[RTTY] back to "first RTTY DXpedition", and history

[Jerry Flanders]

I built a ST-6 from the plans in Ham Radio magazine in about 1971. I 
designed and etched my own boards. Used it with a model 15 TTY initially.

In about 1976/77 I put together a "Digital Group" computer (proprietary 
bus, not S-100) from a kit (10k memory - the "deluxe" version - thousands 
of solder joints). Added a ham interface board within a year and had it on 
RTTY around 1978 or 1979. The old model 15 went to work as a printer for 
the computer. I still have that old computer in the attic - sold off the 
model 15 long ago.

There were perhaps a dozen different proprietary bus systems before IBM 
"set the standard" in 1981.

I think most of the developers of the early computers were hams, many were 
on casual RTTY. Most computer clubs then had many hams or ham wannabees.

Jerry W4UK

At 01:09 AM 4/20/02 -0400, Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604 wrote:
>I suspect we could fairly definitely answer the frsit question by
>reading a bunch of old QSTs, and I may do that when I get back.
>
>But I have another historic query here-
>In the June 1978 AMSAT Newsletter, Joe Kasser, G3ZCZ describes a
>board, the AR-1, for the S-100 bus that was a RTTY interface with a
>ST-5 TU and AK-2 AFSK generator on a card with a 8251 USART.
>
>Did anyone on this list build one of these?  Did anyone on this list
>actually do RTTY on an S-100 machine?
>
>This was well after the Homebrew Computer Club was up and running, and
>I believe Bob Reiling (W6JHJ?) helped found that club because he
>wanted to do RTTY on a computer.
>
>73, doug
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