Quick-Start Introduction to MAP65-IQ

  1. To install both MAP65-IQ and Linrad 3.03 on your Windows computer, download and execute the file http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/MAP65-IQ_r1116.EXE
  2. Start MAP65-IQ by clicking on its desktop icon.  Select Options on the Setup menu and enter your callsign, grid locator, and the PTT port number to be used for T/R control. 
  3. In the box labeled Fadd, enter the difference between your SDR-IQ input frequency and the corresponding on-the-air frequency.  For example, if the down-converter in front of your SDR-IQ converts 144.100 to 28.100, enter 116.0 for Fadd.
  4. Download and unzip the file http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/061111_0759.zip to produce a local file named 061111_0759.iq.  This file is a one minute recording of data received at 0759 UTC on November 11, 2006, using a pair of 10-element horizontally polarized yagis on 2m.  The file is useful for test purposes and for exploring the capabilities of MAP65-IQ.
  5. Click on the black area just under 131 on the upper frequency scale in the waterfall window, thereby setting QSO Freq  to 144.131 MHz.
  6. Select Open on the MAP65-IQ File menu, navigate to the directory containing 061111_0759.iq, and open the file.  MAP65-IQ will decode the file and should produce the following lines of text in the main text window.  Stations UA9FAD and UA9SL are both calling KB8RQ at frequencies near 144.131:

Freq     DF     Pol  UTC      DT     dB_____________________________________

131 -474   0 0759  3.2 -22  KB8RQ UA9FAD LO88         1   0

131  471   0 0759  3.8 -18  KB8RQ UA9SL LO71          1   0

 

  1. You should also see the following text in the Messages window.  In addition to the two stations calling KB8RQ, MAP65-IQ has decoded RA3AQ sending a signal report to OH6KTL; DF2ZC is calling KA1VHF; HB9Q, RK2WWF, IK1UWL, S52LM, EA6VQ, and EA3DXU are calling CQ; and somebody is sending the shorthand message “RO”.  The polarization angles all default to zero because MAP65-IQ is a single-polarization system.

 

Freq     DF     Pol  UTC     dB___________________________

115  465   0 0759 -14  CQ HB9Q JN47         

122  490   0 0759 -13  OH6KTL RA3AQ KO85 OOO

127  378   0 0759 -18  CQ RK3WWF KO72       

130  343   0 0759 -24  RO                   

131 -474   0 0759 -22  KB8RQ UA9FAD LO88    

     471   0 0759 -18  KB8RQ UA9SL LO71     

135 -431   0 0759 -18  CQ IK1UWL JN33       

136 -321   0 0759 -17  CQ S52LM JN65        

144 -363   0 0759 -15  CQ EA6VQ JM19        

146 -262   0 0759 -19  CQ EA3DXU JN11       

157 -461   0 0759 -22  KA1VHF DF2ZC JO30    

 

8.    Double-click on the upper waterfall just under the frequency markings 115, 122, 127, 130, 135, 136, 144, 144, 146, and 157.  Contents of the main text window should grow to something like the following as you decode each of the detectable transmissions in this one-minute recording, one by one:

 

Freq     DF     Pol  UTC      DT     dB_____________________________________

131 -474   0 0759  3.2 -22  KB8RQ UA9FAD LO88         1   0

131  471   0 0759  3.8 -18  KB8RQ UA9SL LO71          1   0

115  465   0 0759  3.1 -14  CQ HB9Q JN47              1 542

122  490   0 0759  4.4 -13  OH6KTL RA3AQ KO85 OOO     1   0

127  378   0 0759  3.1 -18  CQ RK3WWF KO72            1 197

130  343   0 0759  1.9 -24  RO                        0   0

135 -431   0 0759  4.3 -18  CQ IK1UWL JN33            1 194

136 -321   0 0759  3.2 -17  CQ S52LM JN65             1 298

144 -363   0 0759  2.9 -15  CQ EA6VQ JM19             1 392

146 -262   0 0759  3.2 -19  CQ EA3DXU JN11            1 170

157 -461   0 0759  3.2 -22  KA1VHF DF2ZC JO30         1   0

 

9.    Double-click on the lower waterfall near DF = –461, the frequency offset of the DF2ZC transmission.  You should see the message transmitted by DF2ZC decoded again.  The QSO DF setting will be set to the offset you selected, and Tol will be reduced to 100 Hz.

10. If you are already an experienced WSJT user, you should now understand the basic operation of MAP65-IQ.

11. Double-click on the Linrad desktop icon to start Linrad 3.03.

12. Type the letter D to start Linrad in SSB mode.  The Linrad screen has been configured in a way that works well with 1280 x 1024 screen resolution.  (Running both Linrad and MAP65-IQ on a single monitor of lower resolution is possible, but not particularly recommended.)  If you need to change the SDR-IQ center frequency, click on the number 28.130 in the small box at lower left and enter the desired setting.  For example: if you have a 1296-to-28 MHz converter and wish to cover the range 1296.010 to 1296.090, enter 28.050.  (In this case you should have entered 1268 for Fadd.)

13. Refer to Linrad documentation for help with the numerous features of this powerful program.