What BARC Has — Right Now
Digital modes active on W8DGN repeaters and at the clubhouse Communications Center
Sunday Net: 8:00 PM weekly
Popular Wires-X room: AmericaLink Node 21080
All three repeaters use the same 118.8 Hz tone.
What Digital Amateur Radio Is
An umbrella covering a wide range of modes — each solving a different problem
Digital amateur radio refers to any mode where information — voice, text, images, or data — is converted into a digital signal before being sent over the air, rather than transmitted as analog audio. Instead of your voice directly modulating a carrier wave, a computer or the radio's internal processor encodes it into a stream of data, which is then transmitted and decoded back into voice, text, or an image at the other end.
This isn't one technology — it's an umbrella covering a wide range of modes that have grown up over the last few decades, each solving a different problem: better voice quality, working weak signals below the noise floor, sending text or images, or linking repeaters together over the internet so a handheld in Ohio can talk to someone across the world.
FT8 / WSJT-X Modes
Decode signals 20 dB below the noise floor. Work the world with a wire antenna and 50W. The most popular amateur mode on HF worldwide.
Winlink
Email over radio — no internet required. Critical for emergency communications. Used by BARC and GCARES during exercises and real activations.
JS8Call
Built on FT8 but adds free-form keyboard-to-keyboard messaging. Great for low-power portable operation and POTA check-ins.
DMR / System Fusion
Crystal-clear digital voice on VHF/UHF. BARC has a DMR station at the clubhouse and System Fusion on the 443.675 repeater with Wires-X internet linking.
APRS
Real-time GPS position reporting, messaging, and weather data on 144.390 MHz. BARC uses APRS at public service events to track volunteer positions.
SDR (Software Defined Radio)
A $25 RTL-SDR dongle turns any laptop into a wide-spectrum receiver. Visualize and decode signals across the entire radio spectrum in real time.
HF Weak-Signal & Data Modes
Computer-connected modes that work signals far below what the human ear can hear
These modes run on HF (and sometimes VHF/UHF) through a computer connected to your radio via a sound-card interface or USB audio. They've revolutionized HF operating — a modest station with a wire antenna can now work most of the world on a good band opening.
| Mode | Cycle | Bandwidth | Best Use | Software |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT8 | 15 sec | 50 Hz | DX, contesting, daily HF | WSJT-X |
| FT4 | 7.5 sec | 83 Hz | Faster contest QSOs | WSJT-X |
| JT65 | 60 sec | 178 Hz | EME (moonbounce) | WSJT-X |
| MSK144 | varies | 1 kHz | Meteor scatter VHF/UHF | WSJT-X |
| JS8Call | varies | ~50 Hz | Keyboard messaging, relay | JS8Call |
| PSK31 | live | 31 Hz | Keyboard-to-keyboard chat | Fldigi |
| RTTY | live | ~170 Hz | Contesting (classic) | Fldigi, N1MM+ |
| WSPR | 2 min | 6 Hz | Propagation beaconing | WSJT-X |
| SSTV | varies | ~2 kHz | Sending still images | MMSSTV |
Winlink — Email Over Radio
Winlink allows hams to send and receive email via radio with no internet required at the client end. Messages route through a global network of relay stations (RMS gateways) and can be delivered to any standard email address when the gateway has internet. Critical for EmComm — BARC and GCARES use Winlink for formal ICS forms, health & welfare messages, and situational reports when conventional communications are unavailable.
| Mode | Band | Modem | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pactor / VARA HF | HF 40m, 20m, 80m | VARA HF (free) | Long-range EmComm, DX |
| VARA FM | VHF/UHF | VARA FM (free) | Local ARES nets, short-range |
| 1200-baud Packet | VHF | Soundmodem / TNC | Legacy local packet networks |
Digital Voice Modes
DMR · D-STAR · System Fusion (C4FM) — crystal-clear voice with internet linking capability
Digital voice modes encode audio as data — providing clearer audio, caller ID display, and internet linking into worldwide networks not available on analog FM. The three main systems don't interoperate with each other, so the practical choice usually comes down to what's active locally.
| System | Developer | Method | Network | At BARC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Fusion (C4FM) | Yaesu | FDMA · auto FM/digital | Wires-X rooms | ✅ 443.675 repeater |
| DMR | ETSI (commercial origin) | TDMA · 2 timeslots/channel | BrandMeister talkgroups | ✅ Clubhouse station |
| D-STAR | JARL (amateur origin) | FDMA · callsign routing | REF/XLX reflectors | Members only |
| AllStar / EchoLink | Open / K1RFD | VoIP linking over internet | Global node network | ✅ 147.045 repeater |
| M17 | Open source / hams | FDMA · fully open protocol | M17 reflectors | Emerging |
APRS — Automatic Packet Reporting System
Real-time position tracking, messaging, and weather data over 144.390 MHz
APRS broadcasts GPS position, status messages, and short text over VHF, widely used for tracking mobile stations, weather stations, and event/net logistics. BARC uses APRS at public service events to track volunteer positions along parade routes and race courses, and for Field Day coordination.
National APRS Frequency
144.390 MHz simplex — the standard North American APRS frequency. Any VHF/UHF radio with a TNC or APRS-capable HT can participate.
Live Tracking
Track yourself and other stations at aprs.fi — a real-time worldwide APRS map in your browser. No equipment needed to receive.
BARC Use Cases
Public service event volunteer tracking, Field Day site coordination, POTA activation check-ins, emergency communications position reporting.
Hotspots & Pi-Star
Personal digital voice access via Raspberry Pi — no local repeater needed
A hotspot is a small personal device — usually a Raspberry Pi with an MMDVM radio board — that bridges a handheld radio to digital voice networks over the internet at very low power (typically 10–100mW). This gives access to DMR, D-STAR, System Fusion, and M17 networks regardless of local repeater coverage, and is a big reason digital voice has spread far beyond areas with established repeater infrastructure.
Pi-Star Platforms
Raspberry Pi Zero W or Pi 3/4 with an MMDVM board. The Zumspot (Pi Zero + MMDVM board, self-contained) and Jumbospot are popular all-in-one options.
Pi-Star Dashboard
A browser-based dashboard for configuring and monitoring your hotspot. Set your callsign, choose your network (BrandMeister, FCS, Wires-X), and select talkgroups or rooms.
EchoLink App
No hardware needed — the free EchoLink app for iOS and Android lets you connect to the W8DGN 147.045 node from your smartphone from anywhere with cell signal.
Software Ecosystem
Logging · Rig control · Digital modes · Remote operating · Propagation prediction
Nearly all digital modes rely on a computer, and the software ecosystem around amateur radio has grown into a rich set of free and commercial tools. Getting a computer talking to a radio cleanly requires thinking about two connections separately: audio (the actual digital signal) and CAT/rig control (letting software change frequency, mode, and PTT).
Digital Mode Software
WSJT-X
Free, open-source standard for FT8, FT4, JT65, MSK144, WSPR, and more. The single most important download for HF digital operating.
Download free →JS8Call
FT8-based decoder with free-form keyboard messaging and store-and-forward relay capability. Great for POTA and off-grid operating.
Download free →Fldigi
Free, open-source program covering PSK31, RTTY, Olivia, MFSK, and more conversational digital modes. The companion to WSJT-X for non-FT8 operating.
Download free →Winlink Express
Free Windows client for Winlink email over HF/VHF. Works with VARA HF, VARA FM, and packet. The standard tool for EmComm email traffic.
Download free →VARA HF / VARA FM
Software modem by EA5HVK. Free version works fine; paid version ($69) unlocks higher speeds. The recommended Winlink modem for HF.
Download →SDR# / SDR++
Free SDR receiver software for the RTL-SDR dongle. See and decode signals across the entire spectrum in real time. SDR++ is the modern cross-platform option.
Download SDR# →Logging & Station Management
N1MM+ Logger
The standard free contest logging software. Integrates with WSJT-X for digital contest operating, full CAT control, and LoTW upload.
Download free →Log4OM
Free, feature-rich logging program with QRZ/LoTW/eQSL integration, real-time cluster, and full CAT control. Popular with DXers and digital operators.
log4om.com →Hamlib / Flrig
Hamlib is the shared rig-control library used by nearly every Linux ham application. Flrig is a graphical front end that shares one radio connection across multiple programs simultaneously.
hamlib.github.io →RemoteHams / RCForb
Platforms that allow full remote operation of an HF station from anywhere via browser or app. Operate the club station or your home station remotely.
remotehams.com →VOACAP / PropView
Propagation prediction tools that use solar data and ionospheric modeling to predict which bands will support a contact to a given location at a given time.
voacap.com →PSK Reporter / GridTracker
See who is hearing your signal in real time on a world map. PSK Reporter is web-based; GridTracker is a desktop companion for WSJT-X.
pskreporter.info →Single-Board Computers in Amateur Radio
Raspberry Pi and similar single-board computers have transformed what a small, inexpensive device can do on the amateur radio desktop — and in the field.
Direwolf on Pi
A Pi running Direwolf becomes a full software TNC for APRS and packet radio. No dedicated hardware TNC needed.
Pi-Star Hotspot
A Pi Zero W + MMDVM board running Pi-Star is a complete DMR/Fusion/D-STAR hotspot for ~$60–$120 — personal digital voice access anywhere with internet.
Winlink on Pi
A Pi running Winlink Express as an RMS gateway provides an email relay point for EmComm — useful for ARES deployments and portable go-kit stations.
OpenWebRX on Pi
A Pi running OpenWebRX serves a browser-based SDR receiver to anyone on your local network — or the internet. Turn a $25 dongle into a shared club resource.
openwebrx.de →Hardware Guide
From a $25 SDR dongle to a full digital HF station — entry points for every budget
| Category | Examples | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HF Digital Transceivers | Icom IC-7300, IC-705, Yaesu FT-991A | $700–$1,400 | Built-in USB audio — one cable handles audio and CAT control. No separate sound-card interface needed. |
| Sound-Card Interfaces | SignaLink USB, RigBlaster series | $90–$150 | For radios without built-in USB audio. Optical isolation eliminates ground-loop hum. |
| DMR Handhelds | AnyTone D878, TYT MD-UV380 | $55–$250 | Budget models around $55; capable dual-band in $130–$250 range. Most involved initial programming of the three digital voice modes. |
| D-STAR Radios | Icom ID-52, ID-31A, IC-9700 | $200–$800 | Icom-exclusive ecosystem. Callsign-based worldwide routing. Higher end of the price range. |
| System Fusion Radios | Yaesu FT-70, FT-5D, FTM-300/500 | $130–$500 | Yaesu-only. Easiest to set up and get on air. Auto-switches between FM and digital. |
| Hotspots | Zumspot, Jumbospot, MMDVM on Pi Zero W | $60–$120 | Personal internet-linked digital voice access. Runs Pi-Star. |
| SDR Receivers | RTL-SDR v4, Airspy R2, HackRF One | $25–$350 | RTL-SDR at $25 is the entry point. No license needed to receive. |
| Single-Board Computers | Raspberry Pi Zero W, Pi 3B, Pi 4 | $15–$80 | APRS, Winlink gateway, hotspot, SDR server, logging — a Pi can do all of it. |
Getting Started
Choose your entry point — something here works for every license class and budget
Try EchoLink from your phone — free, no hardware needed
Download the free EchoLink app (iOS or Android), register your callsign, and connect to the W8DGN 147.045 node. Check in to the Sunday night net from anywhere with cell signal. This costs nothing and requires no extra hardware.
Try System Fusion — if you have a Yaesu radio
Put 443.675 MHz (+, 118.8 Hz tone) in your Yaesu radio and key up in digital mode. The repeater auto-switches — you're on System Fusion and connected to Wires-X. You can reach the AmericaLink room (Node 21080) and talk to hams worldwide. No programming or configuration beyond the frequency entry.
Get on FT8 — if you have an HF license and a transceiver
Download WSJT-X (free), sync your computer clock to UTC, connect your radio via USB audio or a SignaLink, and set the dial to 14.074 MHz USB. FT8 contacts are automated exchanges — you don't even need to key a mic. Within minutes you'll be working stations worldwide. Tech Night regularly covers FT8 setup — ask AC8ZU for help.
Build an SDR receiver — cheapest way to explore the spectrum
Buy an RTL-SDR v4 dongle (~$25), download SDR# or SDR++, plug it in, and you can see and decode signals across the entire radio spectrum in real time. Decode APRS, weather satellites, aircraft ADS-B, paging systems, and more — no license required to receive.
Come to Tech Night
Tech Night at St. Pierre Education Center regularly features hands-on digital mode demos and workshops covering FT8, Winlink, SDR, System Fusion, APRS, and whatever members want to learn. Check the Club Calendar for upcoming sessions.
Links & Resources
Key downloads, live tools, and reference sites for digital amateur radio
CHIRP
Free open-source radio programming — huge radio support
chirp.danplanet.com →