Pinned Post
A new section on the VarAC website now showcases EmComm groups using VarAC. We’re excited to feature the first group to join - The North Central WA Emcomms Net (NCWEN).
We encourage more groups to submit their details so others in your region can find and connect with you.
Access the VarAC EmComm groups list and submission form through this link: https://www.varac-hamradio.com/varac-emcomm-groups
When I open and run VarAC the Vara HF modem bandwidth lines stay at 500. Does the bandwidth line change when a wider live signal is present? They explain that Vara has 3 modes of operation. operation modes: VARA HF Narrow (500Hz), VARA HF Standard (2300Hz) and VARA HF Tactical (2750Hz) What changes these modes? I'm using 4.9 I believe and latest VarAC also. Been away from this mode for a while. Also, I use the FM version with High speed winlink and it says I have a licensed version and will run at "High Speed". Should the HF version also say this about a license when initializing? Need guidance.
Thx,
Todd
AL7PX
Hi,
I should probably ask this on a VARA forum (if one exists), but let me try here first.
In digital modes like FT8, JS8Call, and FreeDV, it is generally recommended to set the audio level to the radio so that the ALC meter does not move.
For VARA, however, it recommends allowing the ALC to reach about 1/3 of full scale.
Where does this difference come from? I'd love to understand the technical reasons behind it.
I believe your "recommendation" is based on the audio level screen in VARA. This is an oversimplification that has caused many operators to have suboptimal performance. I truly wish that graphic was removed.
At low data rates (SL4 and lower,) FSK is used, which is very tolerant of ALC and you can actually use moderate ALC to increase power to some degree. As soon as you move into any of the higher levels, ALC instantly becomes detrimental and should be avoided.
Matt
AL0R
All:
Has anyone setup VarAC with the Mercury modem?
Any tips on how it's done?
Tony -K2MO
Just wanted to share my experience.
I've been conducting simple tests of VarAC + Mercury on Linux Mint (native Mercury build + VarAC under WINE), 2 PCs / 2 rigs in the last few days.
Beacon and Broadcast (both "to all" and "to a specific callsign") have worked flawlessly so far — no issues there.
Connection does establish, but I feel it's a bit slower than VARA (both set at BW500Hz). Also I often see the data flow get stuck — one side just stops sending messages mid-QSO. From what I can tell, Mercury itself keeps the link up and flowing fine at the modem level (it keeps exchanging keepalive messages); the stall seems to happen at the app layer above it.
Haven't tested other features.
"As of today," I conclude it is not yet reliable enough for everyday use, but the Mercury dev team seems to be actively chasing down bugs — I'm seeing frequent updates on GitHub. So I'm optimistic these get sorted out soon.
Gene / JI1BQW
Ok. I checked the settings window in Vara HF and see the code was there. Probably from the last time I updated it. I have been using VarAC since it was released and just been away from it for 18 months or so. Same with Winlink. I used Winlink for for weather reports while on the boat in remote areas of Prince William Sound here in Alaska. Vara HF gave me a message that a new version is out so I downloaded it. I noticed the license code didn't carry over either so I had to input that in the settings block manually.
Anyway, good to go. Thanks for the refresher and info. I appreciate the help.
73,
Todd
AL7PX