[RTTY] Operating PSK-31 from DX locations

[sschultz at megsinet.net]

I was having a conversation about this very point during a CW QSO not too 
long ago. I was telling the other op that I very rarely even work RTTY,
much less PSK31, for casual rag chewing any more since it seems that most 
of the other ops just want to tell me about their super duper computer
and the latest and greatest software and move onto the next one. I do not 
want to sound ungrateful to the folks who put a tremendous effort into
programs like MMTTY and I hope this does not start a huge fire, but I
think the root of this issue is caused by sound card software. This seems 
to be a double-edged sword. One the good side, anyone can download any
one of a number of fantastic, and in most cases totally free, software
and this will attract new operators to RTTY without them having to buy an 
outboard controller. In the "good ol' days", you really had to make the
committment to the mode first because you had to spend the money for the
controller even if you just wanted to try it out. If for some reason
didn't like it, you were still out the money and that isn't true today.
The bad side of the sword is that this "new breed" of RTTY operator
appears to be a lot more "compu-centric" than in the olden days when you
could almost hook up any old 286 to a KAM Plus or PK232 and you were good 
to go. Of course brag files have been around for awhile, but generally
once that went by, there was no more talk about the computer or anything
associated with it.

So what have I done about it? For the most part I have gone back to my
roots and have gone back to the CW sub-bands when I just have to have to
chew the rag. Believe it or not, some of those guys don't even own a computer!

73,
de Scott NØIU



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