Phone Mode A3J, J3E Need defintion
I am helping a friend with an Icom 700 Marine radio. It lists phone modes in a way I am unfamiliar with:
A3J (J3E) both USB and LSB; and USB in A3A (R3E) and A3A (H3E).
I have looked in Google and could not find a defintion of the modes that made sense. So, here are my questions.
1. What are the differences between the modes?
2. Are any of the modes comparable to our ham USB and LSB phone modes?
3. Why does an HF marine radio have this definition?
Last edited by wa6rz; 10-16-2008 at 06:35 AM.
A1A - Continuous wave telegraphy, Morse code.
A2A - Telegraphy by the on-off keying of a tone modulated carrier, Morse code: double sideband.
A3E - Telephony using amplitude modulation: double sideband.
A9W - Composite emission: double sideband eg. a combination of telegraphy and telephony.
J3E - Telephony using amplitude modulation: single sideband, suppressed carrier
These are deffinitions of the terms you are speaking of. Yes they are still relivent, but mostly forgotten terms..
The terms are not inclusive or exclusive of any frequency or licensed user, but are of a techinal nature to identify with.
Thanks for the reply. So, would I assume that with
>>J3E - Telephony using amplitude modulation: single sideband, suppressed carrier<<
J3E is the same as ham SSB mode?
The first designators you list such as A3J are no longer used. There may be foreign countries that still use them however, so maybe Icom has covered all the bases. Here is an fcc page that provides the definitions for the current emission designators.
There really isn't a "ham" SSB. Single Side Band is used in any number of radio services, not just ham. There are SSB-Suppressed Carrier (SSB-SC), SSB-Reduced Carrier (SSB-RC), and SSB-Full Carrier (SSB-FC).
Amateurs are authorized in part 97.3(c) to operate J3E (SSB-SC), H3E (SSB-FC), and R3E (SSB-RC).
I've got the same Icom M700 radio, with the same three settings, and have the same questions about when to use each of the 3 modes. The replies to the original post didn't really answer the question straight on. Obviously the settings are still used as they are on the M700s still kicking around in the world. The Wikipedia article wasn't clear to me, being a newcomer to all this - it might make sense to the old timers but us kids aren't as quick.
Also, if you keep turning the knob on the M700 counterclockwise past A3J there is another setting with no markings. What is that setting for?
The original poster said "I am helping a friend with an Icom 700 Marine radio. It lists phone modes in a way I am unfamiliar with: A3J (J3E) both USB and LSB; and USB in A3A (R3E) and A3A (H3E)."
Ok, Type of modulation
N Unmodulated carrier
A Double-sideband amplitude modulation (e.g. AM broadcast radio)
H Single-sideband with full carrier (e.g. as used by CHU)
R Single-sideband with reduced or variable carrier
J Single-sideband with suppressed carrier (e.g. Shortwave utility and amateur stations)
B Independent sideband (two sidebands containing different signals)
C Vestigial sideband (e.g. NTSC)
F Frequency modulation (e.g. FM broadcast radio)
G Phase modulation
D Combination of AM and FM or PM
P Sequence of pulses without modulation
K Pulse amplitude modulation
L Pulse width modulation (e.g. as used by WWVB)
M Pulse position modulation
Q Sequence of pulses, phase or frequency modulation within each pulse
V Combination of pulse modulation methods
W Combination of any of the above
X None of the above
Type of modulating signal
0 No modulating signal
1 One channel containing digital information, no subcarrier
2 One channel containing digital information, using a subcarrier
3 One channel containing analogue information
7 More than one channel containing digital information
8 More than one channel containing analogue information
9 Combination of analogue and digital channels
X None of the above
Type of transmitted information
N No transmitted information
A Aural telegraphy, intended to be decoded by ear, such as Morse code
B Electronic telegraphy, intended to be decoded by machine (Radioteletype and digital modes)
C Facsimile (Still images)
D Telemetry or Telecommand (Remote control or data collection)
E Telephony (voice or music intended to be listened to by a human)
F Video (television signals)
W Combination of any of the above
X None of the above
Common and important examples
Continuous, unmodulated carrier - as previously commonly used for radio direction finding (RDF) in marine and aeronautical navigation.
Signalling by keying the carrier directly (aka CW or OOK) - as currently used in amateur radio. This is often but not necessarily Morse code.
Signalling by keying a tone modulated onto a carrier so that it can easily be heard using an ordinary AM receiver - as previously used for station idents of some RDF transmissions. This is usually but not exclusively Morse code. (An example of modulated continuous wave)
AM speech communication - as used for aeronautical VHF communications
FM speech communication - as used for marine and many other VHF communications
SSB speech communication - as used on HF bands by marine, aeronautical and amateur users
A3E or A3EG
Normal AM broadcast - as found on public LF and MF bands
FSK telegraphy, such as RTTY. 
Data transmission by frequency modulation of a radio frequency carrier with an audio frequency FSK subcarrier. Often called AFSK/FM.
F8E or F8EH
Normal FM stereo broadcast - as found on public VHF band, and as the audio component of broadcast television transmissions
C3F or C3FN
Broadcast television video signals
Note that there is some overlap, so a signal might legitimately be described by two or more designators. In such cases, there is often a traditionally preferred designator
simply put its a code for each type of modulation, first take the first letter and then the number and so on so on until the mode is fully explained.
ie.. F3E for example is simply FM voice as in what is used for repeaters, its technical break down would be
Modulation type F: Frequency modulation
Type of modulating signal 3: One channel containing analogue information
Information type E: Telephony (voice or music intended to be listened to by a human)
So its an FM signal carrying Voice to be received by ear with no other decoding equipment, occupying only (1) channel
I hope this helps.
That's the setting for lower sideband, not normally used for marine radios.
Originally Posted by KE7WSA
Okay, I've got the definitions translated from the old to the new. And my sincere thanks for that.
So, if I want to, say, talk on Don's Weather Net on 8294, or on the Sonrisa Net on 3968, or on the Manana Net on 14340, how do I know which setting to use, A3J (J3E) , A3A (R3E) or A3A (H3E)? What do I want happening with my carrier, and more importantly, why, I think is the question..... This is probably exceedingly basic stuff, but I don't know the answers yet.
Somebody will say, read the book. I say, at what point can you start talking? When you have your license or when you are a professor of radio? I respect all the deeply learned guys out there, and hope eventually to get quite a ways beyond the point I'm at, but right now I'm busy sailing my boat and only have time to slowly, gradually, inch my way up the learning curve and am asking for help....... I'm an old pro in my own field, and can't count how many dumb questions the new comers asked me....maybe I'm being a little defensive in advance, but am nervous because I've been on enough forums to know what can happen when something philosophical happens, something that will rub on peoples' opinions......