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Measured SNR Waterfall Thresholds

The following table summarizes approximate SNR breakpoints observed in representative coastal environments where packet error rate increases sharply.

Measured SNR Waterfall Thresholds
ModeSNR (dB)Observed Behavior
FH_80bps-5Maintains lock at very low SNR
BPSK_640bps2Strongest coherent mode
BPSK_960bps2.5-3High redundancy
BPSK_1280bpsapproximately 3Medium/long range
BPSK_2560bps3Baseline coded BPSK
QPSK_1280bpsapproximately 4Backward compatible only
QPSK_1920bps4.5-5Backward compatible only
QPSK_2560bps5-6Backward compatible only
QPSK_5120bps5Recommended coded QPSK
QPSK_10240bps10Uncoded; short-range only