> David WB2HTO wrote: > What are the best frequencies and times to listen for > Olivia signals? Also, I understand there are variations > in the mode - what do I operate and where? >
Most Olivia activity is on 14MHz. Olivia using 32 Tones 1000Hz Bandwidth at 1000Hz Centre Audio is found on the following exact USB Dial Frequencies: 14105.5 kHz USB 14106.5 kHz USB 14107.5 kHz USB (main calling frequency) 14108.5 kHz USB Olivia using 16 Tones 500Hz Bandwidth at 750Hz Centre Audio is found on the following exact USB Dial Frequencies: 14075.65 USB (calling frequency) 14076.65 USB 14077.65 USB A more complete list of Olivia frequencies for all bands is found here: http://hflink.com/olivia/olivia.html Olivia is different from some other types of amateur radio digital keyboarding methods, because it can often be decoded perfectly in the most poor signal-to-noise conditions, even when the human ear cannot discern the presence of the signal, and even when it cannot be easily seen on the conventional waterfall spectrum display. While amateurs are free to roam the band using VFOs, operating on any amateur frequency within the operator's license regulations, "voluntary channelisation" of Olivia digital frequencies enhances the amateurs' ability to synchronise and communicate with Olivia using extremely weak signals that would otherwise be missed through searching via VFO tuning. There are many different combinations of formats, but only 2 Olivia MFSK bandwidth/tone formats are in common use. The 2 most common formats for calling CQ or initiating QSOs are: Olivia 500/16 and Olivia 1000/32. A different format may easily be chosen by the operators after the QSO starts. There are advantages to faster typing and better QRM resistance with Olivia 1000/32, and better decoding through static and noise with Olivia 500/16. Unfortunately, the Olivia 1000/32 frequencies on 14MHz are in the International automatic station sub-band. This problem is due to the bandwidth requirements of the IARU Region 1 bandplan (Europe/MidEast/Africa/Russia). Have fun, see you on Olivia! 73---Bonnie KQ6XA .
