PSK31
Operating made even easier

by Ernie Mills, WM2U.
Please print this article and use it as a hand out at Club talks and lectures

Al Williams, WD5GNR http://www.al-williams.com/wd5gnr/pskgnr.htm has released front end software that makes operating PSK31 even easier to use. It offers type ahead buffers, pre written F-Key buffers, user written macro buffers, and much more. When you launch PSKGNR it will automatically start PSK31 running and by resizing and shuffling the two windows, both can be observed onscreen together.

Screen shot of both windows

The software can be downloaded directly from this site and comes sliced as two self-extracting files, pgnr34_1.exe and pgnr34_2.exe. Simply download both programs into the same directory, run them both, then run SETUP.exe which will install PSKGNR. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of PSKGNR then all you need is the upgrade file pskbare.zip for version 1.34.0
Once setup is complete, run PSKGNR and set your options which are found in Tools>Options menu. The SetupTab needs your callsign, path to the main PSK31 program and GMT offset etc. See following example.

Setup screen example

The Options Tab lets you configure the system. Set all the others as you prefer. The Fkeys Tab shows you what is already in the F-key buffers although they are reprogrammable, and the Macro Tab lets you write your own macros. These use the Shift+Function keys. One great advantage with macros is that you can have a macro call a .txt file for transmission thus making it easy to send computer files. At this point I recommend printing off the GNR manual, (file was extracted in your main PSKGNR folder). There is excellent help on the above Options.

Options screen example

Using PSKGNR is easy. Just type what you want to send to PSK31. This will appear in the Window. If you click Send or F9 you will see the text transfer to the PSK31 transmit window and get transmitted. To switch to receive click on the Rcv button or press F10. Just for interest you can 'que' the F10 button in your text such that only the text up to the F10 character gets sent, then it will switch back to receive mode. Everything you typed after the F10 key will wait until you press F9 again.
When a contact is made, press F12 to view the callsign entry form. This form allows you to enter the callsign and operators name and by pressing the Lookup Now button it will search, assuming you are on line, the QRZ, FCC or other database, or a local CDROM. See manual for setting this feature up correctly.
If your Radio has a computer control port you can download the appropriate software and have PSKGNR control the PTT line. Download file kptt.zip ,tptt.zip, yptt.zip or iptt.zip for Kenwood, TenTec, Yaesu and Icom respectively. If you are running the Yaesu 847 then you need yptt_847.zip
Here is a new PSK logging program. It works in conjunction with GNR. I have not played around with it myself yet but I will soon. More info or maybe a separate page for this will be coming soon.
Check out this site! http://members.tripod.com/~YO3FFF/
Well! I apologize for the verbose and possible incoherent explanation of this fine program but I am sure if you download the software, print and read the manual you will find it well worth the effort.
73 and enjoy Ernie (WM2U)