[GreenKeys] ebay 260034924532 Treasure Trove

[tony j. podrasky]

Hey Larry & co;

Re: "the one-exchange QSO".

Yeah - that is another thing that I've noticed. The
glass operators are like a rare dx station:
one or two exchanges and they're gone.

I think one of the things that made old-time RTTY so
nice is that it required a great amount of work to
get on the air. You had to build a T.U. Then you
had to tune it up. And everybody I knew spent some
time listening before getting their transmitters going.
There was no AFSK in those days - so you had to figure
out how to modify your transmitter to do FSK.

I even made several contacts between someone running
RTTY and me on cw - before I got the transmitter running!

By the time you got everything going you had a good
understanding of the procedures. The courtesy of
leaving the carriage on a new line when you turn the
QSO over to the other guy. Don't get me started on
the concept of ZEROBEATING... :-)

If you mention to the glass operators that you need
to have a carriage return and linefeed sent at about
72 characters they have no idea how to set that
option in the program. Then you say you would
appreciate it if they would "hit the ENTER key" (ugh!)
once and a while and they usually don't.

73,
W6ESE - tony
NNNNZCZC

Larry Tighe wrote:
> Tony,
> 
> This weekend past, I tuned RTTY signals all over the place...some kind 
> of a contest.  No CR's or LF's to be found anywhere.  I think they're 
> all "glass" operators with no concept of  EOL.
> 
> I rebuilt some old KSR's and ASR's after about 20+ years away from RTTY 
> and was surprised the world moved on without me!  I got one contact on a 
> band and he dumped me after my first transmission!!  My second contact 
> was pre-arranged with Jack WA2HWJ.  Haven't been back on RTTY since.
> 
> I'm thinking mechanical is now the minority or, maybe unwelcome...dunno. 
> Anyway, my true enjoyment is fixing up the machines....great 
> satisfaction in saving them and getting them running again.
> 
> Lar
> K2JIA
> www.antiquetelephone.com
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "tony j. podrasky" <hunybuny at eskimo.com>
> To: <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 12:12 AM
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] ebay 260034924532 Treasure Trove
> 
> 
>> That is a pretty impressive collection, given today's standards.
>>
>> If this was the '60s or '70s I'd be down there on the doorsteps
>> waiting - but since it seems like everyone has gone computer
>> and has no idea as to what a carriage return or linefeed is, it
>> just isn't worth the effort.
>>
>> I hope someone does pick up the gear and find a home for it.
>> I still have my 28-KSR and that will keep me.
>>
>> regards,
>> W6ESE - tony
>> NNNNZCZC
>>
-- 
Tony J. Podrasky | A HIGH TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS.
                  |
                  | Except for those with a big,
                  | gaping hole in their bottom.