DigiPan stands for "Digital Panoramic Tuning" and brings the ease and simplicity of PANORAMIC reception and transmission to PSK31and PSK63 operation. DigiPan provides a panoramic display of the frequency spectrum in the form of an active dial scale extending the full width of the computer screen. Depending upon the transceiver IF bandwidth, it is possible to "see" as many as 40 to 50 PSK31 stations at one time. Low-cost transceiver kits for 10 meters, 20 meters, 30 meters, 40 meters, and 80 meters, the PSK-10, PSK-20, PSK-30, PSK-40, and Warbler (PSK-80), are available from Small WonderLabs that make full use of DigiPan's panoramic capabilities through the use of a 3000 Hz wideband IF. An article about DigiPan and the panoramic transceiver can be found starting on page 33 of the June, 2000, QST magazine. Other information about PSK31, including a downloadable copy of the article, is currently available for members from the ARRLTechnical Information Service.
DigiPan1.0 forever changed how PSK31 tuning was done, from manually tuning the transceiver, to "point-and-click" mouse tuning, in which a signal on the waterfall is clicked with the mouse button to find out the station's callsign and decide whether or not to contact that station...
Now, DigiPan 2.0 again changes how PSK31 tuning is done!
All stations on the waterfall are now
simultaneously decoded, and the callsign and text of each
station is continuously shown on a separate multichannel display.
CQ calls are instantly highlighted in color, and color alerts for
any other two strings of text are also available. Since the
callsign and text of each station is already known, instead of
clicking on a signal to identify and contact a station, just
clicking on the text or callsign of the desired station will
transfer it to the active Receive area for a contact.
$100 to the first station confirming 100 countries worked between November 1, 2004 and November 30, 2006 using PSK63
$50 to the first station confirming all 50 US states worked between November 1, 2004 and November 30, 2005 using PSK63
Confirmation must be made by submitting signed paper QSL cards in a single mailing to: PSK63 Prize Award, 335 Plantation View Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC, 29464, USA
Eligible frequencies of operation: 3582.5 to 3585.0, 7072.5 to 7075.9, 14072.5 to 14075.0, and 21072.5 to 21075.0 KHz
Winners will be announced on this web page
Submissions will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed, return mailer
If you experience slowness in downloading, or problems in installing DigiPan 2.0, download this zipped version: digipan20.zip
If you find that your computer is too slow using DigiPan 2.0, DigiPan 1.7 is still available: digipan7.zip
Before installing any new version of DigiPan, or reinstalling an older one, first quit any running version of DigiPan, locate digipan.ini in the Windows directory (folder), delete digipan.ini, and then install DigiPan. After installation, you will have to re-configure your macros and personal data.
In 1995, the FCC approved the use of automatic digitally
controlled stations on HF for the first time, stating officially,
"We also are confident in the abilty of the amateur service
comunity to respond, as it has in the past, to the challenge of
minimizing interference with novel technical and operational
approaches to the use of shared frequency bands".
Instead of developing "novel technical and operational approaches to the use of our shared frequency bands", which are required by the FCC to be shared among all users, the PACTOR mailbox operators just use ARQ as a means of taking over a frequency for themselves, even if you are on it first! ARQ stands for "Automatic Repeat reQuest", and what this means is that the PACTOR station will continue transmitting in bursts, waiting for an acknowledgement of success, until it either succeeds or gives up. If you are in QSO using PSK31, PSK63, or CW, and a PACTOR mailbox station comes on the frequency you are using, it will contine to transmit to try to get through, possibly destroying your QSO in progress. In addition, if a mobile mailbox user is successful in connecting with a powerful fixed station, it will trigger that station to transmit back, and that fixed station is generally on fully automatic operation, with nobody there to listen to see if the frequency is already occupied.
PACTOR mailbox operators have a right to use the same frequencies everyone else uses, but they are required by the FCC to listen first for activity on the frequency before transmitting, just like everyone else must do. The number of times PACTOR stations override PSK31, PSK63, or CW communications is so great that the probability is that they seldom, if ever, "listen first" in their passion to use the ham bands as an automatic gateway to send and receive email to and from the Internet.
The FCC has promised to take action to stop this illegal interference by PACTOR mailbox stations, so if you experience your QSO being destroyed by PACTOR station, report the offense to Riley Hollingsworth by filling out the form below, and slimply clicking "Send". Ask your QSO partner to go to http://www.digipan.net, fill out the same form, and "Send" it. DigiPan now includes PACTOR RX, so if you quickly switch to PACTOR RX (with the Mode menu or with the Status bar), you may be able to identify the callsign of one of the stations being called. Riley wants to help us get the interference stopped, but we must let him know when it occurs, and how often. To help you in identifying if an interfering signal is a PACTOR signal, here is a DigiPan waterfall screenshot of a PACTOR signal. To the left, in blue, is a PSK31 signal for comparison. If the PACTOR signal comes on and overlays your QSO partner's signal on the waterfall, it is potentially interfering with your QSO. If the PACTOR signal is merely adjacent to your QSO partner's signal on the waterfall, it may be affecting the AGC of your receiver, the effect of which can sometimes be reduced with passband tuning, IF shift, or a more narrow filter, but it is not considered interference, and should not be reported as such.
Fill out all the fields below and then click the Send
button to file a complaint directly with the FCC about a PACTOR
station coming on top of an ongoing QSO. DO NOT file a complaint
if the PACTOR station is merely adjacent to your frequency!