[GreenKeys] Real RTTY

[Roy Norris]

I disagree.

Teletype is an electromechanical means of communications that results in
printed words on paper.  Radio Teletype is a means of passing signals
between Teletype machines (which are all mechanical, by the way) which
makes use of radiated electromagnetic signals and subsequent detection
and demodulation for a substantial portion of the total signal path.

What is done today with PC's, commonly called "computer RTTY" is a weird
mixture of an older code intended for mechanical machines with something
that basically is a word processor, the output of which is transmitted
over the radio. In its basic technology, there is no print on paper
involved. (Although we can add that feature by converting Baudot code to
Ascii and outputting that to a computer printer.  That folks, is not
Teletype, radio or otherwise !!

 The utter ridiculousness of "computer RTTY" has always amazed me.
Here, we take a machine that talks in ASCII for all other purposes,
convert it to Baudot, a five level code developed and optimized for a
mechanical encoding and decoding device and transmit it over the radio
instead of the internet!!  I mean how crazy can you get !!!  If you want
to use a computer to communicate, either use email or personal messaging
or chat rooms, and the internet.  If you want to use a computer with
radio as the interconnect means, use a modern, sophisticated error
correcting code scheme such as Pator III or Clover over the radio.
Whatever, it isn't Teletype.  

Radio Teletype uses Teletype MACHINES.  

Regards -- Roy Norris, K4EEG


 

-----Original Message-----
From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Lee Reynolds
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 7:42 PM
To: greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [GreenKeys] Real RTTY

Interesting to see Real RTTY versus Computer RTTY as terms being used.

Myself, I look on both means of mark/space generation as being a means
to 
an desired end. I do miss my old RTTY hardware ('20s/'30s vintage Creed
3X, 
Creed 10 tape printer, old Olivetti TTY, Creed 75s and a model 15,
various 
tape readers, perfs and winders) but conversely I don't miss the
mechanical 
maintenance that went with 'em.

Of course, warm oil and metal is a scent that computers just can't 
recreate. And the synchronized sound of a machine once it gets into the 
groove and starts chugging out the old AP Caribbean HF news link.

Thinking about it, though, I do recall that one of the things that most
of 
the RTTY types (myself included) were always on the lookout for was more

modern machines to replace the older devices we used. The Creed 444, for

example, was a highly desirable item because of its functionality and
form 
factor. Then I started building a glass TTY interface in the late
seventies 
as being a really whizzbang device. And then there were the solid state 
speed controls for motors, regenerative repeaters for signals, etc....

Thing is, we were reaching (although we didn't know it) for exactly the 
kind of RTTY generation means that exist today, courtesy of the PC. Your

average PC/sound card combo can do RTTY stuff that people only dreamt of

thirty years ago.

RTTY's RTTY, regardless of how you generate it, I think. It's what we 
choose to generate the signal that differs, is all. If that perfect 14,
or 
15, 19 set or Mini-Mite ever shows up, I'll happily hang it off the
ST-6000 
and let rip...

But MMTTY and MixW sure do a good job, too.

       Lee


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