Contribute to the advancement of radio art by participating in the (now) monthly FreeDV 48 hour Activity Day. On the third weekend of each month you can join other FreeDV users on the air for QSOs and a fun time.

“As this isn’t a contest, there’s no pressure to make contacts or send logs, but you can always confirm QSOs via the usual means if you’d like (LoTW, eQSL, QRZ, etc.) Enabling PSK Reporter in the FreeDV application and joining the QSO Finder are recommended, however, so others can see that you’re on the air and hearing them (for instance, here’s the current map of listeners).” ¹

December Event Schedule

2AM Central time (0800Z) on December 17 to 1:59AM (0759Z) on December 19 (48 hours).

If you can’t make it on the air this weekend, the next Activity Day will be on the weekend of January 21st–22nd, 2023.

Suggested frequencies to use

• 80 meters: 3.625, 3.643, 3.693 or 3.697 MHz
• 60 meters (in countries where allowed): 5.4035 MHz or 5.3665 MHz
• 40 meters: 7.177 MHz
• 20 meters: 14.236 MHz or 14.240 MHz
• 17 meters: 18.118 MHz
• 15 meters: 21.313 MHz
• 12 meters: 24.933 MHz
• 10 meters: 28.330 or 28.720 MHz
• 10 GHz (for those in range of QO-100): 10489.640 MHz

(Note that LSB/DIGL is used below 10MHz as per current convention for voice modes, USB/DIGU otherwise. 60 meters is of course USB/DIGU only.)

Do you need help with FreeDV?

• Visit the FreeDV website
• E-mail your questions to the Digital Voice Google group
• Engage in casual chat in the #freedv IRC channel on irc.libera.chat port 6697
• Post your question in the Amateur Radio subreddit or contact /u/tmiw

About FreeDV

FreeDV is a Digital Voice mode for HF radio. You can run FreeDV using a free GUI application for Windows, Linux and OSX that allows any SSB radio to be used for low-bit-rate digital voice.

FreeDV is being developed by an international team of radio amateurs working together on coding, design, user interface and testing. FreeDV is open source software, released under the GNU Lesser Public License version 2.1. The modems and Codec 2 speech codec used in FreeDV are also open source.

Amateur Radio is transitioning from analog to digital, much as it transitioned from AM to SSB in the 1950s and 1960s. How would you feel if one or two companies owned the patents for SSB, then forced you to use their technology, made it illegal to experiment with or even understand the technology, and insisted you stay locked to it for the next 100 years? That’s exactly what was happening with digital voice. But now, hams are in control of their technology again!

FreeDV is unique as it uses 100% Open Source Software, including the speech codec. No secrets, nothing proprietary! FreeDV represents a path for 21st-century Amateur Radio where Hams are free to experiment and innovate, rather than a future locked into a single manufacturer’s closed technology. ²

Be a part of the Amateur Radio tradition of experimentation and learning!

Try out FreeDV—the Open Source Amateur Radio Digital Voice mode—during the February 2022 FreeDV Activity Day.

Activity Day operations will run from 1700Z (1100 CST) February 19th through 1659Z (1059 CST) February 20th. There are no rules or logging requirements.

FreeDV can usually be found [at]:

• 80 meters: 3.625, 3.643 or 3.693 MHz
• 40 meters: 7.177 MHz
• 20 meters: 14.236 MHz
• 17 meters: 18.118 MHz
• 15 meters: 21.313 MHz
• 12 meters: 24.933 MHz
• 10 meters: 28.330 or 28.720 MHz

The QSO Finder and PSK Reporter are great sources for finding contacts, whether during the event or any other time. ¹

Please visit the FreeDV website to find:

• A list of what you need
• Download links
• Documentation links
• Support suggestions

and other links and information about this Digital Voice mode.

Assistance setting up the FreeDV application (or the SM1000 adapter) is available through the event announcement page and the Digital Voice Google Group (AKA reflector).

Why FreeDV?

Amateur Radio is transitioning from analog to digital, much as it transitioned from AM to SSB in the 1950’s and 1960’s. How would you feel if one or two companies owned the patents for SSB, then forced you to use their technology, made it illegal to experiment with or even understand the technology, and insisted you stay locked to it for the next 100 years? That’s exactly what was happening with digital voice. But now, hams are in control of their technology again!

FreeDV is unique as it uses 100% Open Source Software, including the speech codec. No secrets, nothing proprietary! FreeDV represents a path for 21st century Amateur Radio where Hams are free to experiment and innovate, rather than a future locked into a single manufacturers closed technology.

Controlled testing suggests FreeDV is comparable to and in some cases works better than SSB on low SNR channels.

FreeDV 2020 is built around leading edge neural net speech coding (LPCNet), putting Ham radio at the forefront of digital radio innovation. It provides 8 kHz wide audio bandwidth, while using just 1600 Hz of RF bandwidth.

Urban HF noise is a growing problem for SSB communications. Hams around the world are using the advanced FEC and modem technology in FreeDV to overcome urban HF noise in channels where SSB is unusable.

FreeDV 1600 and 2020 is being used over the QO-100 experimental combinations of Internet and HF radio to overcome poor propogation. ²