[GreenKeys] MMTY

[Lee Mushel]

This is getting to be a very complex philosophical issue.  Is there a
difference between using a crystal filter or digital signal processsing of a
CW or phone signal to increase intelligibility and the proposal to use a
piece of software to "clean up" an RTTY signal?   How does this relate to a
recent QST article where the novel idea was proposed that we use voice
recognition and synthesis along with PKS31 (or some such)  to have a
"digital QSO" while still having the "humanity" of the voice?  I will admit
that I thought that was tantamount to idiocy.   And then I have to remember
that only a week ago I was informed that amateur emergency communications in
Wisconsin would be done using the internet as an integral part of the
process. I seriously doubted the wisdom of that and just a few days ago my
mentor for the ARRL Level 1 emcomm course apologized to me for failing to
respond because she had a problem with her ISP that extended over ten days!
Now that I understood since I give myself five days when making my monthly
estimated tax payments to the taxing authorities.   If I wait until the last
minute I run a real risk of being late.

At what point do we draw the line?   I will admit that it is tempting to use
these imaginary tools to improve the accuracy of our data.   I have
downloaded a lot of the programs mentioned recently on  Greenkeys but I do
find the thought of seeing words that should appear as ink on yellow paper
appearing, rather,  on some sort of video display to be highly offensive.
What is the place of the ink jet printer?

After pondering this for two or three seconds I decided that the mechanical
systems manufactured by the Teletype Corp. and a few others are special to
me.   I may not be able to give a rational explanation for the attraction I
feel and since this is my hobby I feel I need not give one.  I love these
old things as they are and that reason alone is sufficient to keep the "old"
process "clean."  I will adjust them with a fox box and I will not throw
away my old tuning fork frequency standard.   I will not pay any attention
to my wife's exhortations that I should throw the machines out since that is
exactly what my sons will do when I'm gone.

But I will also make sure that, indeed, I do have MMTTY available as an
emergency communications tool just as I keep both straight key and bug no
more than inches from the microphone!

73

Lee   K9WRU
----- Original Message -----
From: <jhhaynes at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Tighe" <larryradio at worldnet.att.net>
Cc: <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 7:59 PM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] MMTY


>
> On Tue, 5 Sep 2006, Larry Tighe wrote:
>
> > Thanks to all for the input on MM.  Now I know what it's all about :>)
> >
> > I guess being "stuck in the 60's" I'll be staying with iron and oil.
For me,
> > the fascination of watching the TTY's do what they do is all consuming.
> >
> Back when K6STI was marketing his excellent RITTY DSP software I got him
> to put in a feature where when you are receiving the cleaned-up Baudot
> signal goes out the COM port, so you can use it to drive a Real Teletype.
> I've asked for that in MMTTY, but no response.
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