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Digital interfaces

7F1 Recall that there are Digital Voice (DV) and Digital Data (DD) modes available and that different systems may not be compatible.

In Amateur Radio things have moved on in the last 20 years and as well as analogue signals we now have digital signal, DV which stands for Digital Voice and DD which stands for Digital data.

Both DV and DD have there own unique systems and they are not necessarily compatible with each other.

Recall that appropriate radio equipment is needed for each of these digital systems.

The "normal" radio equipment which has been on the market for many year cannot cope with DV and DD modes and thus appropriate equipment is required so that you can receive and transmit DV and DD.

Recall that DV radios may embed the call sign in the transmission and this will need to be adjusted if using borrowed equipment.

A very new items of which you need to be aware is that unlike the "normal" radio transceiver DV transceivers can and embed your callsign into the transmission and this can cause a problem if you borrow another radio amateurs equipment as you inadvertently will be transmitting the other persons callsign in contravention of the licence which could lead to retribution on you.

7F2 Recall that users of Digital Voice (DV) should check that the channel is not in use by other modes.

Before you use a DV transceiver you need to check that the frequency upon which you are about the use for a transmission is not in use by any other mode. Reference to your licence will indicate the recommended position for DV transmissions.

Recall that users of FM should check that the channel is not in use by other modes.

Similarly FM operator should check that the channel they are abbout to use is not inuse by anyone else.

Recall that such checks are not 100% reliable

However you must understand that such check of DV and FM use are not 100% reliable because when you check it may be the distant station that is trnasmitting and not on local to you !!




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The origin of some of the text on this page is from the RSGB with additions by the web master