[RTTY] Need to lawyer up for 60 meters

[Kai]

Hi Bill
Actually those are examples ("such as") of permitted modes, and NTIA have said 
they are not limiting.
Note that 2K80J2D: the 2K80 means 2.8 kHz, and the J2D means SSB suppressed 
carrier with data. But
of course you can do smaller bandwidths than the limit of 2.8 kHz. Ham-RTTY is 
250HJ1B when stated
in a SSB channel.

That list is stated to be an example of what is permitted.

ARRL agrees about Amateur RTTY, since they published my technical correspondence 
on how to do
RTTY on 60 m in Sept 2013 QST " Set your radio and software for proper RTTY 
operation." (below).

Yes you can do Amateur-RTTY on 60 m.
73
Kai, KE4PT   "Correspondence"   follows
------------------------------from QST Sept 2013 p65-------------------------
60-Meter RTTY
Set Your Radio and Software for Proper RTTY Operation

I read with interest the "Eclectic Technology" column by Steve Ford, WB8IMY, in 
the August 2012 issue of QST (page 56) in which he describes how to operate 
PSK31 on 60 m.

Here are some really easy instructions for operating traditional 170 Hz shift 
RTTY at 45.5 baud while adhering to the FCC and NTIA rules for the 60 m band.

The rules state that all the permitted digital modes must be centered in the 60 
m band channels. Also, to satisfy the NTIA, the radio receiver must be 
configured so that an upper sideband SSB signal can be copied in case the 
primary users need to tell you the channel is occupied. For RTTY, we use the 
same suppressed carrier SSB channel frequencies (the frequencies that appear on 
your transceiver display) that Steve lists in his column.

One simple way of generating the "ham-RTTY" data mode in the 60 m band channels 
is to operate using the so-called "AFSK" method of generating the data signals. 
A computer sound card generates audio tones that are fed into the transmitter 
microphone or other audio input connector. With a properly adjusted SSB 
transmitter, the audio tones (one at a time) produce an RF signal at the carrier 
frequency plus the audio tone frequency for an upper sideband transmission. (The 
RF signal would be the carrier minus the audio tone frequency for a lower 
sideband transmission.) In effect, the transmitted RF output frequency shifts 
between two frequencies as the audio input tones shift. The result is a 
frequency shift keyed RF output --- FSK.

The following settings work well with "AFSK" RTTY. I based these instructions on 
the very popular MMTTY RTTY software, but you can use the same technique with 
other RTTY applications.

(1) Set the rig to upper sideband SSB or upper SSB digital mode, just like you 
would for PSK31 (this keeps you consistent with the NTIA requirement that you 
monitor the channel for upper sideband transmissions) with the dial set to your 
chosen upper sideband suppressed carrier channel frequency.
(2) In MMTTY select the Mark frequency as 1415 Hz (in upper sideband this will 
actually be the Space frequency).
(3) Set MMTTY to "Reverse" (because you are using upper sideband).
(4) Set Shift to 170 Hz and baud rate to 45.45.

This will have the effect of centering the RTTY tones at the radio dial 
frequency plus 1500 Hz, with the two tones at ± 85 Hz. In other words, the Mark 
and Space tones will appear dead center in the channel. The tones will be 1415 
and 1585 Hz above the upper sideband SSB dial frequency.
Note that with MMTTY set to "reverse," the MMTTY tone nomenclature is not 
correct. The 1415 Hz frequency is actually the Space frequency, while the Mark 
frequency appears at 1415 + 170 = 1585 Hz above the channel SSB "carrier" 
frequency. If your MMTTY ini file does not include "MARK=1415", you can edit the 
MMTTY.INI file to add 1415 to the list, so the Mark= line looks like:

[ComboList]
Mark=2125,2000,1700,1445,1415,1275,1170,1000,915,660

You can operate with these same parameters in any other ham band where RTTY is 
permitted. It will work just fine, and will be compatible with all other RTTY 
users! As an added benefit you can simultaneously run Digipan software to get 
its excellent frequency-calibrated waterfall display to see the other RTTY 
signals. The two RTTY tones should straddle the 1500 Hz marker on the Digipan 
display. For RTTY, you transmit and receive from the MMTTY window. Also, using 
this method you can listen for any SSB signal on the channel and you can 
transition instantly to PSK31 without changing anything on the rig.

--- Kai Siwiak, KE4PT


-------------------------------------------END---------------------------------------- 


On 11/25/2013 5:15 PM, Bill Turner wrote:
> ORIGINAL MESSAGE:          (may be snipped)
>
> On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 23:12:16 -0500, Kai wrote:
>
>> Bill
>> The FCC/NTIA want you to:
>> (1) monitor the channel for possible upper SSB transmissions if you are to be
>> told to stop.
>> (2) The RTTY tones must be 1500 Hz +/- 85 Hz above the SSB rig dial frequency.
>>
>> That implies you should operate RTTY in AFSK mode with the rif set to upper SSB and
>> with tones set to 1415 and 1585 Hz.
>> Do you need specific details for using MMTTY that way? I had it was in QST Sept
>> 2013,
>> technical correspondence.
>>
>> 73
>> Kai, KE4PT
> REPLY:
>
> You do make a good point about monitoring for SSB.
>
> The big problem as I see it is the FCC 97.307 (14) (i) only authorizes four
> modes for 60 meters:
>
> 2K80J3E        (phone)
>
> 2K80J2D        (data such as Pactor III)
>
> 60H0J2B        (what they call RTTY which includes PSK31)
>
> 150HA1A        (Morse CW)
>
> So it seems that Baudot RTTY is allowed but only with a bandwidth of 60 Hz
> or less. You might think that if a wideband mode such as Pactor III is
> allowed,why not the much narrower Baudot RTTY?
>
> I have no answer.  For now I will stick to PSK31 on 60 meters.
>
> 73, Bill W6WRT
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