The Weak Signal Challenge - Decode and Win $100

Posted by michael on Saturday September 27, 2003 @09:56AM from the behold-the-power-of-matlab dept.

superid writes "Several years ago while reading comp.dsp I found a link to The Weak Signal Challenge. On that page is a .wav file of a morse code signal bounced off the moon. The page author Mike Cook is offering $100 to the next person to successfully decode the morse code. Since I was the one who originally solved this, I promised Mike that I wouldn't divulge the answer or provide any clues. I can say thought that I didn't use anything special other than traditional signal processing techniques, octave, matlab, and patience. I think that overall I spent about 24 hours total sitting at my '486. I think it would be great to generate some interest in this. Maybe someone could come up with a novel solution and win $100!"

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Re:Who needs Matlab? I can hear the morse code bee by c_oflynn · 2003-09-27 10:17 · Score: 4, Informative

Umm.. thats not quite the point. The page says this:

Do you think you are good at copying weak signals? Well here's a test for you. I am posting a zipped 1 minute wav file of a VERY weak EME station calling me. I am offering $100 and a free copy of the FFTDSP42 to the first person who can tell me the call sign of the calling station. The signal is strong enough to just copy my call (AF9Y) near the middle of the 1 min period. The mystery station is sending a simple repeat of his call and my call. The characters "DE" may or may not be between the two calls.

So you CAN hear one of the call-signs... its harder than just listening carefully. Otherwise it would make no sense.