Digital

This page is about all forms of digital radio whether it be for broadcasting or amateur radio.  

The page is broken down into four parts... 1) Digital Radio Broadcasting 2) Amateur Radio Digital Modes 3) Irish Digital Amateur Radio network and 4) Miscellaneous digital posts.

I have links to previous posts on the blog shown in each section.

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1) Digital Radio Broadcasting

Impressive rollout of DAB+ network in France ...Dec 2023

Ongoing DRM tests at 86.5 MHz in Copenhagen ...Feb 2022

New DRM tests on 954 kHz planned from the Czech Republic in 2022 ...Feb 2022

Irish state broadcaster RTE closing down its DAB digital radio network ...Mar 2021

Survey suggests that 64% of consumer radio devices sold in Europe are analogue only ...Mar 2021

Successful DRM tests on the FM band (88-108MHz) in Russia ...Jan 2021

Switzerland to switch off its FM radio stations in 2022-2023 ...Dec 2020

DRM tests on 26 MHz in Hungary ...Dec 2019

Cambridge Consultants announce low cost DRM receiver design ...Dec 2019

FCC petitioned to open up 45 to 50 MHz for DRM+ broadcasts in the USA ...Aug 2019

Revision 4 of DRM Handbook now available ...Mar 2019

EU directive requires all cars to have digital radio by 2021 ...Dec 2018

South Africa to consider using 54-68MHz for digital broadcasting ...Oct 2018

Russia proposes to use DRM on 65.9 to 74.0 MHz ...Sep 2018

Multiple DAB signals from the UK heard under lift conditions ...May 2018

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2) Amateur Radio Digital Modes

Video: A beginners guide to FT8 by VK7HH ...Nov 2021 

New report shows 84% of contacts on the 50 MHz band are via the digital FT8 mode ...Mar 2021

Latest stats from ClubLog website show over 50% of contacts in 2020 were via FT8 ...Mar 2021

Twitter poll suggests one-third of FT8 users on 144 MHz are using vertical polarization ...Feb 2021

Buzzing interference on a digital DMR signal ...Jan 2021

Video: 6m FT8 DXing by VE3VN ...Nov 2020

Reception of PI4 signals from the EI1KNH beacon on 40 MHz via meteor scatter ...Aug 2020

Article on using FT8 for Moonbounce on 1296 MHz ...Jul 2020

Illegal Fishing Buoy on the 28 MHz WSPR Frequency ...June 2020

World First FT8 Moonbounce contact completed on 432 MHz ...May 2020

Historic first Trans-Atlantic contact made on 432 MHz with FT8 ...Apr 2020

Receiving PI4 digital signals from the OZ7IGY 40 MHz beacon ...Apr 2020

144 MHz Trans-Atlantic record extended to almost 4,760kms with FT8 ...Apr 2020

Australian 70cms digital record extended to 2,806 kms ...Dec 2019

FreeDV: A digital voice mode for the HF bands ...Nov 2019

The remarkable rise of FT8 ...Oct 2019

ARRL prohibit automated contacts for Contests and Awards ...Aug 2019

Joe Taylor K1JT hints at next generation of digital modes ...Jul 2019

Extra bandwidth FT8 experiment ...June 2019

New FT4 protocol hits the airwaves ...May 2019

New FT4 protocol announced for Digital Contesting ...Apr 2019

Video on FT8 from the 2018 RSGB Convention ...Apr 2019

PSKReporter website passes 7 Billion reception reports ...Apr 2019

Club Log stats show the rise of FT8 mode in 2018 ...Mar 2019

FT8 - The Big Changeover ...Dec 2018

PSK Reporter passes 5 Billion Reception reports ...Nov 2018

Unable to upload to the PSK reporter website ...Jul 2018

PSK Reporter website passes 4 Billion reception reports ...Jul 2018

Presentation on the FT8 digital mode by EI5KO ...May 2018

Talk by K1JT on the latest digital weak signal modes ...Apr 2018

Presentation on APRS by John EI7IG at the TAPR Digital Conference in the USA ...Jan 2017

WSPR: Rough guide to getting on the correct frequency ...May 2011

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3) Irish Amateur Radio Digital Network

There are a number of radio amateurs in Ireland now experimenting with and using digital modes on the VHF and UHF bands. There are three main digital modes in use... Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), D-Star from ICOM and System Fusion from YAESU. Considering that DMR is not tied to one specific vendor and the cost of cheap Chinese handhelds, DMR is likely to be the dominant mode in Ireland.

Related posts on this blog...
Rev 2 of the Digital Radio Operating Manual by Steve Wright, EI5DD ...Sep 2021

New Digital Gateway in Dublin... Mar 2021

New 70 cms DMR repeater EI7FXD now operational in Cork ...Dec 2020

EI Digital Repeater Network on 2m & 70cms - Q4 2020 ...Oct 2020

EI DMR registrations at the end of Q3 2020 ...Oct 2020

Upgrade to the FM & DMR repeaters in Waterford ...Sep 2020

Digital Radio Operating Manual by Steve Wright, EI5DD ...Sep 2020

Video on DMR and the Galway Digital Radio Network by Steve, EI5DD ...Sep 2020

New DMR repeater on 70cms proposed for Cork City ...Aug 2020

IRTS Recommend Frequencies for 70 cms Hotspots ...Jul 2019

New DMR repeater now operational in the South-East of Ireland ...Mar 2019

New Digital repeaters near Dublin on the way ...Mar 2019

DMR repeaters in Ireland as of March 2019 ...Mar 2019

EI DMR Registrations at the end of Q4 2018 ...Jan 2019

Video on DMR, DSTAR & C4FM Hotspots ...Dec 2018

Galway Digital Net on Monday evenings ...Dec 2018

EchoLink now connected to Irish DMR network... Oct 2018
Guest post : The Galway DMR Repeater by EI5DD... Oct 2018
EchoLink now connected to Irish DMR Network ...Oct 2018

DMR registrations in Ireland at the end of Sept 2018... Oct 2018
Results of the Irish DMR activity net - 24th Sept 2018 ...Sep 2018

DMR net planned for Ireland on Monday evenings... Sep 2018

EI DMR registrations at the end of June 2018 ...Jul 2018

Presentation on the DMR network in Ireland by EI7IG & EI8JA... May 2018

New experimental digital gateway in Cork harbour... May 2018
Snapshot of DMR activity in Ireland... Mar 2018
Line of Sight to the DMR repeater EI7CDD ...Mar 2018

DMR registrations in Ireland (EI)... Feb 2018
EI-GI Packet Radio Map for 1994 ...Jan 2018

Digital Modes on the VHF bands in EI ...Dec 2016

Links...
Here are some useful links for anyone looking for more information on the subject relevant to Ireland...

1) Brandmeister Ireland Wiki Page... Brandmeister is the main network for DMR in Ireland.

2) Steve Wright EI5DD has a lot of information about DMR and programming code plugs on his page. Steve has also put a lot of work into compiling beginners guides. While some of the information is specific to Galway, there is still plenty of interest to anyone starting out on digital radio.
...a) EI5DD website
...b) Galway Digital Radio Group Operator’s Handbook
...c) A Guide to DMR Radio Operation And Programming
...d) Digital Radio Data Card (Suitable for printing and laminating)

3) EI registered DMR numbers

4) Southern Ireland Repeater Network digital page

5) Digital Ham Ireland ... Digital radio in Northern Ireland.

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4) Miscellaneous Digital posts (posts that don't fit into the first three categories)

Digital radio for the Marine VHF Band??? ...May 2020

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Page updated 6th Dec 2023