(slow) Internet over Ham Radio; AI over HF (2024-03-09)

delyan · March 9, 2024, 5:00am

Today we are researching the possibility of using some form of Internet over Ham Radio.

Starlink is great! It did not work in the forest – tree cover was great (can never be too much when camping).

Can we use (slow) Internet over HF radio?

What options do we have?

Protocol

WSJT and WSPR are special digital weak signal modes developed by ham radio’s own Nobel laureate, Joe Taylor, K1JT. WSJT (Weak Signal - Joe Taylor) mode provides several modes optimized for meteor scatter, troposcatter, or EME (Earth - Moon - Earth, moonbounce) communication. (source: Weak Signal Modes)
Email over HF with Winlink could work - “Winlink uses a worldwide HF system that can be used nearly anywhere in the world. By connecting a single sideband (SSB) radio to a computer with dedicated software and a modem interface, Winlink email messages can be sent throughout the system for endpoint delivery.”
AX.25 Packet Radio (over HF preferably)

Winlink Message Activity (Worldwide)	Feb 2024	Mar 2024
HF Activity
Pactor 1	0	0
Pactor 2	88	29
Pactor 3	884	392
Pactor 4	3,465	903
Robust Packet	34	14
ARDOP 200	0	0
ARDOP 500	97	42
ARDOP 1000	0	0
ARDOP 2000	67	35
VARA	10,197	4,030
VARA 500	5,108	1,571
VARA 2750	5,966	2,398
Total Connections	25,906	9,414
Total Messages Received	31,396	9,295
Total Messages Sent	37,584	11,081
Message Size Accumulation	364,542 KB	110,145 KB
Average Message Size	5,285 Bytes	5,406 Bytes
FM Activity
ARDOP 2000 FM	0	0
VARA FM	11,544	3,757
VARA FM WIDE	25,636	8,498
Packet Activity
Messages Received	8,460	2,729
Messages Sent	10,029	3,133
APRS Gateway Activity
Messages Received	149	26
Messages Sent	114	7
WebMail Activity
Messages Received	6,445	2,314
Messages Sent	888	1,734
Total Message Activity	95,065	30,319

Transmission speeds (as per ChatGPT 4 – may be inaccurate)

Mode	Description	Speed (CPS)
FT-8	Designed for weak signal HF/VHF digital communications; emphasizes speed over message length.	15 CPS
JT65	Optimized for extremely weak signal conditions; used primarily for EME (moonbounce) and HF.	~1 CPS
JT9	Similar to JT65 but with narrower bandwidth, making it suitable for LF, MF, and HF bands.	~1 CPS
JT4	Intended for EME on the VHF/UHF bands with a variety of tone spacings to accommodate different needs.	~1 CPS
WSPR	(Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) Designed for sending and receiving low-power transmissions to test propagation paths.	~0.14 CPS
Q65	Designed to enhance communication on the HF bands and for EME, with capabilities for very weak signals.	Depends on configuration
FT4	Faster than FT-8 and used for radio contesting, offering quick turnaround for rapid contacts.	23 CPS

Mode	Description	Speed (CPS)
PSK31	A digital mode for keyboard-to-keyboard communication, known for its efficiency and low bandwidth.	~31 CPS
RTTY	(Radioteletype) One of the oldest data modes, using a 5-bit Baudot code, commonly used in contests.	60-100 CPS (170 Hz shift)
Olivia	A digital mode that is highly configurable and robust under varying conditions, with error correction.	Varies with configuration
Contestia	Similar to Olivia, but with different configurations optimized for contesting scenarios.	Varies with configuration
Feld Hell	A mode that uses a method called Hellschreiber, sending text as a series of vertical lines for visual decoding.	~17 CPS
MFSK	(Multiple Frequency Shift-Keying) Offers various configurations, known for its robustness and ability to carry images (MFSK16, MFSK32, etc.).	Varies with configuration
Thor	A family of error-correcting modes similar to PSK but with a different waveform, offering robustness.	Varies with configuration
Throb	A slow mode designed for weak signal work, transmitting a single tone that throbs in pitch.	~4 CPS