Hmmmm,. up to a point I would agree about the numbers who have gone from being solid RTTY only ops, to switching over to PSK. Those guys havent stopped RTTY, but just added PSK and maybe Olivia etc. At my present location for over 21 years now, and when I first arrived I tuned around rtty freqs, but had no ability to copy, as no ASR or other big oily clanky machine here, though I did have one previously. What with the influx of sound card and programs for ham radio operations, we have litterally thousands more using digital modes than we ever had when we depended on the Tiny Tot generation. I am back info RTTY, and I have talked with hundreds more wh are also back, or there for the first time. Even with the influx of PSK operators, my RTTY country totals far exceed PSK, Olivia, and the rest of the new digital modes together, and I have been working them all for the exact same time, since acquiring my first PC. Oh, even before that, I had Commodore and did some RTTY with it, but not for long.
Yep, today I tuned in to PSK and my WinWarbler program, which has wideband copy(meaning it can individually print out dozens of PSK signals all at the same time) had some 31 PSK signals it was copying. I read a line or two of each signals printout, selected one to talk to, clicked on that print, and the waterfall marker went to his signal, I called, and had my QSO. That took less than 3 KC of bandwidth, to copy each and every one of those signals at the same time. In order to copy that many RTTY signals, it would have taken , at minimum, 7 to 8 KC of space, and that only if they were standing exactly next to each other in a line up and down the band, and one didnt wipe out the others from its extra strength, etc. That just wouldnt happen. No - RTTY is now in demise, quite to the contrary. Just look at the numbers in RTTY contests today. Outstanding. But, by the way, I did immediately tune the RTTY portion of 20, after seeing all those PSK signals (3/4 were stateside, and the rest were German or Italian), and found about 7 or 8 RTTY QSOs going on. Lets see, PSK 21 - RTTY 8, but we have to look at power too. The PSK stations were probably using 20-40 watts in general, and the RTTY 50-100 or maybe even amps. So it does take slightly more power, and maybe better antennas to handle it, for RTTY. PSK is popular, but my DXing goes with RTTY. Thats where THEY are. ----- Original Message ----- From: "KV9U" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <digitalradio@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 6:13 PM Subject: Re: [digitalradio] Olivia 500/8 Center-of-Activity 14076kHz-14079kHz proposed > Tim, > > You are reading way more than what was said. Nothing about the demise of > anything. You always have the diehards who operate older technology > equipment and modes. But I am saying that it is not as active as it once > was. Same thing can be said for CW. If you have a certain number of > active hams and they move to new modes, then they won't be using an > older mode at that specific time and space. > > I did a little listening today on 20 meters and noticed an HK4, VE7, > KD5/QRP, EA5, 7X2 on PSK mode. In the "old" days I would bet that these > same stations would have been on RTTY. Then when I tuned up further into > the "RTTY" area, I copied a KG6 chatting with a KB6 on RTTY and also a > TU8 and EA7 and pileup going on. So there were more stations on PSK than > RTTY in terms of using the frequencies. I suppose you could call the > pileup stations all communicating too, and they were spread out some. > > I am thankful, very thankful, for the computer based sound card modes. > Even though I used a Model 15 green key teleprinter some decades ago > with homebrew and commercial TU's, I would never want to go back. > > 73, > > Rick, KV9U > > > > > Tim Gorman wrote: > > > On Monday 20 February 2006 08:40, KV9U wrote: > > > Bonnie, > > > > > > > > > > > What I would like to see are some practical bandplans that have a > > > recommended spot frequency for digital modes. We do have that by default > > > now on 20 meters for the .070 PSK31, and similar areas on 40 and 80 > > > meters. The RTTY operation is often about 10 KHz higher as you point > > > out. But except for contesting, RTTY is not as popular anymore as other > > > digital modes and probably will drop off even more as older hams > > become SK. > > > > > > > > > I'd be careful about predicting the demise of RTTY. RTTY using FSK has > > been > > provided in almost 3 generations of SSB rigs in one fashion or another > > requiring very simple interfaces to use. > > > > I still have an old laptop serial ascii terminal along with a > > pk-232mbx set up > > for RTTY with any rig that has fsk capability. I don't need any fancy > > switching setup to use a microphone and computer sound card - just a > > matching > > accessory plug for the transceiver, an RTTY position to change to, and a > > headphone plug to get audio for the pk-232. > > > > tim ab0wr > > > > > > > > Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org > > Other areas of interest: > > The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ > DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.11/264 - Release Date: 2/17/2006 > > Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to Telnet://cluster.dynalias.org Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ DigiPol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Digipol (band plan policy discussion) Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
