[Ham-Mac] SCS PTC IIex

[Steve Hellyer]

Dick- True if all you doing is PSK and AFSK RTTY and at home in your comfy HAM shack.  But if you're on a sail boat in the middle of the ocean and you want to communicate HF using a method as easy as sending an email on your computer at home. Then I think you going want one of these SCS-PTC babies. Pactor II & III are proprietary protocol and licensing them drives up cost but when the going get really really tough these protocol really shine.  This is why they are a favourite of sailors worldwide. Keep in mind when you in these sailing situations is many times less about playing with radios and more about get messages passed to friend & family.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PACTOR

John,

I have not run the SCS-PTC but have seen it in action with Airmail. What I think you'll find is with PSK you will want a full waterfall so you can tune quickly to a variety of signals.  Having a full computer display and current computer horsepower to decode is pretty unmatched. Updates come often to these programs and updating an "appliance" like an SCS-PTC is more challenging if it happens at all.  You'll know better than I clearly.

Resent comments from eHam.net seem to indicate is not as good an experience as today's PSK programs.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/252

Past reviews from 2002 give it glowing reviews for PSK 31 but I think computer program have caught up and passed what SCS-PTC originally offered.

As Dick pointed out the cost entry point for a more traditional PSK setup is much lower so adding this on is not a steep proposition.  Plus you get lots of help from guy's like us as we are using programs like CocoaModem or fldigi.  Personally hope you do get something like a USB SignalLink and then compare operation to your SCS-PTC and send us your review. I think that would be a very interesting read!

73
Steve - VA3SPH


On 2010-02-10, at 7:56 PM, Dick Kriss wrote:

> At $950 for openers, the SCS PTS (whatever that stands for) is too expensive
> for me.  I will stick with the SignaLink USB for $100 that works FB.
> 
> Dick AA5VU
> 
> 
> On 2/10/10 12:10 PM, "John T Barr" <wda6719 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Rick...Dick
>> 
>> Gents...yes, I was asking for a comparison between the Signalink and the SCS
>> PTC series on PSK 31 and RTTY.
>> 
>> As I understand it, the SCS PTC requires precise tuning instead of a water
>> fall display and thus the reason
>> for the question for PSK 31.
>> 
>> PSK 31 is a new mode for me. FYI, I downloaded Alpha to run under Windows
>> Vista but haven't had a chance to give it a go.
>> 
>> Alpha is especially written for the SCS PTC...
>> 
>> John, W6JTB
>> 
> 
> 
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