[RTTY] 75 Baud ... RigExpert ...

Sat Sep 21 10:14:34 EDT 2013

>From the replies, I guess I wasn't clear (sorry!).

I'm looking for potential SOFTWARE alternatives.  If I were to keep
the RigExpert, are there other SOFTWARE options I can use with N1MM
for the 75-baud contest?  Does 2tone transmit or is that just a
receiver?  Can MixW be used as an engine?

As for competing products, Signalink and Rascal are out because they
don't do FSK (yes, I am the purist mentioned in the FAQ on the
Signalink site).  AFAIK, the recent RigBlaster with the sound chip
built in does not use the Icom ACC1 port, and I really want to be able
to use the USB-D/LSB-D modes on my 746Pro.

But again, what are my *software* alternatives?  If the limitation is
in MMTTY, I can live with EXTFSK for the 99% of the time I do 45-baud
RTTY (and wait for the open source crowd to "fix" the keying issues)
and hook up my RigBlaster+ again for the Sprint 75.  If the limitation
is in the RigExpert, I'll just return it but would rather not since
it's a pain.

No one seems to be able to tell me which piece has the limitation:
MMTTY or the RigExpert TI-5.

Also, MMTTY does 75-baud FSK, without using EXTFSK, just fine.  Just
not on a RigExpert TI-5

Peter

On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 9:44 PM, Peter Laws <plaws at plaws.net> wrote:
> So, long story short ... MMTTY does not send FSK through the RigExpert
> TI-5 unless you use the EXTFSK DLL, which means no 75 baud.  This
> despite VE3KI's much appreciated off-list help.
>
> It will send FSK using MixW.  I'm still not totally clear where this
> limitation actually lies:  is it an MMTTY/EXTFSK thing or a RigExpert
> thing?  Clearly MixW can make it work and I can even do 75 bauds with
> it (with a jumper change in the box).  Why can't MMTTY do that?
>
> Even though RE has a generous 30-day no questions asked return policy,
> it's a giant pain in the assembler language to return it and find
> another "single wire" box.  So what other options are there?  Is there
> another RTTY engine that will work with N1MM and let me do 75 baud?
>
> I don't like it, but I could live with using MMTTY+EXTFSK for regular
> QSOs (standalone or via WinWarbler) and even for regular contests
> using N1MM ... I'd just really rather just use MMTTY like I have for
> almost 10 years.
>
>
> On Sun, Sep 15, 2013 at 8:24 AM, Richard Ferch <ve3iay at storm.ca> wrote:
>> Comments/answers in-line below.
>>
>>
>>> Figured I'd start here.
>>>
>>> Want to play in 75-baud BARTG tomorrow.  Have a new Rigexpert TI5
>>> which supports FSK.  The problem is that the TI5 uses different fake
>>> com ports for PTT and FSK.  It does this by hacking EXTFSK, the DLL
>>> that comes with MMTTY.
>>
>>
>> I believe you have stated this backwards. As I read the manual, the TI5 uses
>> different virtual COM ports for CAT, PTT, Winkey and FSK without EXTFSK. I
>> believe the reason RE included the hacked version of EXTFSK with the TI5 is
>> to support software that must use the same port for PTT and FSK. This is not
>> a problem if you are using the N1MM Logger/MMTTY combination, because you
>> can do PTT from N1MM Logger and FSK from MMTTY on separate ports, thereby
>> avoiding the need to use EXTFSK.
>>
>>
>>  And RE didn't hack EXTFSK (as far as I can
>>>
>>> tell - the windows doesn't pop up with the hacked version) to support
>>> 75 bauds.
>>
>>
>> As I understand it, the reason EXTFSK doesn't support 75 baud is because of
>> unacceptably large (for 75 baud) timing jitter with the method EXTFSK uses.
>> EXTFSK is a method of last resort, to be used only if you have no
>> alternative. Frankly, if you take a reasonable amount of care with sound
>> card settings, I think AFSK is preferable to EXTFSK.
>>
>>>
>>> I run N1MM with the MMTTY engine though in this case, I don't know if
>>> that makes a difference.
>>
>>
>> Yes - it means you can use the separate ports for PTT and FSK without
>> resorting to EXTFSK. If the TI5 driver uses COM3 for CAT, COM4 for PTT, COM5
>> for Winkey and COM6 for FSK, for example, you can configure N1MM Logger to
>> use COM3 for radio control, COM4 for PTT on RTS, COM5 for CW using the
>> Winkey, and COM6 as the digital port, configured in MMTTY for FSK.
>>
>>>
>>> Would it be possible to set the "PTT & FSK" setting in MMTTY to the
>>> FSK port (COM10 here) and then use the "Radio Command" setting?
>>
>>
>> No. The radio command (CAT) port is in use by N1MM Logger for radio control.
>> MMTTY does not have access to it.
>>
>>
>>  Or
>>>
>>> are they tied together somehow?
>>
>>
>> If you are using MMTTY stand-alone, it uses the same port for PTT and FSK.
>> Even when run under N1MM Logger, MMTTY will send commands to toggle RTS and
>> DTR on its FSK port for PTT, but as I understand it the TI5 will simply
>> ignore those commands. You should configure N1MM Logger to control PTT using
>> RTS on the TI5's PTT port (RE calls this the PTT/CW/SoftFSK port, but the
>> only thing you need to use it for is PTT).
>>
>> One issue you may run into is the timing of PTT. The transfer of data over
>> the USB cable is much faster than the actual transmission, and with some
>> setups that can result in PTT turning off before the data has finished being
>> transmitted. With any USB-based device, in the MMTTY Setup window you should
>> click on the USB Port button beside the COM-TxD(FSK) selection under the
>> Misc tab, and select C. Limiting Speed.
>>
>>>
>>> And, yes, like my old RigBlaster+, I have to fiddle with a jumper in
>>> the RE ...  (I haven't ordered the reed switches yet).
>>
>>
>> In addition to the baud rate jumper in the TI5, you will also have to set up
>> MMTTY to receive 75 baud. See
>> <http://n1mm.hamdocs.com/tiki-index.php?page=Digital+-+MMTTY+for+RTTY+Support&structure=N1MM+Logger+Documentation#Using_MMTTY_for_75_baud_RTTY>
>> for some of the things to look out for.
>>>
>>>
>>> Anyone encounter this before?
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!
>>
>>
>> 73,
>> Rich VE3KI
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!

-- 
Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!