Now digital modes have just got easier

For a long time now, I've been using Logger32 as my main station logging software, but I was using Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) and Digital Master (DM780) for my digital QSOs. This has been a bit of a labour, because HRD won't connect to the rig while Logger32 is running. The solution is to either shut Logger32 down or to go into Setup -> Radio -> Close Port every time I want to try a digital QSO. So what, I hear you say.

My QSO with V21ZG on 15 metres RTTY using MMVARI.

Well the problem is that although I like digi modes and I like to chase DX on digi as well as CW and phone, having to go through this process is a bit of a chore. And then when I'm finished with digi I have to shut down DM780 and HRD and then make sure to open the port in Logger32 again. So a few days ago, I decided to finally check out MMVARI, which is the digital engine that is already included INSIDE the Logger32 software. I had looked at it previously, but didn't know where to start.

As it transpired, I was able to get signals up on the waterfall really easily. It detected my sound card without any issue and within no time, I was decoding PSK and RTTY signals. Great so far. The problem was that I appeared to have no macros, and didn't know how to set them up. My friend Google soon showed me how to program the buttons along the bottom of the MMVARI window. I looked up the Logger32 help documentation for the macro terminology, and soon I was creating new macros, similar to the ones I use with DM780. All good so far.

I ran a test and everything seemed to work. So I decided to try to make a QSO. So I called A71EM on 17 metres on RTTY and he came back to me and soon he was in the log. My first use of MMVARI bagged me a new country on digital modes. How about that?

One major setback to this newfound joy at having a digital program that worked within Logger32 was that when I changed mode, all my macros disappeared. I couldn't find a solution to this online. (If anyone has a solution, please do send me an email to hamradioireland (at) gmail (dot) com, or alternatively leave a message/reply under this post.) I had to copy and paste my macros into a document and them paste them manually into the various buttons in the different modes. I can now, as a result, make QSOs on PSK31, PSK63, PSK125 and RTTY-U. I still have to enter macros for RTTY-L.

Anyway, since getting all this up and running I have found it to be a joy to use. I did a side-by-side comparison with DM780 (v4.0 build 1901) and I have to say that MMVARI definitely has the edge with weaker signals. MMVARI is able to decode at times when DM780 is not. So this is another advantage to making the change.

One of the really sweet things about MMVARI is how quickly it pops up, in a new window, in front of Logger32. No waiting like I had to do with HRD/DM780. It's not quite instantaneous, but it ain't bad.

Another advantage (and this is a major one) is that MMVARI logs straight into Logger32, with the correct mode, QRG, etc. Previously, I had to manually export QSOs from DM780 as ADI and then import the ADI into Logger32. It made making digital QSOs a bit of a pain in the butt.

Now, digi is a real joy. And my country count is up. I've already worked a few new ones on digital. I now have 164 countries worked on digital modes.

Unusual (if completely accurate) cluster spot

I just worked VU2NKS on 17 metres RTTY a few minutes ago. He gave me a new band slot. I had worked him on 20m RTTY yesterday with about 80 watts. But just after my 17m QSO today, I saw the following information on the cluster:

I presume this is some station auto-spotting my QSO? I'm not sure I like this type of spotting, even if it is accurate. He spotted me, even though it was not my frequency. And he spotted me twice. Anyone else see this type of cluster spot lately?

Another milestone reached - over 100 DXCC confirmed on digi

Over the past couple of months, I've been watching as the number of DXCC confirmed on digital modes has been slowly creeping up on Logbook of the World. Because I am only an occasional digi user, my total was much lower than other modes. But recently I've been doing a lot of dabbling in digital, including RTTY, PSK and JT65. And the effort has finally borne fruit.

My total number of QSLs on digital is now 102

A few days ago, I saw my total number of QSLs hit 99. I needed just one more to get me over the line. However, next time I logged in it was 102!!! That was helped by my stint last night on JT65, which saw me working Brazil and Japan for the first time on that mode. The Japanese station confirmed our QSO on LoTW overnight!

Below you can see highlighted the three QSLs which brought me from 99 to 102. CT3MD Madeira Islands made it #100 with RTTY. This was followed by TI3EDM in Costa Rica on PSK31, and #102 was my JT65 QSO with JA3EGY, made with about eight watts on JT65.

A few nice contacts on RTTY

KH2L's SteppIR antenna

For some reason I took a yearning to RTTY last night. I suppose I was a bit bored with all the CW and SSB contacts. I saw KH2L (Guam) spotted on 20m RTTY so decided to see if I could hear him. As soon as I arrived on the frequency I could see that he had a good print on the waterfall. He was working simplex, with a few callers. I gave him a shout, and he came straight back to me. Within moments, I was in the log, and I had a new band slot. I decided to hang around RTTY and see what was on offer.

A short time later I worked W1AW/7, one of the ARRL Centenary stations, operating from Arizona. That was 12m RTTY and I worked him with 30 watts. Then it was over to VY0/VE3VID on 20m RTTY, IOTA NA-174. He was calling "up" but for some reason was also working simplex and that's where I worked him. Before finishing on RTTY I also worked W1AW/8 on 20m RTTY.

Of course I could not resist changing to CW to chase 4S7LXG on 40 metres, where I needed Sri Lanka as a new country. It took me a while. He was very low and working a lot of EU. But it was worth persisting. This miniature dxpedition by a group of German operators is fantastic. They are excellent operators and have given me a number of new bands and slots. I now have 4S from 40m through 10m. Is an 80m QSO out of the question?

5J0R San Andres on 17 RTTY makes it 15 slots!

This is a short video showing my Icom IC-756PRO decoding 5J0R on 18 Mhz RTTY just after I had worked this wonderful dxpedition for a 15th band slot.

As an addendum to yesterday's rather excited post, I have found that in the latest T33A Clublog upload, my callsign is not in their log. However, on investigation I find that the callsign EA2KC is in there for both 20m SSB and 20m CW. I am familiar with Jose EA2KC and as far as I know he operates exclusively on phone, and does not do CW. All the cluster spots for him for the past two years have been SSB only. So I suspect that Banaba have busted my call, by one character. Ah well. I will try to work them again, but if not, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure they will correct it for me.

Guantanamo worked on RTTY and on 10m!

I am delighted to have logged KG4, Guantanamo Bay, not once, but twice on the amateur bands in the past 24 hours. Yesterday, I was able to work KG4HF on 15 metres RTTY as a brand new country on digital modes at around tea time. I was using the hexbeam, pointing west. I wasn't calling too long, maybe 15 minutes, and was chuffed to make the contact.

This evening, I am hearing KG4WV nice and strong on 10 metres SSB, and with a small split of just 2 KC up, I was able to nab him in a short time running 400 watts from the Acom 1000 into the hexbeam. The above video shows the signal strength of the KG4 station immediately after I worked him.

Edit: I have since worked KG4HF on 17 metres RTTY as well.

Fabulous DX worked on RTTY and PSK31

A screenshot of my 17m RTTY QSO with Nam in South Korea

I had a wonderful night on the bands, mainly on digimodes. It started with S79RR in the Seychelles on 15m RTTY, a new one on that band. Later I worked HI8CSS, Guillermo in Dominican Republic, for a new band slot on 17 metres PSK. Then I had my first ever QSO with Japan on digital modes when JA1FVS answered my "CQ DX" call on 17m PSK31.

4Z5MX, Anatoly in Israel, also came back to the call, and I then worked HK3TK, Pepin in Bogota, Colombia, for a new band slot, also on 17m PSK.

The major highlights of the night were VR2XMT in Hong Kong on 20 metres RTTY, a new country on digi, worked on my Butternut vertical antenna, followed by DS5USH, Nam in South Korea, on 17 metres RTTY, another new band slot.

I also nabbed WL7E in Alaska on 17m RTTY, in addition to CE2WZ, David in Chile, which gave me a brand new country on digimodes on 17m PSK.

This all followed RI1ANF, in the South Shetland Islands near Antarctica, who I worked on 30 metres CW, giving me that new DXCC now on four bands.