[RTTY] Some basic RTTY radio questions

[Bill Turner]

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On Mon, 7 Mar 2016 10:09:39 -0000, G3YYD wrote:

>Actually with RTTY the AGC setting should be slow. 
>
>The reason for this is the best decoders decode each tone separately and
>make use of the signal amplitude and  measured noise over time. 

REPLY:

There seem to be mixed opinions on AGC speed for RTTY. 

If the AGC is set to slow, that means the overall receiver gain is
relatively constant over time and therefore can not respond to rapid
variations in signal strength due to fading or flutter. The result is
the amplitude of the decoded tones will vary greatly instead of being
held relatively constant, which is the purpose of AGC in the first
place. 

Isn't constant better? Are you saying a decoder does a better job when
the tone amplitude is varying rapidly? Hard to believe but I am
willing to listen to arguments. 

73, Bill W6WRT