VarAC HF Digital Instructional Video From A - Z

I will be covering the new HF Digital Ham Radio Software VarAC. I will break it down in simple and easy to use instructions and shorten your learning curve by 75%. This will be one of the top HF Digital Modes in the near future.
Links:
Setup Instructions Email: [e-mail]
VarAC Download: www.varac-hamr...
Windows Setup Instructions Video: • Windows & Rig Setup Fo...
Ham Radio Made Simple Channel List Of Videos: / @hamradiomadesimple

[@TallyTechandTroubleshooting]

Simply FANTASTIC, MJ! A TON of info and very concise. Thank you for putting the time and energy into this video training. I hope you are well and in good health. Looks like we (Tampa Bay Area) are getting ready for yet another tropical system and it appears that VarAC is a strong contender for EmComm. Take care!! -73 KQ4KIO Talmadge

[@MikeNelson-i7x]

Thank you MJ for this video. Very helpful and easy to follow. You're the type of teacher that leaves a lasting positive impact on his students. 73

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Wow, thank you for such a high and honorable comment. One of the greatest compliments I've have ever received. The ultimate goal for a person with a teachers heart. THANK YOU!!

[@radiovan7]

Thanks MJ for your excellent tutorials. I'm starting to make VarAC contacts with my attic magloop on 20m. I had a power outage take out my monitor. The new portable USB one I bought was having RFI problems until I fixed the open ground and ground loop problem from my power supply to the rig. 73

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Nice fix and glad you could get the RF under control. SWEET!!

[@davidpatrick4310]

MJ, your videos are superb and a wonderful gift to the Ham Radio and Prepper Community

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words!!

[@jeanburgos3416]

I have used VARAC-HF a while ago, this video is spot on with tons of great information. Thank you!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank you for taking the time to let me know! Have fun and I hope you make a lot of contacts.

[@alandigiovanni5282]

Great video MJ. Thank you. I found it very informative and easy to follow.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 😊

[@husamabdulzahra4375]

Thank you for taking time to make this video

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jimcoon]

Great video, MJ! So comprehensive and understandable. I will be watching it again. Thanks again!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks my friend, I will send you the handout.

[@HamTechRadioScannerDrones]

I am learning so much from your Videos , Many Thanks

[@hamradiomadesimple]

So glad they are helping you!

[@bobadkins7377]

Hey I'm very new to VARAC and this video has cleared up quite a bit of questions I had. Thanks for the info and 73!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it was helpful! Each new version release has new stuff in it. Let me know if you want the latest handout for VarAC. [e-mail]

[@davidbruce3651]

Fantastic. I have been using VarAC, and your video is incredibly useful. The information really accelerated my understanding.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great to hear! Thanks for letting me know.

[@Stingmni]

You are a good teacher. Thank you

[@hamradiomadesimple]

So nice of you to take the time to post this! Thank you.

[@jps99]

Thanks for this informative video. I think it would be pretty daunting trying to get VarAC running without it! I'm going to download it now and go through the setup. Thank God I have an IC-7300 like you do! Your next video on JS8 Call will be helpful, I hope. I have installed JS8 call but don't really understand the flow and usage.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Email me at [e-mail] and I will send you my operational manual. Thanks for the kind words too :-)

[@stevebeegle7350]

Great video on a complex subject, I'll be watching it again. Thank you MJ!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

So glad you are finding these videos helpful. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.

[@VE7GGH]

Very helpful, thank you so much.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it is of value to you!

[@dougbas3980]

Going to try this with some of my friends. One lives in a valley, so it will be interesting to see what antennas and bands work day/night. Thanks, this could be the best mode yet.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Sounds great! I would recommend that you add frequencies when connecting with friends and stay off the main calling frequencies. Less traffic and more privacy. FUN app for sure!!

NVIS will hit your buddie in the valley 👍

[@gary6212]

Really great walkthrough on VarAC - thanks! I was able to follow along and setup eveything up without any issues - very smooth. Looking forward to the JS8 Call video; I'm going to try to set that one up next.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Gary, how is it going? Need any help?

[@gary6212]

@@hamradiomadesimple Everything is going great - I think I have all the the main apps setup and working properly - thanks for all of your assistance!

[@sm6yec]

Thanks for this amazing video!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad you find them useful and thanks for taking the time to let me know.

[@SteveBerwick]

Awesome. Been waiting for a video on VARA. Excited to dig-in.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

So much to learn so it will keep you busy for a while. Especially when using the advance features. Have fun!!

[@Todd-v9y]

I couldn't figure out why my "Slot lever" was greyed out. The "skip CQ slot" box was checked in settings. I never checked that box either. Very hard to see the small screen but explanation was well done.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad to hear you got it fixed. When it comes to software, one box unchecked or checked, can make a big difference.

[@Chuck1855]

Your videos are great they helped me out alot. I do like varac but find it that hard to find people.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Try 20M 14.05 later in the day and 40M 7.105 in the evening times. They have the most activity.

[@markrogers3374]

Fantastic video thank you for the effort and producing it.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to post this and for hitting the like and subscribe buttons!! Next up: JS8 from A to Z

[@prayingmedic]

Thanks for doing this video. Very helpful.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

You're very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I really appreciate it!!

[@Aussat]

Great information, thanks for sharing.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it was helpful! Now a new version of the software was released. May have to update soon :-)

[@bradfordwilliams9760]

Thanks!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

You are so kind my friend. Thank you!!

[@dougbas3980]

BTW, best of luck with the health issues. My wife is going through that and it is very hard for both of us.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Sorry to hear this! It test you faith but in the end you become stronger from all this. My prayers are with you and your wife. Last year, my wife had lower back fusion with a long hard recovery. When she got better I had 4 different surgeries in 5 months with 2 requiring long recoveries. Better today but not normal so we learned to adapt to the NEW normal. Grateful to be able to be mobile and functional. It helps when you see what is on the good side of the ledger of life and not focus on what is on the bad / difficult side. As we age, more gets moved to the difficult side. To those who can see the good, can still enjoy life. Blessings and let me know how your wife is doing!

[@joeblow8593]

Great tutorial, thanks

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for taking the time to post something AGAIN. Your words are encouraging as you have posted MANY times before. I really appreciate this!!

[@tomoconnell9209]

Great video , was wondering what happens when you click on a cq who is already in a qso?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Not sure myself. I would guess that it won't connect while another connection is in progress. With so many changes recently, I will have to double back and see.

[@davedaniels2512]

Hello again, Howdy neightbor! I'm just down the road from you in Raleigh. You should really get on TARPN! Dave

[@hamradiomadesimple]

That would be cool! I think I need to build a Raspberry PI computer in order to operate on this, correct?

[@jhmcglynn]

I don’t think the upgrade is necessary. The app gives you 15 slots to work with, but if you want to use the higher transmit speed you need to go outside of the allocated 15 slots.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for posting this!

[@bobbymurphy16]

Thanks for the great video. KB3ZKG

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I hope it helps you get up and running on VarAC!

[@egabri4279]

Awesome video. Could you also do a live demo with a real QSO? 73

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I will be redoing VarAC late in Jan 2024. New user interface and will do a QSO and a Broadcast Messaging...

[@jhmcglynn]

How do I generate an asynchronous request after connect via a beacon?

[@kant777]

Hi MJ Thanks for the good video. Indeed dizzling, but we have to start working with it. I have one question . If we know a bad SNR will take a lot of time or even abort, maybe it would help to color the low SNR red and the good ones green. To recap why try to connect low SNR stations. ;) Looking foward more videos from the master. Br 73s pa1ant

[@hamradiomadesimple]

After I recover from some health issues, I will be redoing VarAC due to the massive change in user interface. I've been looking into this already. Hopefully I can figure out the best way to do it. One of my issues is, the constant resending of data making the rig get tied up for too long. There's gotta be a better way of stopping this. Agree with your assessment, now what is the best way to fix it?

[@JohnMDiLiberto]

10:24 MJ, new subscriber here. I only recently learned of your channel, courtesy of the PA NBEMS Groups presence. You're doing fine work . . . one comment on the recommended ALC level. I've had it on excellent authority for about three years now (thanks to two veteran radio amateurs) that there should be no ALC deflection _whatsoever_ when using any of the various digital modes at our disposal. I'm wondering why you allow for some deflection, because I've been confident of the "no deflection" position.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great point John. I thought the same except when it comes to Vara HF. The manual instructs to go 1/3 on the ALC meter. Not sure why and not sure it if matters. Been trying to stay at or near zero and don't see much of a difference. Let me know what you come up with!

[@jackK5FIT]

This is my 3rd time through this video over the last year. My ARES group is looking at using VarAc for EmComm. A group of us are practicing using frequencies other than the listed ones about an hour or two a week. Is there anything you would recommend that's specific to EmComm? We all run the latest versions of VARA and VarAc.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I would have a primary and secondary frequency. The lower the frequency (on 40M) the greater the chance you will run into higher traffic from RITTY, CW and other digital apps. Keep the primary one toward the upper part of the digital band. Use short hand codes to keep the TX time down. Start with the published list for CW short hand words. Create your own. Have set times to check in during emergency situations on set bands and freq. depending on the time of day. Make sure you can forward MSG. There is so much that goes into an EMCOMM Plan it would take several pages to fill this out. If you want to connect directly, let me know.

[@IowaSheepdog]

Great video, MJ. I've been using VarAC on and off for a while now, but I learned new things in your video. One question I have for your radio setting is which filter level do you use? I've noticed that FIL3 is a little too narrow and VarAC always displays "Busy". FIL1 is a little too noisy, so the sweet spot for me is FIL2. I primarily use VarAC, WinLink, JS8Call, or any EMCOMM application with my portable kit on battery power with my IC-7100 on low power. VarAC truly is a great communications tool.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I use Filter 2 and like you, get the best results. I use JS8Call, Winlink Vara HF P2P, and FSQ right now. VarAC is really cool but still tweaking it to see how consistent the results are. I could give you a download on this like at what -dB level you need to pass when trying to send a message etc. What additional frequencies you need to add to get off the crowed channels. So much depends on your location (elevation, obstructions etc.), Antenna type, setup, SWR, radiation pattern. As I keep practicing with my friends, we all are reposition or adding another antenna. I have the EMCOMM 2 in both a sloper and NVIS setup. I will be adding the Palomar Engineering OCF Dipole at 35 plus feet for more DX to our group. I like the way you think. Let me know what works best for you!!!!!!!!!

[@IowaSheepdog]

@@hamradiomadesimple I currently have an EFHW set up in an inverted "V" with one half of the length situated north to southwest and the other half of the length situated northwest to southeast. It does work quite well. The center support is an old 25' flag pole with a small pulley attached to the lanyard. I use it in this configuration for longer distance. When I need NVIS, I lower the pulley down to about 10' or less from the ground. I've worked stations coast-to-coast and border-to-border, and beyond on a single watt. Like you, I'm always trying new things and I have several antenna options available.

[@danielpascarella2839]

Great, great, great video. Just getting setup with VaraAc. Does the license for VARA FM and HF cover VaraAc? Thanks MJ

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Yes it does! Only way to go with the Vara Apps. Daniel, have to work with you on Vara HF P2P. LOVE IT

[@migalito1955]

I am guessing here, am I correct to see this app simply explained as a program that allows you to send text back and forth with a receiving station where the data is converted to packet form by the software prior to transmitting & converted to text by the software after receiving? Thanks & 73 de kc2wvb

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Roger roger! Texting via HF and a software app. JS8Call, Fldigi (suite of various apps) are a few others. My next video is a side by side comparison on all these. Pro's & Con's of each and what you can expect from them.

[@ki5exydanny104]

I followed all the directions. I just cannot get my IC 7100 to receive any data in the VARA AC app. It does TX ok. My Winlink VAFA FH and FT8 applications are working correctly. Any thoughts anyone?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Yep, email me at kw3kw and remind me what you just asked for 😁

[@stevenjacobs9706]

Very nice video. Will be watching it several times. I do have a question.. You mention it is available for Windows and Linux. Would that be Linux thru Wine? Or is it available for native Linux? Thx. 73 W4SEJ Steve

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Wine! I believe it is in the user manual (Under Resources on the header) around page 79ish...

[@coolstuff_.]

cool

[@hamradiomadesimple]

On Page 71 of the User Manual: Download for manual is on the VarAC App under RESOURCES then look for User Manual WineLink deploys WINE with a full Winlink RMS version and VARA using this following project script. We only need the WINE and the VARA modem part of it but this installer simplifies the installation. github.com/WheezyE/Winelink

[@davedaniels2512]

Hi, I really enjoyed your VARAC video. It explained a lot of the things that I wan't understanding yet, and I will recommend it to all of my friends! I do have one question: A lot of times I will hear the audio signal and I can see the audio signal in HDSDR, but no test appears in the VARA monitor screen. Is the text visible only after you connect to the sending callsign? Is there a way you can monitor a conversation if you are not specifically connected to the sender? Thanks for all of your hard work Dave W4EIP

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Dave, it could be several things. One, another digital mode is sending on the same frequency but unable to decode so it is ignoring it. Second, not directed to you like you mentioned. Thanks for passing the channel over to others. I hope this helps shorten the learning curve and fill in the missing gaps of information.

[@toddxhadandl8083]

The problem I read about getting this program running is confusion on the fact that these are two different programs. It would really help if people would clearly explain this point. VarAC and VaraHF are completely different programs and made by different authors. People are not familiar with this type of installation.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Two programs that are INTEGRATED seamlessly together. Vara HF is the Modem app and VarAC is the "fast chat app". Vara HF won't communicate to anyone but provides the connectivity. VarAC is the chat app that can't communicate to anyone apart from itself. The two together is what makes it work. Does this make sense?

[@toddxhadandl8083]

Very good explanation. Should help people with installation

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great question Todd!! My background was in Healthcare IT Software Sales. I often worked with software where they integrated separate software to make it run seamlessly. Cost less to produce and faster to market. Very common in my old world. Appreciated you taking the time to post this. Have fun and let me know how I can help!

[@jhmcglynn]

I’ve figured out how to connect with someone who has posted a beacon but how do I generate an automated QSY request?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Contact me at [e-mail] and I can send more info on this.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Contact me at [e-mail] and I can send more info on this.

[@Pawoodsman]

Question how are you getting sound notifications when you have the digital modes going through the soundcard. Are not the speakers disabled in digital mode with the ham usb CODEC ? thanks hop you get what im trying to ask.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Check to see what your default audio devices are and make sure they are not the USB Audio Codex. I use the Realtek Speaker as my default speaker so I get the sound notifications. Let me know if this helps.

[@Pawoodsman]

@hamradiomadesimple worked thank you

[@Kinetic79]

If there's a Vmail waiting in the outbox for a user, and that person's callsign is heard via the heartbeat/beacon, will it try to connect automatically to retrieve it? Otherwise it seems somewhat unlikely that those will get transferred to your destination. .. or if the recipients beacon is heard, will it force a broadcast notification of a waiting message to that station as soon as its heard (and as soon as the calling freq is clear of cause)? .. seems like an interesting functionality, but somewhat low reliability versus Winlink.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I would agree that Winlink HF Email is better. It uses Microsoft Services (Cloud) that allows the better response (holds emails and looks for connections when only ONE side is connected). VMail has to have your intended recipient connect while you are connected - both have to be on and able to transmit message based on band conditions. I see this as a challenge but something is better than nothing. I use it with others who I know. When we are connect - at the same time - for a more "private message" - well, as far as Ham Radio goes lol....

[@onmolder]

73

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank you!

[@Tsachyl]

Thanks but this is a quick\fast overview, by no means a guide to operate or a "walk trough".

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I totally understand. I have to be mindful of how long these videos go. I also learned you can't have part 1 and part 2 of a Digital HF App video. They can't find the first one and then tell me I messed up. Doing the best I can with what I have to work with. Thanks for posting your perspective.

[@leilaniwilds188]

great info too fast for me however sorry......dennis

[@ETFRoss]

Its step by step

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I understand. The videos are long already for most people to even consider to view. Most end up watching several times while taking notes. When I do a series they don't seem to find them in the right order either. IF I had a private channel that might work but who would find it? Thanks for taking the time to post this and I wish there were a better way of doing this.