Description of PSK-31
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Do I Need An Attenuator In The Sound Card Interface
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PSK31 is the result of a belief that the present batch of "data" modes have left a gap in amateur radio operating, the gap that was previously filled by AMTOR or even traditional RTTY, in which two or more operators chat to each other on an open channel. Modes such as packet radio, Pactor, and others, are highly complex, are unsuited to multiway conversations, and in particular, the long block lengths introduce an unacceptable delay in the processing of text such that even normal conversation is unpleasant and quick break question/answer sessions are impossible. The move to automated unattended message forwarding has left a gap in the person-to-person communication field, and PSK31 is an attempt to remedy this situation with a simple but efficient code structure coupled with the narrowest possible bandwidth, and with only enough error correction to match typical typing error rates, and with no time consuming synchronization, changeover, and ARQ processes.
PSK31 is one of the hottest new digital modes. It is a keyboard to keyboard mode of operation which is much narrower in bandwidth than most digital modes and in fact uses little more spectrum than a CW signal. The following displays reflect the spectrum display of properly transmitted signals.
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