[Elecraft] OT: RTTY Nostalgia + Trivia

Fri Mar 22 13:10:16 EDT 2019

The cat slept atop the '610.  Not the Model 26.  (;-)

There was a 5 KW PA made in an almost identical cabinet.

Sold my '610 to an off-shore navigation company in Louisiana for $300.
They sent a man in a PU to Oklahoma to get it.
Last heard it was operating 24/7 in the 2 mHz just above 160M.

Still have a set of PA coils in attic.

73!

K0PP

On Fri, Mar 22, 2019, 10:26 AM Ken G Kopp <kengkopp at gmail.com> wrote:

> I had a Teletype Model 26 attached to a BC-610E.  Cat slept on top for
> warmth.
>
> 73 !
>
> K0PP
>
> On 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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