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PA2AGA > HDDIG 23.07.00 23:03l 163 Lines 6207 Bytes #-9306 (0) @ EU
BID : HD_2000_198C
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Subj: HamDigitalDigest 2000/198C
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From: PA2AGA@PI8HGL.#ZH1.NLD.EU
To : HDDIG@EU
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 00 16:56:18 MET
Message-Id: <hd_2000_198C>
From: pa2aga@pe1mvx.ampr.org
To: hd_broadcast@pa2aga.ampr.org
X-BBS-Msg-Type: B
in that band.
4) Is the PK232 Obsolete? Is there upgrades available or should I just
purchase a new interface? If so which ones are good at a resanable
price?
Thanks for any help you pass along
Delbert McCord
KA8OCN
dmccord@usol.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 14:22:24 -0400
From: "Rob" <Pse@NoEmail.Com>
Subject: RTTY & Digital HF
Hi Delbert,
RTTY is slowly disappearing on the HAM bands but there still is activity on
20 meters between 14.080 and 14.095 Mhz. There are also STILL RTTY
contests every year!
Most HAMs use 45 baud RTTY for keyboard QSO's and contests. But almost ALL
of the RTTY BBS's have disappeared. They have been replaced with PACTOR
(and some AMTOR) BBS's.
If you are using AFSK (i.e. feeding tones from your PK-232 to your rig's mic
jack) for RTTY, you should use LSB even on 20 meters! Also make sure RXREV
and TXREV are OFF.
If you are using USB, you may have to turn RXREV and TXREV ON.
Today, most HAM's who used to operate RTTY now operate PSK31. All you need
to operate PSK31 is a computer with a sound card and some FREE software.
The sound card is used as a modem. For info on PSK31, see
http://aintel.bi.ehu.es/psk31.html.
You may also want to try PSK Hell another mode you can operate with a
computer and a sound card. The software is FREE. See www.qsl.net/zl1bpu.
In my view, PSK Hell is a MUCH BETTER mode than PSK31 for DX. It is really
great with very weak signals.
You can even operate RTTY with your computer and a sound card. See MixW32
and TrueTTY software.
I suspect that your old PK-232 also implements AMTOR. AMTOR is rarely heard
these days but if you call CQ in AMTOR FEC, you will get some replies.
PACTOR 1 and PACTOR II has effectively replaced AMTOR for BBS access.
PACTOR 1 is a great mode. And Pactor II is just FANTASTIC! Data just
screams along even with very weak signals.
If you want to operate PACTOR II, you must buy a SCS PTC II or PTC IIe. To
my knowledge, SCS who developed PACTOR II has not licensed the protocol to
any other manufacturer. But the SCS TNC's are pricey. See www.scs-ptc.com
You can upgrade the firmware in the PK-232 for PACTOR 1 at a nominal cost.
But you cannot upgrade the PK-232 to PACTOR II. It is technically
impossible without drastically changing the hardware even if SCS granted a
license.
Timewave bought AEA a few years ago. For info on upgrading your PK-232 see
www.timewave.com. For additional $$$, you can even upgrade the filters used
in the PK-232 to DSP based filters.
You really need a TNC like the PK-232 to operate the BURST modes like AMTOR
and PACTOR. It is my understanding that it is technically impossible to
develop a program that will run UNDER WINDOWS that will use your sound card
as a modem to operate the BURST modes like AMTOR and PACTOR 1. To my
knowledge, no one has done it. You must use another operating system. But
since most Ham's use Windows and run logging programs etc under Windows, the
simple solution is to use an external TNC for the BURST modes.
Is the PK-232 obsolete?? Well, these days a lot of HAM's are selling them on
EBAY (and HAM's are still buying them for $100 US or so). You be the judge.
73's
Rob
"Delbert McCord" <dmccord@usol.com> wrote in message
news:3979b16c.684767@news.usol.com...
> I have gotten the bug to play on HF Digital so I dug out my OLD PK232
> from the garage and low and behold it still works. I find the I do not
> reconise all the digital stuff I am hearing out there.
>
> 1) Are there still RTTY nets that happen at a regular time daily,
> weekly or a freq there I will usualy find RTTY?
>
> 2) I found what I thought was a RTTY station and I tried and tried
> (with a very good signal) but I think I have the baud incorrect. When
> I was in it before (On VHF) we usualy used 60 Word per min (45 Baud)
> and Mars used 100 Words per min (I do not remember the baud that goes
> along with that, I tried 75 baud but I still could not copy)
>
> 3) I was on 40 meters and was using LSB that is what I use for phone
> in that band.
>
> 4) Is the PK232 Obsolete? Is there upgrades available or should I just
> purchase a new interface? If so which ones are good at a resanable
> price?
>
> Thanks for any help you pass along
>
> Delbert McCord
> KA8OCN
> dmccord@usol.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 13:40:26 -0400
From: Ralph Mowery <rmowery@dialpoint.net>
Subject: RTTY & Digital HF
You might try the ARRL station for rtty. YOu should be able to find the
schedule on their web site. They start out at 60 wpm (45 baud) rtty
and sometiems switch modes. Don't recall what they switch to. Set the
rig to lsb and depending on the softwear you might have to switch from
normal to the reverse mode. RTTY can be received in either sideband ,
but you have to change the mode of the softwear or the demodulator from
normal to reverse. Best other place is from about 14080 to 14100 on 20
meters to get the random rtty ham stations. Most will be using 60 wpm.
The normal mode for the low bands is to use the audio tones into the
audio input and use lsb if using an audio input/output type of
modulator/demodulator.
YOu might also want to try some of the sound card softwear. Especially
the psk31 that is a hot mode for now. Just plug into the audio of a
sound card. While using the sound card softwear don't use the usual
2125/2295 vhf tones, but try some with a mark tone of around 1000 to
1500 hz. They seem to work beter there. Psk31 sounds like an unstable
carrier and can be found around 14.070 on 20 meters and is usually
worked in the usb mode.
Look here for some softwear.
http://www.muenster.de/%7Ewelp/sb.htm
While some of it is for DOS it may work in windows 98.
Delbert McCord wrote:
>
> I have gotten the bug to play on HF Digital so I dug out my OLD PK232
> from the garage and low and behold it still works. I find the I do not
> reconise all the digital stuff I am hearing out there.
To be continued in digest: hd_2000_198D
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