Phase Shift Keying 31.25 (PSK31) Operation

This page talks about the Phase Shift Keying 31 (PSK31) mode of operation.

WB8NUT Digital Information

WB8NUT has a great page that talks about all of the digital modes. On this page you can actually hear some sample sounds from each of them.

Phase Shift Keying 31 (PSK31) Information

The PSK Info page is a good place to start for information about this mode of operation.

PSK31–Has RTTY’s Replacement Arrived?

The ARRL has a good article about PSK31, and compares it to radio teletype (RTTY) protocol.

PSK31 in Wikipedia

Wikipedia has a great page that talks about this digital mode. Here you’ll find some audio samples and explanations of the encoding.

Digipan Software

The Digipan software is free and can be used to decode the audio coming from a radio receiving PSK31 and PSK63 signals. The software creates a digital panorama of the signals received. You can even load the software, and use your computer’s microphone to listen to the incoming audio.

Common Frequencies

There is no authoritative list, as the frequencies are determined by common convention. However, here’s a list of observed operating frequencies.

PSK31 Frequencies
Frequency Amateur Band
1.838 MHz 160 meters
3.580 MHz 80 meters
7.035 MHz* 40 meters (region 3)
7.070 MHz* 40 meters (regions 1,2 USA)
10.142 MHz 30 meters
14.070 MHz 20 meters
18.100 MHz 17 meters
21.080 MHz* 15 meters
24.920 MHz 12 meters
28.120 MHz 10 meters
50.290 MHz 6 meters

* Current usage as of 2010, based on observation, is centered on 7,070.15 and 21,070.15. 7,035.15 is commonly used in Region 2 as of 2012.