[GreenKeys] hal8000a

[Roy Morgan]

On Jun 5, 2009, at 2:48 AM, fred wrote:

> would it be asking to much if jack  k0tty would let me in on the mods
> made to the 8000a.

Fred,

I don't know about mods done by K0TTY, but There is a web page that a  
page I got a little while ago.  It tells how the fellow got his  
running with switch settings and all that.  Also, it indicates he'd  
send it to the RTTY.com folks for posting.  But a quick look there  
does not reveal it.  It's by WF1B and is here:

www.senie.com/dan/radio/st8000.html

This fellow WF1B wrote the program called RTTY - you can get at:
http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/softrtty.htm

Oh, here is an earlier post by Jack, wa2hwj at att.net  (There seem to be  
two callsigns in use here.)

> 	From: 	wa2hwj at att.net
> 	Subject: 	[GreenKeys] ST-8000A Info
>
> 	Date: 	May 2, 2009 4:37:49 PM EDT
>
> 	To: 	Greenkeys at mailman.qth.net
> ZCZC
>
> I've been playing with my HAL ST-8000A and have the following to
> report:
>
> - I removed the rear "mil" connectors and installed RCA phono jacks
> for the audio in and out connections, and a DB9 for the RS232. The mil
> connectors have internal jumpers that plug into the circuit board. If
> you
> remove the connectors and PC plugs, you can wire wrap to the pins on
> the PC board. I used wire from a 25-pair telco cable (what else?) and
> my
> good old Bell System wire wrap tool. To mount the new connectors
> I installed an aluminum plate across the inside of the
> rear panel, covering the holes from the removed connectors. With
> some careful measuring and hole cutting,
> two RCA audio jacks can fit into the AUDIO hole and the DB9 fits into
> the DATA hole (with a little work). If you want to bring out
> the control relay that operates whenever the AFSK is keyed,
> you can put another RCA jack in the DIVERSITY blank hole.
> The aluminum plate is held to the rear panel using the original
> mil-connector holes and hardware.
>
> - if the RS232 TX and RX data leads are tied together, the ST-8000A
> can
> be used as an audio in/audio out regenerative repeater feeding any
> basic RTTY TU that has a HV loop. How about this...I tied the
> HAL ST-8000A to a HAL ST-5 (kit built) to copy ITTY to test the
> concept. (I have the ST-5 permanently mounted in the base of a
> 28RO that's dedicated to ITTY.) You can also make the output
> tones any combination you want. This way you can key old
> military TUs that have oddball tones, etc. I'm going to
> dig out my old UPI TTY subset that requires FDMA types of
> tones and key it with the ST-8000A. High tech to low
> tech, for sure!
>
> - anyone who purchased the Black Box RS232 to current loop converters
> can easily interface one of them to the ST-8000A. For loop output, I
> use a junkbox 12VDC reed relay, with a "snubber" across the  
> contacts, to
> drive a HV loop. Option the BB to put out a 20 ma. active loop for
> the relay. This works for receive-only. Option the Black Box
> gadget for two-wire loop operation and it will take care of repeating
> the received audio to key the TX AFSK audio. If you want to transmit,
> the easy way is to separate your keyboard or TD connections and put
> them in series with the LV loop that's keying the reed relay. Any  
> time you
> type or send from the TD, you'll key the HV loop to your printer and
> also key the HAL through the RS232 connection.
>
> - don't forget my "lazy man's" RS232-to-loop converter...a good old
> WECO 255 polar relay hooked directly to the RS232 ground and RX-out
> connections. I haven't tried it with the ST-8000A yet, but it will
> probably work.
>
> - if you want to use the ST-8000A on the air with the control relay
> keying your transmitter, you'll have to option the BB's RS232 output
> for four-wire (full duplex) operation. Otherwise, received signals
> will
> cause the relay to key the transmitter. Your keyboard/TD would then
> connect to the TX loop input. Remember, the $5.00 BB units that were
> on
> Ebay can only key loops under 30VDC.
>
> All of the ST-8000A mods can be easily "undone".
>
> I'm going to document all of this and add some pictures. I'll ask
> W7TTY to put it on www.rtty.com when it's done.
>
>
> 73,
> Jack K0TTY
>
> NNNN




Roy

Roy Morgan
k1lky at earthlink.net
529 Cobb St.
Groton NY, 13073
Home: 607-898-3607
Cell: 301-928-7794