[RTTY] Best RTTY program/hardware

[Joe Subich, W4TV]

> Note that a PK232 can be configured as the "front end" for a 
> modem like the ST-8000, enabling it to be used with 
> WinWarbler or other software that supports the PK232. Several 
> WinWarbler users report excellent results with this configuration.

In this configuration the PK232 is simply acting as a 5-bit to 
8-bit converter.  It is accepting the raw 5-bit 45.45 baud 
data stream from an external modem, doing a serial to parallel 
conversion and mapping the 5-bit data characters to their 8-bit 
equivalents (including shifting/unshifting as necessary).  All 
of the KAM units (as far as I can tell) are also capable of 
using an external modem.  However, the KAM's switched capacitor 
filter demodulator is much superior to the op-amp active filter- 
discriminator demodulator of the PK-232. 

73, 

   ... Joe, W4TV 
  


> -----Original Message-----
> From: rtty-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:rtty-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dave AA6YQ
> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 12:02 AM
> To: rtty at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [RTTY] Best RTTY program/hardware
> 
> 
> I use (and wrote) WinWarbler, which runs the MMTTY engine in 
> one window, and an external modem in another. The external 
> modem I use is a KAM'98. My RTTY activity is mostly DXing, 
> with occasionally ragchewing.
> 
> With the MMTTY engine and KAM'98  decoding the same signal 
> and the MMTTY engine configured to use the EU1SA profile, I 
> find MMTTY to be generally superior to the KAM'98, although 
> there can be intervals within a QSO during which the reverse 
> is true. Thus the decoded text from both is occasionally 
> better the either alone. I have also been testing a new MMTTY 
> profile based on EU1SA's work, but have not yet quantified 
> its benefits.
> 
> Note that a PK232 can be configured as the "front end" for a 
> modem like the ST-8000, enabling it to be used with 
> WinWarbler or other software that supports the PK232. Several 
> WinWarbler users report excellent results with this configuration.
> 
>    73,
> 
>         Dave, AA6YQ
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rtty-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:rtty-bounces at contesting.com]On
> Behalf Of Rick Ruhl
> Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 11:45 PM
> To: rtty at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [RTTY] Best RTTY program/hardware
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rtty-bounces at contesting.com 
> [mailto:rtty-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bill, W6WRT
> Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 10:37 PM
> To: rtty at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [RTTY] Best RTTY program/hardware
> 
> ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
> 
> On Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:28:45 -0800 (PST), rick darwicki 
> <n6pe at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> >
> > Is there hardware out there that does a better job than software on 
> > weak signals?
> >
> > Please respond to me directly so we don't start a cat
> > fight hi hi
> 
> >REPLY:
> 
> >With all due respect, I am replying on the reflector because 
> this kind 
> >of question is exactly why the reflector was begun in the 
> first place. 
> >This is the perfect venue for this kind of discussion.
> 
> >Over the years I have run a number of side-by-side tests of software 
> >and hardware to try to find out which is best at digging out weak 
> >signals buried in the QRM and QRN. The comparisons showed 
> that RiTTY by 
> >K6STI (software) and a HAL ST-8000 (hardware modem) are nearly 
> >identical in performance and I would place both equally at 
> the top of 
> >the list. Almost as good are MMTTY and MMVARI with MMVARI perhaps 
> >having a slight edge. Next down the line was a KAM modem. 
> Somewhere in 
> >the middle were modems by Tono, AEA and the HAL DXP-38.
> 
> >The worst I ever tested, by far, was an AEA DSP-232. Absolute junk.
> 
> >My friend, Chen W7AY has a software program he wrote called 
> CocoaModem 
> >which I hear is very, very good but which runs only on a 
> Mac. Haven't 
> >tried that one yet.
> 
> >No cat fights intended. I just call 'em like I see 'em.   :-)
> 
> >73, Bill W6WR
> 
> Bill, Rick, et all:
> 
> A Kam Plus is the best unit Ive ever used on RTTY, that's 
> what I use in my shack.
> 
> Since I write software for the Kantronics and Timewave units 
> (and the MFJ too, and a beta for the DXP38 and SCS, which 
> never got released), I was able to try all these out, and 
> found by far the Kam Plus was the best TNC for RTTY.
> 
> It's even better than some or all of the soundcard programs.  
> Soundcard programs are limited by the quality of your soundcard.
> 
> Rick - W4PC
> http://www.cssincorp.com
> 
> (Btw, just because I write software for the Kam, doesn't mean 
> you have to buy my programs, but from the TNC/soundcard 
> standpoint, that's the best unit Ive seen.)
> 
> 
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