Digital Ham of The Year : Patrick F6CTE. Tremendous innovations is his software "Multipsk" in the past year. Patrick listens well, he is open to new ideas, and very talented in taking new ideas and making them work. The SDR capabilities already in Multipsk could be the way of the new decade.
Best New Software: SDR-Console by Simon Brown HB9DRV. Just arrived in time for a new decade. Has taken SDR software to a new level. Still very early in development and missing some digital mode decoding integration, but what is already there is amazing. Matched with DM780 in 2010.... look out. Best Logging Software: DX Keeper by Dave AA6YQ, again ! Biggest Surprise Of The Year: 1. RMS Express. A very nicely designed application with much promise for 2010 in the emcomm world. While Winmor was highly anticipated on 2009, the total RMS Package is the suprise. Combines Telnet and Winmor messaging with a useful mail client. 2. Increase in Olivia activity. Was almost dead but made a comeback in 2009 . 3. Decline of MFSK16, has taken Olivia's place on the digital death bed. 4. A new release of WSJT . Improvements have made my Bozo's Guide obsolete. Organization of the Year: WPA-NBEMS ( http://wpanbems.org/ ) WPA ARES . Via a well structured and polite approach to digital communication for Emcomm, they have succeeded in doing what many thought was impossible.... moved FM bound voice-repeater anchored RACES/ARES groups in to the modern age. Have also convinced the world that there is more to emcomm than packet! Their weekly digital practice nets are a model for all to follow. Innovators of the Year: Fldigi team: WRAP and FLICS added to FLDIGI/NBEMS have made this package an absolute must for emcomm hams. FLdigi has continued to develop way beyond a mere multimode application. The Picasso Award: Simon Brown HB9DRV . Two year in a row, but this year for SDR-Console stunningly useful AND looks GREAT. Best Digital Mode Website : PSKreporter by Philip Gladstone... Google maps with Grey Line overlay. LOTW and eQSL alerts, view any mode, etc , etc. The most useful website anyone looking for QSOs. Now being "served" by DM780, Multipsk, and Fldigi. Oddest "Mode" in 2009: Text messaging in Multipsk . OMG ! Wishes Come True Award: PSKMAIL for Windows. Nice to see Windows PSKMAIL client, a very useful application for emcomm and travelling hams. This was on the list of "needs inventing in 2009". Needs Inventing in 2010 1. New codec for FDMDV, still ! 2. Softrock kits that actually exist. 3. Macro Zapper. Built in to all apps, declines to allow use of more than three macros in any one digital QSO! Disables transmit for one hour if you actually use the macro that counts how many DominoEx QSOs you have had on 12 meters! Most Anticipated Event in 2010: 1. Release of revised/upgraded PC-ALE . Some really cool stuff planned for what already is quite a remarkable application.. 2. Non-beta release of JT65-HF by Joe W6CQZ. The alpha-beta versions demonstrated this application to be the easiest way to get on the air with the most robust digital mode. The awards are based on the suggestions of the 3000+ membership of digitalradio and determined by Andy K3UK (because he knows best ). Andy K3UK
