The computer will consume energy that is in limited supply, and the entire data mode setup (computer, interface, software, cables) adds many additional points of failure.
Running amateur radio data modes appears to go against both of these goals. The typical off grid ham has two concerns that on grid amateurs don’t think much about: 1) Conserving electrical power, and 2) keeping technical complexity to a minimum. Why data modes are worth it for the off grid ham. My non-attorney layman’s take on it is that since the protocols & standards used in the amateur radio data modes are very well publicized, and the software needed to decode the data is easily available to anyone, then there is no “purposeful intent” to obscure the meaning of anything. Amateur radio data modes are technically “obscured” in the sense that they cannot be decoded without special software. Per 97.113 of the FCC rules, one cannot transmit “secret codes,” ciphers, or encrypt a transmission with the purpose of obscuring the meaning of the information. Amateur radio data modes must both conserve band space and be robust enough to be readable through interference.Īlso in the mix is some legal stuff. The problem with HF radio is that there is a finite amount of bandwidth as well as a lot of interference and noise that can corrupt the signal. It’s the same deal with amateur radio data modes.
There are agreed upon rules & protocols that manage information running over the internet so every machine knows what all the other machines are saying. The fine print in amateur radio data modes. Today we will discuss the rationale for operating amateur radio data modes, the pros and cons as they apply to the off grid ham, and factors to consider before getting started. In particular, the amateur radio data modes deliver a very high “bang for the buck” and that is why off grid hams should learn them and incorporate them into their station operations. Some HF transmission modes are inherently more efficient than others. A lot of fuss, maybe too much, is spent on squeezing every last watt out of our solar panels, generators, and batteries, but not much thought is put into how well our chosen transmission mode uses that power. One of the primary concerns of radio amateurs who operate with alternative energy is something I call communications efficiency, or, getting the most signal you can for the input power.
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