Utility Signals

When decoding utility signals I use either RadioRaft or HamComm. Both programs run from DOS. Radioraft is interesting because it decodes any number of utility signals automatically.
With HamComm you have to select with the keyboard the correct baud rate, etc. but it does have all the facilities for doing this and more.

The interface is connected from the audio-out of your radio and fed to either port one or port two on the the PC. Once this is done you select from the software which port you're connected to then you're ready to go.

Radio / Interface / Computer pictorial

The interface is the same as used for decoding Slow-Scan TV (SSTV). There are interesting utility signals scattered all over the short-wave spectrum and the table below shows a few frequencies worth listening out for.

Utility Stations - Frequencies in KHz USB
StationFrequencyBaud Mode
Hamburg Met. 4582.0 50r rtty
Rome Met. 11452.0 50n rtty
French Naval 16950.0 75r rtty
Italian Naval 2813.8 75r rtty
European Volmet 7783.0 75r rtty
Scheveningen 8428.4 75r rtty
Portugese Naval 12822.2 75r rtty
Dutch Naval 8437.8 75r rtty
Moscow News 3780.8 75r rtty
Italian Medical 17105.0 - cw
Ostend Radio 516.8 - sitor
Riga Radio 8430.6 - sitor
Moscow News 13020.8 - sitor


All amateur RTTY is normally sent at 45baud. Although, it is not unusual to hear
some stations sending at 50baud or higher.

Amateur RTTY Bandplan
Frequencies in KHz
From To
1838 1842
3580 3620
7035 7045
10140 10150
14070 14099
14101 14112
18100 18109
21080 21120
24920 24929
28050 28150

We may be in the days of 'everything digital' but there are still thousands of utility signals waiting to be decoded on the HF bands. And you don't need a multi-squillion dollar setup to decode 'em. My RTTY decoding setup consist of the following...

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Best Regards... Pete

http://www.keirle.fsnet.co.uk