur Packet Radio, the ham radio organization that has been at the on the cutting edge of digital radio technology for over 30 years.
I have been a member of TAPR for almost as long as it has been in existence. Presently, I am on its board of directors, serve as its secretary and edit its quarterly newsletter, PSR.
Every year, I staff TAPR's booth at the Hamvention in Dayton, Ohio. And invariably, every year a handful of attendees will come up to our booth and ask, "How are things in Tucson?" or something similar indicating that they believe that TAPR is a ham radio group out of Tucson, Arizona.
In truth, TAPR is related to Tucson in name only. The organization was founded there, but is not headquartered there. TAPR's mailing address used to be a post office box in Tucson, but that has not been the case for awhile.
None of TAPR officers or directors live in Tucson and although TAPR does have members who reside in Tucson, the majority of TAPR's membership are scattered all over the world.
And by the way, TAPR is no longer involved in "amateur packet radio," and has expanded its horizons to become a “community that provides leadership and resources to radio amateurs for the purpose of advancing the radio art.”
Work on the next issue of TAPR's quarterly newsletter, PSR, is underway and this is a call for articles for that issue, the End of Summer - Pre-Digital Communications Conference (DCC) issue of the newsletter.
The deadline for the next issue of PSR is August 15. Please send your cards, letters, articles, etc., whatever you have, to the editor of PSR, wa1lou (@) tapr.org
By the way, the DCC is in Seattle this year, September 20-22. The DCC details are here.
