[RTTY] HAL ST8000...up for bid.

[Kok Chen]

On Mar 28, 2011, at 8:27 PM, Michael Haack wrote:

> I use HAL PCI-3000 cards here, and through the "Regeneration" function 
> of the ST8000. You feed the Audio output to the input of your TNC.


I have always used my ST-8000 and my Timewave 599zx as regenerators.

I have never written any Mac OS programs to handle these two TUs.  So I just turn their regenerators on, and feed the clean AFSK audio from their regenerators into the AFSK input of a  KAM Plus (which I have written a program to run).

The advantage of using a TU as a regenerator is that you can compare the performance instantaneously between the 599 ZX and the KAM Plus since you can switch the Timewave between pass-through and regenerate.  In pass-through, you are depending on the demodulator on the KAM, and in regenerate, you are depending on the demodulator of the Timewave.  Significant difference, by the way.

The Timewave was a helluva good TU if you couldn't find a ST-8000.  Like the ST-8000, it has an analog AGC stage -- this was back in the days where A/D converters have poor dynamic range.  Nowadays, if adjusted properly, a $30 sound card has better dynamic range than either of those old TUs :-).

The Timewave also has some little known features.  It has an RYRY generator which you can adjust the transmitter and it has an audio millivoltmeter built in to properly adjust the receiver.

73
Chen, W7AY