hf is the start script for Tom Sailer's hf program suite, which is a ham radio RTTY AMTOR PACTOR GTOR MT63 protocol implementation using a soundcard.

hf is invoked just like this, without any options, because all configuration is done in the file /etc/hf.conf.

hf is the startscript and also the name of the program package. /etc/hf.conf is the configuration file for the startscript. hfkernel is the 'kernel' of the program, which modulates and demodulates Pactor 1, GTOR, AMTOR (SITOR 1), RTTY and MT63 ham radio protocols. As far as we know hfkernel is worldwide the only program that can transmit Pactor. It uses the soundcard, no TNC. Because of real-time-mode it needs superuser rights, and because of DMA (direct memory access) not every soundcard and/or sound driver can do this job! hfterm is the graphic terminal interface, which connects to hfkernel via an UNIX domain socket '/var/run/hfapp'. hfterm has been programmed with the Gtk+ toolkit and runs under X. It has a frequency spectrum, monitor function, help, menus and windows for editing paramaters and personal data, text macros, logbook entries, and a mailbox function, which connects via telnet to F6FBB, the well-known packet radio BBS, and which has to be configured for telnet access (see HF-HOWTO) and started as 'xfbbd' before on the same machine or another connected by ethernet. So hf can be used as an automatic pactor or amtor or GTOR mailbox. dcf77rx is a calibration tool, which utilizes the German Longwave time and frequency beacon DCF77 at 77,5 kHz, and which can also set the system time automagically to the beacon's time. Calibration may be needed for longer pactor connects, which needs exact timing. dcf77gen is a simulation program for this beacon's signals. reffreq is a calibration tool using any NF reference frequency. ratecal1 is a calibration tool using any pulsed signal, can be the German dcf77 signal, can be the North American WWV, can be a Pactor or Amtor or Gtor ARQ! Tnx to Pawel Jalocha, who is also author of MT63, who made this wonderful tool. There are various other test programs. HF-HOWTO is the main documentation, found in /usr/share/doc/<packages/>hf or in the doc directory of the hf package.

Just 'tar -zxvf' the tar.gz package, then run './configure', 'make' and (as root) 'make install'. Or 'rpm -i' the rpm package. hfkernel will be installed "suid root" (by 'chmod 4755 /usr/bin/hfkernel'). Run '/usr/bin/hf', for first test from a console as root, then as non-root user. At the start of hfkernel a row of numbers runs down the console or xterm: corrout ... intermediate ... Then start hf as non-root user under X. It will now also start hfterm. If running correctly, characters should appear on the receive screen on top, and the spectrum display (F2) should show a living curve. Most problems are soundcard-dependant (MMAP-errors). There are experimental workarounds, and from version 0.7.1 on also an additional code for the new ALSA driver, see the documentation.

A lot, but programming is fun, just help !

man hfkernel, man hfterm, and this manpage are for "first look" only and will not be actualized regularly. See the main documentation texts: HF-HOWTO (english) and DE-HF-HOWTO (German) and some other interesting texts, the German 'pactor.txt' in /usr/share/doc/<packages/>hf and in the doc directory of the source tree of the hf-package. Short comments are also contained in the configuration file /etc/hf.conf.

hfkernel & first version of hfterm by: Thomas M. Sailer, HB9JNX/AE4WA, sailer@ife.ee.ethz.ch (This was most & most difficult work, Thank you, Tom!!!) hfterm graphical interface was improved by: Ralf-Axel Krystof, DF3JRK, df3jrk@gmx.de hfterm functions implemented, log, help, hf startscript, this manpage by Günther Montag, DL4MGE, dl4mge@darc.de, Packet: DL4MGE.#DB0ZKA.BAY.DEU.EU, I am maintaining the program at the moment with much help by the friends from the hfterm-hackers mailing list, thank you very much !

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