[RTTY] USOS FIGS

[Kok Chen]

On Jul 8, 2009, at 7/8    8:58 AM, Jim Reisert AD1C wrote:

> I'm just curious because I don't own a K3, but if you use the paddles
> to send RTTY, does the K3 do USOS or not?

I don't know about the encoder (transmit direction).  But if the K3 op  
uses the on-board decoder, and if you send

<figs>599<space>123

to the K3, it will "print" as

"599 123"

I.e., the K3's decoder does not unshift into LTRS mode upon receiving  
a <space> character.

[This is why you always want two transceivers in the shack, so you can  
do these silly experiments :-).  You also want the software to be  
malleable so you can modify it to send explicit Baudot streams. HI HI]

If you want to be copied by these K3 RTTY contest teetotalers, either  
make sure your USOS transmit implementation *explicitly* sends a  
<LTRS> with a <space> if the space is preceded by a number and  
followed by an alphabet (e.g., 599 OR).

Or, simply use dashes instead of spaces (e.g., 599-OR").  To  
paraphrase Phil N8PS, "if there is no space, there is nothing to  
unshift."

(Actually the "teetotalers" that are using the on-board decoders are  
likely to be hardcore contesters on other modes, but slumming in RTTY  
contests without using FSK modems.)

73
Chen, W7AY