[digitalradio] re: SCS PTC-II and regular digital modes

[Peter Jordahl]

When I was using a (borrowed) SCS PTC II I used a common
old-style KVM switchbox with 5 5-pin DIN, 5 9-pin D-shell, etc.
The 5 -pin DINS were replaced with 8-pin DIN (still female, of
course) and the extra pins were wired with lines borrowed from
the 9-pin D-shell connectors.  Then with an 8-pin to 8-pin DIN
cable from the 756 Pro II to the input side of the KVM box I
could switch to a PK-232, the borrowed PTC II, or the
MicroKeyer.  Prpbably best not to switch hot, as I don't know
whether the KVM switch is break before make., but it does save
fiddling in the back of the radio, which is especially difficult
for me.

The biggest problem encountered was finding the 8-pin female
chassis mount DIN connectors.

I must acknowledge the great help of Milt W8NUE (of NUE-modem
fame) in doing the rewiring.

Pete K5GM
On Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:12 +, digitalradio@yahoogroups.com
wrote:

[1]Amateur Radio Digital  Mode Discussion

Messages In This Digest (5 Messages)

3a.
   [2]SCS PTC-II and regular digital modes From: g4ilo

3b.
   [3]Re: SCS PTC-II and regular digital modes From: Andy
   obrien

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Messages

3a.

[6]SCS PTC-II and regular digital modes

Posted by: g4ilo [7]jul...@g4ilo.com   [8]g4ilo

Fri Aug 6, 2010 2:34 pm (PDT)

   I have been wondering about getting an SCS multimode
   controller, the PTC-II USB. Primarily I am interested in
   getting the best performance for HF APRS which is what my
   radio does most of the time while I am otherwise engaged.
   I have no interest in Winlink but am interested in trying
   Pactor-II which people have said can hold QSOs even under
   very difficult conditions. Is there much activity on the
   mode?
   I don't want to deny myself the opportunity to use PSK31
   or RTTY but the SCS would plug into the rear audio
   connections of my transceiver and I don't want to have to
   grope around the back changing plugs just to use soundcard
   modes. I understand these controllers can do PSK and RTTY
   as well but I don't see how this works with the programs I
   am familiar with.
   I'm also unsure how the transceiver control works. I
   currently have a separate serial cable to my K3 for this.
   If any users of the SCS controllers could pass on their
   experiences to a prospective user I would be extremely
   grateful.
   Julian, G4ILO
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3b.

[14]Re: SCS PTC-II and regular digital modes

Posted by: Andy obrien [15]k3uka...@gmail.com   [16]obrienaj

Fri Aug 6, 2010 3:33 pm (PDT)

   I have the same interest, and would also be interested in
   answers to
   Julian's questions.
   Andy K3UK
   On Fri, Aug 6, 2010 at 5:31 PM, g4ilo [17]jul...@g4ilo.
   com wrote:
   
   
I have been wondering about getting an SCS multimode
   controller, the PTC-II
USB. Primarily I am interested in getting the best
   performance for HF APRS
which is what my radio does most of the time while I am
   otherwise engaged.
   
I have no interest in Winlink but am interested in
   trying Pactor-II which
people have said can hold QSOs even under very difficult
   conditions. Is
there much activity on the mode?
   
I don't want to deny myself the opportunity to use PSK31
   or RTTY but the
SCS would plug into the rear audio connections of my
   transceiver and I don't
want to have to grope around the back changing plugs
   just to use soundcard
modes. I understand these controllers can do PSK and
   RTTY as well but I
don't see how this works with the programs I am familiar
   with.
   
I'm also unsure how the transceiver control works. I
   currently have a
separate serial cable to my K3 for this.
   
If any users of the SCS controllers could pass on their
   experiences to a
prospective user I would be extremely grateful.
   
Julian, G4ILO
   
_
   

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[digitalradio] Re: SCS PTC-II and regular digital modes

[Juergen]

I use SCS PTC IIs for years and I am very satisfied with their performance. I 
can confirm the excellent performance of Pactor even under very poor conditions 
but I don't remember when I have seen the last non-Winlink-transmissions ... 
Others might have different experience. I have never used the transceiver 
control facility of the PTC II. 

If you decide to try DXLab you can use use the following DXLab programs in 
combination with the PTC II:

- Commander to control the transceiver
- DXKeeper for logging (not explicitly needed but recommended)
- WinWarbler for communication with the PTC II

There are other programs which belong to DXLab as well but they are not needed 
for this specific purpose. For more details please go to 

http://www.dxlabsuite.com/

which provides all necessary information.

 To use the PTC II and not the soundcard for PSK and RTTY you have to select 
RTTY in WinWarbler (make sure that you have defined the PTC II as your RTTY 
modem in WinWarbler's configuration). You can enter all PTC II commands in 
WinWarbler's transmit window, i.e. switch between the different modes of the 
PTC II which includes PSK31, RTTY, CW, Pactor etc. As to my experience the RTTY 
performance of the PTC II is better than the decoding by MMTTY (included in 
WinWarbler and several other programs as  RTTY engine). You cannot use the 
broad band decoding option of WinWarbler, however, because this would require 
the soundcard of your PC to be connected to your transceiver.

73

Juergen, DL8LE

--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, g4ilo jul...@... wrote:

 I have been wondering about getting an SCS multimode controller, the PTC-II 
 USB. Primarily I am interested in getting the best performance for HF APRS 
 which is what my radio does most of the time while I am otherwise engaged.
 
 I have no interest in Winlink but am interested in trying Pactor-II which 
 people have said can hold QSOs even under very difficult conditions. Is there 
 much activity on the mode?
 
 I don't want to deny myself the opportunity to use PSK31 or RTTY but the SCS 
 would plug into the rear audio connections of my transceiver and I don't want 
 to have to grope around the back changing plugs just to use soundcard modes. 
 I understand these controllers can do PSK and RTTY as well but I don't see 
 how this works with the programs I am familiar with.
 
 I'm also unsure how the transceiver control works. I currently have a 
 separate serial cable to my K3 for this.
 
 If any users of the SCS controllers could pass on their experiences to a 
 prospective user I would be extremely grateful.
 
 Julian, G4ILO