psk31 with no computer

[spacecase0]

so I have been looking at this
http://nue-psk.com/
and kind of want to get one,
the computer just pulls to much power to use in any sort of emergency,
but this toy takes almost no power,
alternately I could just stick to voice or try to learn CW...

[austinrob]

I've seen them operate at field day here.  They're pretty neat.  The ultimate though (as you allude to) is being able tosend CW and copy CW in your head.  I have PSK and CW realtime translators for my phone (I set it next to my speaker and it prints the characters once I select the section of the waterfall for it to decode) but my phone takes plenty of power too.

The guys I see with the nue-psk modems use either a flexible keyboard wrapped around it, or a compact keyboard without a number pad. 

[Quiet1]

The new (Dec. 2013) issue of QST has a nice article about how much punch different modes have.  Bottom line for PSK31 is that it gets +9 dB over CW, and about +16 dB over SSB phone.  I hadn't previously gotten all excited about digital modes, but with numbers like that it's hard to ignore.  Then I had a 20 meter phone QSO on Sunday with a guy in NC who usually works PSK, he was telling me how good it is.

Wanting to dabble in the waters before jumping in, yesterday I dug around for an iPhone/iPad app that both translates and sends.  Quickly found PSKer for a big $3 over at the iTunes store.  I mean, if the thing completely fails, I'm out one good beer's worth of $$$.  Not risking much.

There are web pages out there for cobbling up hardware to directly link to a radio, but at this stage I opted to just air-link from the radio's speaker to the phone's mic.  Plenty of people swapping contacts showed right up on the app's waterfall plot (calling freqs at http://aintel.bi.ehu.es/psk31.html), usually several at once on 80 meters, and it dutifully started decoding.  Cool!  I would have jumped in, but these guys are fast using HRD and keyboards, my phone's keypad is painfully slow, and most of them seem all about eQSLing, something I've not gotten into.  Better to listen in for a while, maybe I'll eventually get the hang of it and jump in, but for starters I don't want to bog down their fun.

Then this evening while listening in, I wondered how far I could push it, how robust PSK31 is.  Cut to the chase, half an hour later I was holding my phone over a Tecsun 660 SW receiver, copying QSO's in a 500 mile radius off of 5' of random wire antenna in my living room.  Yeah, that's shtf-grade robust.  For $3 plus hardware I already had, I'll take it.

So I've got two three points here:
1. PSK31's performance... just... da-yum.
2. There's a fair chance you already have the needed hardware laying around.  Load a $3 app and you've at least got some minimal capability in the event of an emergency.
3. Anybody want to try a slow, fumbly QSO with this?  I don't want to run with the big dogs on the main calling frequencies (yet), but if going into it everybody knows it's a patched-up first try, it could be fun.  If interested, please reply.

[spacecase0]

I decided on just using a computer,
it is an acer laptop that takes only 7W running,
and just run ham radio deluxe,
at the time the computer was only $180 new (now same one is $275)
so why spend the extra on the device I first posted about when I could get more modes for not that much extra power use

I like PSK31 lots,
and think in crowded bands it is ideal for communication, especially if there is an emergency and all the voice space is taken
even on 2M it will go a long way, but very few people seem set up to do 2M SSB and have a computer connected.

by the way, some of my friends use PSK31 on phones to send messages across a big table when lots of people are talking, they say it works great with just the audio and no radios involved.

[Quiet1]

I decided on just using a computer,
it is an acer laptop that takes only 7W running,
and just run ham radio deluxe,
at the time the computer was only $180 new (now same one is $275)
so why spend the extra on the device I first posted about when I could get more modes for not that much extra power use

Yeah, it's getting close to something like that for me too.  But for just trying it out, or having something portable for $3, this is pretty good stuff.  'sides, HRD is window-only and I run a linux and mac house.  Plenty of PSK31 packages for those, or I could add a used laptop if the price was right.  Maybe in the new year.

by the way, some of my friends use PSK31 on phones to send messages across a big table when lots of people are talking, they say it works great with just the audio and no radios involved.

Now that is funny!  Strangely practical though.

Anyway, if anybody wants to play with PSKer slooooly, give a shout.

[spacecase0]

if you have a phone that does PSK31, then keep with that,
I have no smart phone, so that is why I went the way I did.

I had one of these already
http://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=pnp
so it was not that hard to go the extra step and get the low power use computer.

and I also use linux,
but for the radio things, there is just some software that just not out there for linux, and not all of it runs well enough with wine, and it is super handy for programming the radios.
so I just run windows for the radio computer, it does not have any reason to be networked anyway, so it should be just fine.

[Tempstar]

Quiet1, I'll jump on with you Sunday afternoon if you're interested. I'll give a shout here.

[AD]

I have a Signalink USB, but have not hooked it up and tried it.  Had to just reformat my laptop so I need to reload the HRD and give it a try over Christmas when I have some down time from traveling.

[Quiet1]

@spacecase0: True, when it comes to a lot of devices and associated manufacturer-supplied software – radio, gps, car tuner, etc. – using anything but Windows is like a tonsillectomy from the wrong end.  I'm going to keep my eyes open for a decent used laptop.

@Tempstar: Sounds good, thanks!  Let's finalize times and frequencies as the week progresses.

@work: I'm coming, I'm coming... out the door in 10 minutes.

[Lamewolf]

so I have been looking at this
http://nue-psk.com/
and kind of want to get one,
the computer just pulls to much power to use in any sort of emergency,
but this toy takes almost no power,
alternately I could just stick to voice or try to learn CW...

I have one of the Nue-psk modems and it works great - lots of fun in a small package !  Mine will do PSK and RTTY and will fit in a fanny pack except for the keyboard I use is an old PS2 keyboard for a desktop PC.  Been trying to find a mini keyboard with a PS2 plug on it with no luck.  I can order a mini keyboard but its a usb and would require an adapter that converts it to PS2 but I've heard somefolks have trouble getting that to work right.  Anyway, the Nue-psk modem goes well with my Yaesu FT-817 or my Icom 703 !

[spacecase0]

I should have got the Nue-psk and not the computer,
many years later the computer is getting old,
it does work, but puts out quite a bit of RFI
had I gotten it, I bet the Nue-psk would have been working just fine at this point.

[Lamewolf]

I should have got the Nue-psk and not the computer,
many years later the computer is getting old,
it does work, but puts out quite a bit of RFI
had I gotten it, I bet the Nue-psk would have been working just fine at this point.

I really like the Nue-psk for portable work, it will run on two 9 volt batteries or 12 volt external power.  The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that it lays flat and you either have to get up over it and look down on it or make some sort of stand to set it on so the screen faces you.  I used sheet aluminum and bent it to make a stand for it so it will do that.  They now have an upgrade to it to give you a CW keyer add on and a CW decoder and I may get that done to mine.

[Lamewolf]

so I have been looking at this
http://nue-psk.com/
and kind of want to get one,
the computer just pulls to much power to use in any sort of emergency,
but this toy takes almost no power,
alternately I could just stick to voice or try to learn CW...

What have you got to trade, my NuePSK is just sitting around not getting used and thinking about doing some trading.  Would love to have one of the Signalink USB interfaces !

[spacecase0]

What have you got to trade, my NuePSK is just sitting around not getting used and thinking about doing some trading.  Would love to have one of the Signalink USB interfaces !

I have one of the Signalink USB interfaces just sitting around...
specifically this one
http://www.tigertronics.com/slusbmain.htm
it is currently wired with an 8 pin round microphone connector, (part of the setup is wiring it for your radio connector )
if I had the NuePSK, then I sure would not be needing it at all
it normally sits in my EMP proof storage bin,
I have the cables, jumper wires(to change microphone connection wiring), allen wrench, CD, and the paper that tells you how to find the instructions on the CD
don't know what microphone connector you need,
the connection to the microphone looks like a regular ethernet connection cable cut in half and then your favorite microphone connector installed, can't remember if I made it or bought it, but either way looks pretty easy
now I am looking for the box it came in...

[DragoSapien]

I have not seen this. I'll have to add this to my next go box kit.