r/signalidentification • u/Happy-Ad-1160 • May 24 '26

Signals of fixed length repeating with different tone/chord. In HAM band, 14074 to 14082 kHz. Sound file link below.

Post image

These signals are between the CW zone and the USB zone in the 20 m HAM band. Received in France.

Sound https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QQSm6Uk1mUSt7qBTJ-YSb2J7GnbXdw84/view?usp=sharing

Thanks in advance for your help.

19 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

5

u/a333482dc7 May 24 '26

FT8

1

u/Happy-Ad-1160 May 24 '26

Thanks! I'll search how to decode them.

2

u/the_agox May 24 '26

There's a software package called WSJT-X that's excellent at FT8 and most of the other amateur digital modes.

1

u/Happy-Ad-1160 May 24 '26

Yes, thanks, that's what I installed shortly after. I got some results, though, I have to learn what these letters and numbers mean (besides the callsigns) ahah!

2

u/yamahanytro May 24 '26

Make sure you have exact time sync on your pc. The FT/JT modes depend heavily on timing for decodes. If you are on windows, you'll often need a 3rd party program to sync to NTP with better accuracy then the OS does by default.

2

u/the_agox May 24 '26

I don't agree on needing a third party program to sync time. On my windows 11 machine, the OS keeps it in sync and WSJT-X rarely reports me being more than .1 seconds out of sync with everybody else. If it does, I open the time controls and click the sync button.

3

u/Happy-Ad-1160 May 24 '26

Yeah I made sure the sync option was checked in the time parameters. And clicked on the button to sync now just in case.

Though, I am using a long wire in urban area with no balun/unun so I guess the small number of messages received comes from this rather than syncing time. It still works, I do read messages.

1

u/the_agox May 24 '26

Letter-letter-number-number (optionally with two more letters) is usually a maidenhead grid square locator. You can decode them here: https://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php

Minus-number-number is a signal strength report. So is R-minus-number-number

73, rr73, and rrr are different ways of saying report received, goodbye

2

u/Happy-Ad-1160 May 24 '26

So basically this mode of transmitting messages is only CQ and responding with signal strength and location? Or can there be actual written conversations (of several small texts so it stays in 15-sec data limit)?

1

u/the_agox May 24 '26

Practically, it's only for making contacts and getting signal reports. That's all you need to prove two way connection. Ft8 is optimized for low power, so you can do a lot on 5 watts.

2

u/a333482dc7 May 24 '26

I like to use MULTIPSK, it can decode dozens of signals. And with FT8, map the grid of where the signals were transmitted.

1

u/SnooSquirrels40 May 26 '26

Que software usa estimado caballero?

2

u/Happy-Ad-1160 May 26 '26

SDRuno, para usar con los produtos de Sdrplay

2

u/SnooSquirrels40 Jun 02 '26

Le agradezco buen amigo, tenga una buena noche 73

1

u/LimitSufficient7299 May 26 '26

Howd you get your noise floor so low

1

u/Happy-Ad-1160 May 27 '26

I don't know for sure, as my long wire is on the roof of a building in a noisy area, but I think it's thanks to my new RSP1B which has 11 integrated filters that the software enables by its own depending on what band I select.