STEAL THIS HAM RADIO (TECHNOLOGY)

Although I see a lot of wireless projects, I’m always surprised at the lack of diversity in the radio portions of them. I’m a ham radio operator (WD5GNR; I was licensed in 1977) and hams use a variety of radio techniques. If you think hams just use Morse code and voice communications, you are thinking of your grandfather’s ham radio. Modern hams have gone digital and communicate via satellites, video, and many different digital techniques that could easily have applicability to different wireless projects.

Of course, Morse code may have been one of the first digital modes. But hams have used teletype, FAX, and other digital modes for years. Now with PCs and soundcards in common use, hams have been on the forefront of devising sophisticated digital radio techniques.

The motivation for devising unique digital modes is two fold. First, hams don’t have unlimited bandwidth, especially in the high frequency (HF) bands that allow for long distance communications. Anything that takes less bandwidth is welcome. Second, HF bands have rough characteristics. Signals fade, atmospheric noise causes static and crashes, and other stations cause interference. There are other special cases too, like bouncing signals off meteors where the right digital strategy can significantly improve odds of getting messages through.….

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