[RTTY] FSK with a 440/ Was TS 450 for rtty

[WB2RHM - Ben Antanaitis]

I have been and still am using a TS-440S/AT for my RTTY station. It's 19 
years old and still going strong. I use it fixed, here in Charlotte NC and 
I take it on the road and operate from my father-in-law's garage when I am 
in /2 portable mode.  I added the optional internal 500Hz CW filter and 
switch it ON when I am running RTTY, that creates a nice 'wall' from folks 
on either side during contests. The 440 has a button labeled FSK BUT that's 
because the button was not big enough to print AFSK on it. AFSK is fully 
supported in the rig. When you switch to FSK(AFSK) the IF bandpass moves up 
so the filters are sitting around 2125 and 2295. There is a constant level 
audio output and an input
connector pair just for AFSK mode (they work for any soundcard audio IO). 
The PC control interface is TTL voltage levels, not RS-232, so you will 
need to build/buy a converter box/cable to hook it up to your PC. It can 
run 100% duty cycle all day 24/7 without missing a beat, but the heat sink 
will be warm.

Before you buy one, however, you MUST go to the yahoo ts440 group and read 
about the rig and it's warts (is there any rig without some warts?) 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TS-440/ There are also a bunch of mods you 
can make to the radio that enhance it's operational characteristics. The 
folks there are the most knowledgeable folks who love/hate their TS-440s.

I also operate a TS-450 as a RTTY station for my radio club in contests and 
field day. It is a newer design rig. It can be helped in RTTY mode if you 
add the 500Hz filter to it also. It has the same PC interface as the 440 ie 
you need a converter. But it's auto tuner is super fast compared to the 440s.

Oh, and remember to disconnect the MIC when running AFSK.... it's a hoot to 
hear some op ask his wife for a brew while he thinks he's sending RTTY or 
BPSK ;-)

73,
Ben Antanaitis
WB2RHM