[Elecraft] OT: RTTY Nostalgia

[wv8dh]

Back in the early 80s, i got into RTTY and had Model 15s and a Model 19. A lot of the fun was taking a unit that was not wo eff king and getting it to clatter out a message pr pic. Great fun! Looking foreard to some RTTY contacts with my new KX3 #10835 that i received yesterday.Nice read Wayne and thanks.72/73,DaveWV8DHKX3 #10835Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S7 active, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: Ken G Kopp <kengkopp at gmail.com> Date: 3/22/19  12:26 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: Wayne Burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com>, Elecraft <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> Subject: [Elecraft] OT: RTTY Nostalgia I had a Teletype Model 26 attached to a BC-610E.  Cat slept on top forwarmth.73 !K0PPOn Fri, Mar 22, 2019, 10:15 AM Wayne Burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com> wrote:> If you're a new owner of a K3, K3S, KX3 or KX2 -- or if, like most of us,> you never quite made it all the way through the owner's manual -- you might> not have tried our FSK-D mode. This is one of our favorite features. It> gives you an amazingly simple way to dabble in amateur radio's original yet> still actively used data mode: RTTY. As embodied in our FSK-D mode, RTTY> has two major advantages over FT8, JT9, and similar computer-mediated> modes...but first some background.>> * * *>> RTTY (radio teletype) has a long, colorful history. The basic encoding and> transmission methods were invented in the 1800s, and were later used by> wireline news services as well as for wartime comms. It has been in use by> hams since around the end of WWII, who took advantage of surplus military> teleprinters. For more on this, see:>>    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioteletype#Early_amateur_radioteletype_history>> As a teenager in the 1970s I had a Teletype Corp Model 15. This page shows> some examples of what this beast looked like:>>    http://www.baudot.net/teletype/M15.htm>> In my shack, the Model 15 and all of its associated paraphernalia took up> most of a workbench. It made a huge racket and consumed reams of paper, not> to mention oil. Sadly, I never did get everything working properly and> never made an QSO with it. Yet my fascination with RTTY continued.>> When we designed the K3, my interest was rekindled, and we endowed it with> the ability to decode and encode 45-baud RTTY signals. The DSP handled> demodulation, while the MCU assembled character bit streams. (We later> added 75-baud RTTY as well as PSK31 and PSK63 modes.)>> Lyle Johnson (KK7P) and I had quite a bit of fun when we first got decode> working. Speaking strictly for both of us, tuning around between 14.080 and> 14.100 during an RTTY contest was like being a teenager all over again. We> quickly added the ability to transmit in this mode using the CW keyer> paddle and message memories. The upshot is that I finally had my first RTTY> QSO, doing it the hard way -- writing a good chunk of the firmware that> made it possible.>> Here's the importing thing: our K-Line/KX-Line implementation of RTTY> makes it incredibly simple to use. It's nearly foolproof. The setup details> vary a bit among the rigs, but basically you select DATA mode, then FSK-D> sub-mode, and turn text decode on. Then just tune around in the RTTY band> segments until you see signals start to decode.>> If you're a CW op, you can immediately transmit in RTTY mode by simply> sending CW. If not, you can connect a netbook or laptop to your rig (via a> USB port), then use the Terminal window in K3/KX3/KX2 Utility along with> the keyboard. The Utility for each rig includes instructions for using the> Terminal window.>> * * *>> Earlier I claimed that RTTY operation using our FSK-D mode has some> advantages over FT8, etc. Here they are:>> 1. You don't necessarily need a computer. Decoded and encoded text scrolls> across the radio's display. At your home station, this is great for simply> tuning around casually; no need to turn on the computer or set up software> applications. It's an even bigger advantage for field operation. With the> KX3 or KX2, you can use RTTY (or PSK31/63) from essentially anywhere, even> operating hand-held. During Field Day and RTTY contests, I make a point of> taking a hike and making a few RTTY Q's pedestrian mobile (/PM). When a> band is open, you can work the world in these modes. (For some of us, it> doesn't get much better than this :)>> 2. Our FSK-D and PSK-D modes are *conversational*, with no restrictions on> what you can send, no software delays or time synchronization, no> predetermined frequencies, and a natural style of interaction as with CW or> SSB. The receiver is automatically configured for a narrow passband, so you> simply tune in a signal until you start seeing decoded text -- often a CQ> -- then respond with the keyer paddle, or with the keyboard on your> netbook/laptop, if applicable.>> As you can see, we've come a long way from the Model 15, paper, oil,> noise, and complex terminal hardware. In addition to using the display on> the rig itself, our panadapters can be used. Text can be displayed on our> P3-SVGA display, as well as on the PX3. A keyboard can be connected to> either the P3 or PX3.>> Next time you're listening on 20 meters, the most popular band for RTTY,> take a quick spin above 14.080. If you hear some of those magical tones,> turn on FSK-D mode and give this mode a try.>> Many DXpeditions have an RTTY station operating during some periods, so> you'll often hear RTTY ops making DX contacts. In general, RTTY DX stations> are quickly "spotted" when they pop up, so mini-pileups can form at any> time.>> There are also a number of RTTY contests, in addition to stations> operating in RTTY mode during Field Day, etc. For a calendar of events, see:>>     https://www.rttycontesting.com/records/>> If the contest exchange is simple (non-serialized), you can probably> operate entirely using the message memories. On the KX2, CW and data-mode> contacts can also be logged using the rig's built-in logging function, then> uploaded to a computer when you get home.>> 73,> Wayne> N6KR>>>>>> ______________________________________________________________> Elecraft mailing list> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>______________________________________________________________Elecraft mailing listHome: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraftHelp: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htmPost: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.netThis list hosted by: http://www.qsl.netPlease help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html