Wolfgang Hadel DK2OM, Digital Data Expert of the Intruder Watch of Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), in Funkamateur JUL 2007: "Der WAVECOM-Classifier erfaßt die Parameter des Systems in Sekundenschnelle. WAVECOM-Dekoder sind nicht billig, aber in dieser Preisklasse unschlagbar. Deshalb gehören sie zur Grundausrüstung vieler militärischer und ziviler Dienststellen. Mein alter Kaho-Dekoder hat ausgedient."
Pieter on UDXF, Netherlands - 20 JAN 2007: "Hi Glenn, let me tell U 1 thing, I was able to try the Wavecom W61LAN and the Code300-32 v3.0. The Wavecom was 80 percent better than the Kaho decoder. It's a lot of money. So, when you have some savings, go for the Wavecom: W61LAN Professional + all updates 9,600 USD."
Mike Chace, Digital Digest editor of Monitoring Times, United States of America - OCT 2006: "Kaho vs. WAVECOM ... WAVECOM has better customer support, more modern gear, is generally quick to release new modes."
Uli Bihlmayer DJ9KR, President of the Monitoring Service of Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club, in cq-DL, Germany - FEB 2006: "Durch den Einsatz modernster Nachrichtencomputer vor allem der Schweizer Firma WAVECOM ist die Bandwacht des DARC heutzutage führend, die verschiedenen Übertragungsmodi digitaler Aussendungen kommerzieller und militärischer Anwender zu bestimmen und teilweise auch zu entschlüsseln."
D Graham Scott, United Kingdom - 14 DEC 2004: "Having installed the WAVECOM W40PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card, it appears to be better than my older Kaho C3 Gold (it runs under Windows!). I'm now looking for that "special" signal to decode, but I should probably read some more of the manual first!"
Allen Fountain, Utility editor of Australian DX News - 06 AUG 2003: "Have downloaded the new software for the WAVECOM W40PC. I have to say that my decision to select the WAVECOM back in February 2001 was correct. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that, in addition to the new modes, there were a number of additional operational features, also a new manual. It was just like getting a new decoder."
Lee Reynolds in Monitoring Times, United States of America - JAN 2003: "The WAVECOM W40PC DSP Digital Data Decoder is a well-designed and laid-out device. On HF performance was excellent. One item under the heading of "eye candy" that I really liked is the ability to select different palettes for the tool displays - it makes interpreting things like waterfall displays much easier when various attributes are properly colour-coded. As you can tell, I like this device. I liked it well enough to have purchased one some months ago. I have a reasonable wide experience of digital transmission decoding hardware (Kaho, Universal et al) and the WAVECOM is my firm favourite, because it offers an excellent compromise between quality, features and cost. If you're in the market for a high-end decoder, I can definitely recommend the WAVECOM line of products. Not only are they well designed, they're well supported and WAVECOM honestly admit to any problems you may encounter, happily working with you to resolve the matter. Feature set and cost is only half the value here - a manufacturer that acknowledges the hobbyist's existence is the other. One big plus for this device is that software updates are reasonably regular and, importantly, free! WAVECOM exhibits a mentality that takes into account the low-end purchaser, not just the corporate/governmental buyer. This compares extremely favourably with a competitor's offering of a 3.5" diskette with the latest software upgrade for their hardware for a mere USD 400. I may be crazy enough to be a digital utility monitor but I'm not crazy enough to pay that kind of money for a merely incremental software upgrade as well!"
Note by Lee Reynolds: Unfortunately, because the units decode certain paging modes, they are not legal for consumer sales in the US, but can only be sold to qualifying agencies. (Larry van Horn N5FPW, Monitoring Times, on 27 FEB 2003: "It is illegal in the United States to monitor and/or decode any common carrier paging signals - POCSAG, GOLAY, etc. - . Paging communications fall under the same federal law as cellular telephone/cordless phone interception. As of late last year it is now a federal felony to monitor any common carrier communications and you can now go to the fed pen for up to 5 years and a pretty stiff fine. This is why some of the digital decoding packages/hardware available on the international market cannot be sold to US citizens.")
[Note by Klingenfuss Radio Monitoring: contact us if you have problems buying a WAVECOM decoder from your dealer. We have sold WAVECOM decoders to professional, semi-professional, radio amateur and shortwave listener customers worldwide, including the United States of America, without any problems. We can name the decoder a 'digital data interface PC card' or something similar if you ask us to do so, and UPS will settle the customs clearing procedure for you - that's their job and they're pretty good at it! We ship worldwide by fully insured UPS express airfreight at original WAVECOM prices without additional costs or profit, and we throw in free Klingenfuss publications as well (at a value of 120 EUR) - you need them anyway to make full use of these worldwide leading decoders: Guide to Utility Radio Stations, Radio Data Code Manual, Super Frequency List on CD-ROM, and Radiotelex Messages.]
Wolfgang Hadel DK2OM, Digital Data Expert of the Intruder Watch of Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) - 25 DEC 2002: "Die neue Software für den W40PC ist ein Quantensprung. Ich habe das System nach verschiedenen Kriterien getestet, bin sehr zufrieden! Der Decoder arbeitet schnell und sicher. Auch PSK-Parameter können sehr viel besser erfaßt werden. Kaho kann sich jetzt endgültig auf Würstchenverkauf spezialisieren."
F A de Jager, Netherlands - 10 MAY 2002: "I have received the WAVECOM W40PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card in good order. Thank you very much for the additional books and recorded signals. Everything is working fine. I am very very satisfied about the excellent hardware and software."
Jean-Louis Querton, France - 02 APR 2002: "W40PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card ... runs absolutely fine. I'm delighted to use it and enjoy more and more monitoring the frequencies. Many thanks for your great job in publishing the famous Klingenfuss manuals."
David Stoddard, United States of America - 14 FEB 2002: "Just wanted to send you a .w40 file of a recent Sailmail PACTOR-2 transmission. I've just recently purchased my WAVECOM W40PC Digital Data Decoder Card and I'm having a blast with it. I'm using it in conjunction with a T2FD and a Ten-Tec RX340. I really enjoy your website along with your publications and frequency database."
Kevin Nice G7TZC, Chief Editor of Shortwave Magazine, United Kingdom - JAN 2002: "WAVECOM W40PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card ... This decoder represents the leading edge of the shortwave listening hobby. With the W40PC you can intercept and display traffic that originates from systems that utilize very complex engineering to pass information at an ever increasing rate ... for less money than that required to purchase a large wide-screen TV set. If you are serious about data modes, and I do mean serious, then you will need much more than a shareware decoder. I've been using this Wavecom for a good few weeks and there's no doubt it is a joy to operate ... a very lively, rapidly updating spectrum display."
Mike Richards G4WNC, Decode editor of Shortwave Magazine, United Kingdom - SEP 2001: "WAVECOM W41PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card ... immense processing power ... the whole thing was very fast and responsive because there wasn't the lag that you tend to get with PC soundcard based systems. An excellent system of measurement cursors was built into all the analysis display modes and really made the W41PC an extremely powerful analytical tool. Fax signals ... the W41PC delivers the best balance of performance and features that I've seen in any system. Speed and phase adjustment are so well thought-out they made fax reception a real dream. Excellent owner's manual ... a very sophisticated decoding and analysis system. You can sense the processing power as soon as you start to use it because all the signal displays are so much more lively than many soundcard based systems."
Nils Schiffhauer DK8OK, editor of Funk, Germany - SEP 2001: "WAVECOM W40PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card ... Fuer die professionelle Analyse und Mitschrift ist nach wie vor ein Hardware-Dekoder notwendig, der die optimalen Bandbreiten und den perfekten Signal/Rausch-Abstand verwirklicht. Ausserdem ist trotz vieler Soundcard-Ansaetze damit nur ein Bruchteil der mit der W40PC-Karte mitzulesenden Sendungen dekodierbar. Und manches kann eine Soundcard eben gar nicht leisten. Wer eine zeitgemaesse und professionelle Dekodier-Moeglichkeit sucht, fuer den ist die W40PC-Karte eine sowohl kompromisslose als auch noch bezahlbare Loesung."
Martin King, ex GXQ/MGJ Piccolo operator, United Kingdom - 01 AUG 2001: "WAVECOM W40PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card ... Dear all at freq hq, from m king england, one very happy teddy bear ......one thing wrong ....when can i get some sleep with this thing to play with ha ha ha ha."
Thomas Kaczmarek, Germany - 20 JAN 1999: "WAVECOM W41PC DSP Digital Data Decoder Card ... congratulations, die Leistungen von Soft- und Hardware sind unuebertroffen."
David W Gentile in Shortwave Magazine, Great Britain - SEP 1998: "All in all the WAVECOM W41PC DSP is a very able decoder. It can decode almost every non-encrypted signal found in the HF! And the developers are working hard to make sure that they keep on the cutting edge of decoding technology."