[Gslug-general] Linux and amateur radio

[branen salmon]

Donald Gardner wrote:
> It seems to me.... I am a newbie with Linux and GSLUG, but have noticed
> some interesting things. I first belonged to the world of amateur radio.
> Many years later, I joined the computing world after I "met the MAC".
> What bothers me is that the two worlds seem to be isolated. Now that we
> have the internet, many people like me are asking "what can we do with
> the internet in amateur radio because the internet is such a good tool.

There's a long tradition of ham software in the open source world.  Some 
include:

atlc - Arbitrary Transmission Line Calculator
colrdx - DX-cluster client with curses color support
fbb - Packet radio mailbox and utilities
gmfsk - MFSK, RTTY and other digital mode terminal for HF/amateur radio
hf - amateur-radio protocol suite using a soundcard as a modem
libhamlib-utils - Utilities to support the hamlib radio control library
linpsk - Program for operating PSK31/RTTY modes with X GUI
marote - Rig Control Program for the Elecraft K2
node - Amateur Packet Radio Node program
p10cfgd - Remote configuration daemon for Gracilis Packeten
phaseshift - PSK31 terminal for X11
pingpong - Free server for Amateur Radio convers
pskmail - client for HF narrow band mail delivery system for amateur radio
soundmodem - Sound Card Amateur Packet Radio Modems
tqsllib1c2a - QSL signing routines for the Logbook of the World (LoTW)
trustedqsl - QSL log signing for the Logbook of the World (LoTW)
wsjt - weak-signal amateur radio communications
xdx - DX-cluster tcp/ip client for amateur radio
xlog - GTK+ Logging program for Hamradio Operators
xwota - GTK client to the WOTA Database



> Also, I read about a seminar given in Chicago that described the radio
> signals being digitized right at the antenna base. It seems to be this
> would bring BIG changes in the development of radio. computers and
> amateur radio are slowly blending together. Does anyone have any
> thoughts on linux and amateur radio?

You might be interested in GNU Radio and the Universal Software Radio 
Peripheral:

http://gnuradio.org/trac/wiki/FAQ#WhatisGNURadio
http://www.ettus.com/

It's already being used to decode DTV broadcasts in real-time, and I've 
heard that there may be a USRP onboard AMSAT OSCAR.


Hope that helps!

--b