OnAirDecode FSQ with an SDR
FSQ: directed keyboard chat on 33 tones.
- Group
- Amateur: digital
- In the mode list
- Directed chat, 14.105 MHz
What FSQ is
FSQ (Fast Simple QSO) keyboard chat: 33 tones, speeds 1.5 to 6 baud found automatically, directed messages with sender, addressee and command, 14.105 MHz.
Frequencies and settings
OnAir takes any frequency you type; the numbers above are the mode's starting point and the range its table describes. In the app the shortcut label is Directed chat, 14.105 MHz.
What OnAir shows
FSQ (Fast Simple QSO) keyboard chat: 33 tones, speeds 1.5 to 6 baud found automatically, directed messages with sender, addressee and command, 14.105 MHz.
Limits and what it was checked with
Checked with generated signals and impairments; recordings of real signals welcome.
Which radio you need
This is a shortwave mode, so the radio has to tune HF. An SDRplay, Airspy HF+ or an RTL-SDR in direct-sampling mode do that directly; with a HackRF an HF upconverter or a direct-sampling receiver is the usual route. A long wire or loop antenna matters more than the radio.
Receiving and the law
Questions about FSQ
Can I decode FSQ with an RTL-SDR?
An RTL-SDR can receive HF only in direct-sampling mode, which OnAir offers in its radio settings; results depend on the antenna. SDRplay and Airspy HF+ radios are better suited.
Is it legal to receive FSQ?
Amateur radio signals are meant to be received. Receiving needs no licence in most countries; OnAir does not transmit.
Can I try FSQ in OnAir without a radio?
Yes. Most modes include a built-in synthetic test signal, so you can open the screen and try the controls before you own a radio.