View Full Version : Best software for RTTY?
KE5KZX
08-14-2007, 03:34 AM
I've been using Digipan on PSK31 for the past several months, with excellent results. I would like to start operating on RTTY and would like some recommendations for the best software for this mode.
I run a "peanut whistle" station; my rig for digital and CW is a FT-897D feeding a horizontal loop in the apartment's attic through a MFJ-949E tuner. I can work anyone I hear on PSK31 with 35 watts, but will I need more power for RTTY?
Thanks!
Dennis - KE5KZX
I humbly believe that the MMTTY program ( the full program, not just the "engine") is the best program that has been developed for that mode. With the complete program, you can "tweak" your parameters and adjust the type of demodulator you are emulating, the bandpass and "Q" of the filters involved, etc. etc. It is really a software DSP system that was written before the term really became well known or popular!
There are other programs out there that do an acceptable job with RTTY, but MMTTY is still the best, in my books!
Power requirements for RTTY are really not that much greater than they are for PSK-31. You will hear higher powered stations on the air, but you should do just fine with 35 watts and a loop in the attic. You will have to remember that RTTY is highly dependent on the tones being the right phase. If the shift is "upside down" everything will seem to be right, but you will get nothing but gibberish on the printout! You become used to the proper tuning procedure very quickly! You should probably use a narrower filter setting in your radio, and tune the dial to pick up different stations, rather than clicking on a waterfall as is usually done with PSK-31. This is a little slower, but provides better results!
I hope you enjoy RTTY. Feel free to PM me if you would like more help in setting up the mode.
73, Jim
I will put in another vote for MMTTY. Here is a link to what is probably the most comprehensive tutorial on how to get started operating RTTY using MMTTY as the primary program to begin your RTTY operations.
http://www.aa5au.com/rtty.html
There is a lot of valuable information there and I urge you to take the time to read through it all very carefully. It will answer a lot of questions for you and will guide you step by step in downloading the program and setting it up.
Good luck!
Scott NĜIU
K3WRV
08-14-2007, 11:07 AM
Another vote for MTTY, tho I've tried several others. MTTY was the easiest to get going and does a FB job copying. Using a narrow filter in your xcvr also helps.
KE5KZX
08-14-2007, 05:12 PM
Thanks for all the info, guys! I printed the tutorial from AA5AU and will read it carefully.
One more question - do more people use RTTY or PSK31? I'm mostly interested in DXing.
Dennis - KE5KZX
N4AUD
08-14-2007, 05:32 PM
Quote[/b] (KE5KZX @ Aug. 14 2007,13:12)]Thanks for all the info, guys! I printed the tutorial from AA5AU and will read it carefully.
One more question - do more people use RTTY or PSK31? I'm mostly interested in DXing.
Dennis - KE5KZX
I would say PSK31. Sometimes I have to hunt around quite a bit to find RTTY activity, but I can just about always find several stations on the air using PSK31.
Actually, with all due respect, I have had more success on RTTY, but I guess if I used PSK31 once in a while, my opinion might be different!
Scott NĜIU
N5RFX
08-14-2007, 06:05 PM
Quote[/b] (KE5KZX @ Aug. 13 2007,11:12)]Thanks for all the info, guys! I printed the tutorial from AA5AU and will read it carefully.
One more question - do more people use RTTY or PSK31? I'm mostly interested in DXing.
Dennis - KE5KZX
I use RTTY most during contests. For DXing there are RTTY DX windows. at 3.590 and 7.040.
PSK31 is also used for DXing, I would say use both.
Take a look at the band plan (http://www.dxer.com/bandplan.html).
73,
Mark N5RFX
Sure, use both. In fact, use any mode that fits the occasion. Don't get stuck on one mode and call it "the BEST"! The REAL best mode is the one that is being used by the station you want to work! The more modes you become comfortable with, the more versatile an operator you will become! That simple!
73, Jim
KC7THH
08-14-2007, 08:48 PM
I use both but i prefer rtty on the other side of that i use hardware for rtty
there are a number of multimode controlers out there for cheap
and so far
none beat the hardware
i do play psk31 but even with the horsepower i have computer wise fade kills it faster than the old kam i use on rtty
you mileage may vary
dunno
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
I thought I would never give up my KAM Plus for RTTY, but after switching over to MMTTY and building a very simple interface to run it in FSK mode, there is no turning back!
Interestingly enough, I just finished a Hellschreiber QSO. We started in the normal "Feld Hell" mode, but the QSB was so bad it almost wiped out all of the print. We changed over to FM 105 baud Hellschreiber and completed the QSO even though I could not even hear the other station in the speaker.
Scott NĜIU
Quote[/b] (KC7THH @ Aug. 14 2007,17:48)]I use both but i prefer rtty #on the other side of that i use hardware for rtty
there are a number of multimode controlers out there for cheap
and so far
none beat the hardware
i do play psk31 but even with the horsepower i have computer wise fade kills it faster than the old kam i use on rtty
you mileage may vary
dunno
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
In the past, I built my own TUs, and owned a couple of manufactured ones, including some that were built for diversity reception ( two receivers, two antennas, combined into the detector circuit through a logic selector) . None of those setups worked any better than the MMTTY software TU after some careful "tweaking" was done under varying conditions.
As I said in an earlier post, you MUST get the full blown version of the program, and not just the "engine" that will add RTTY capabilities to some of the other soundcard programs. There are many parameters that are easily adjustable in the full version of the program, and once they are optimised for your receiver/computer combination, there are precious few, if any, setups that can do a better job of decoding RTTY signals.
Yes, it is possible to have error free text scrolling across the screen when the tones are almost indistinguishable to the ear! But it takes some time and a bit of applied knowledge to achieve that level of performance.
73, Jim
W4INF
08-15-2007, 02:43 PM
Quote[/b] (AG3Y @ Aug. 13 2007,20:59)]I humbly believe that the MMTTY program ( the full program, not just the "engine") is the best program that has been developed for that mode.
Is what I use (MMTTY) for RTTY, but you will find yourself liking PSK that much more after your first RTTY contact! HA HA! Well, at least I did...
KL7AJ
08-15-2007, 02:58 PM
I have this monstrosity called MULTIPSK. It should win an award for the WORLD'S UGLIEST IMAGINABLE GUI, but the thing works GREAT on every mode out there. And it's free.
eric
Ditto, Eric. Too bad someone can't teach the author how to write a good GUI ! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
KL7AJ
08-15-2007, 03:04 PM
Quote[/b] (AG3Y @ Aug. 15 2007,08:00)]Ditto, Eric. #Too bad someone can't teach the author how to write a good GUI ! # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Nah....they'd probably break it if they did. It's an ugly duckling that should stay ugly. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
K3WRV
08-15-2007, 07:01 PM
Modest suggestion-
For a TRUE RTTY experience, solve the problem with hardware, not software. Think Model 15, 19 or 28. You may be able to get a free download from a pickup truck at your local hamfest. (Downloads of this sort of thing are generally free or nominal).
They work great and provide the "TRUE RTTY" experience, (Including free system sounds and even ringtones!) and back in the old days, you could even get PORN on them (Or at least Playboy Playmates) from WWW.ChappyinChadron.???
Anybody know what happened to Chappy?
Bob
KL7AJ
08-15-2007, 07:24 PM
Quote[/b] (k3wrv @ Aug. 15 2007,12:01)]Modest suggestion-
# # For a TRUE RTTY experience, solve the problem with hardware, not software. #Think Model 15, 19 or 28. #You may be able to get a free download from a pickup truck at your local hamfest. # # # # # # # #(Downloads of this sort of thing are generally free or nominal).
# # They work great and provide the "TRUE RTTY" experience, (Including free system sounds and even ringtones!) and back in the old days, you could even get PORN on them (Or at least Playboy Playmates) from WWW.ChappyinChadron.???
# # Anybody know what happened to Chappy?
# # Bob
I used to have two Model 28 "Locomotives." Gave a whole new meaning to Boat Anchor. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
eric
You think a "28" was hot stuff ? You should have seen a model "37 ASR" The most modern of the standard typebox style teleprinters if my memory serves me right ! They came built into a desk . The electronics were in a drawer similar to the pullout drawers that used to house electric typewriters.
I owned one many many years ago, but it was so huge that I had to get rid of it. Heavy Sigh ! ! !
KC9ECI
08-16-2007, 02:18 AM
I use MMTTY or MixW for RTTY. Mostly MixW. I run QRP in the RTTY contests and usually do OK.
KE5KZX
08-17-2007, 03:36 AM
OK. Well. I read the AA5AU tutorial, downloaded and set up MMTTY, set up the rig and tuner for such things as SWR, ALC deflection (I found that I can run a higher digital gain setting on RTTY than on PSK31, probably due to the different frequency within the passband).
Now... where are the signals?! I heard a QSO briefly on 20m the other evening, and have tuned the other bands (faithfully adhering to the band plans) but have heard nothing else.
Is this mode only active during contests, or am I looking in the wrong place?
Thanks!
Dennis-KE5KZX
Well, Dennis, I think you have discovered an important truth! The overwhelming popularity of PSK-31 has made it the "defacto standard" among the soundcard digital gang. I really don't know all the reasons why, but I suspect that there are some significant reasons.
1. The thru-put speed matches a lot of the guys typing speed. If you can type 30 or so words per minute, you are going to match what your transmitter puts out pretty closely. RTTY, on the other hand is 60 wpm and that "type ahead buffer" empties pretty quickly. Same holds true for some of the other modes such as MT-63 etc.
2. The accuracy is quite good. Not as good, perhaps as MT-63, MFSK-16, or Pactor ARQ, but still pretty good. RTTY is not quite up to PSK under poor band conditions, and don't we have poor band conditions right now ? http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
3. PSK-31 is quite easy to set up. It doesn't matter what sideband you use ( as long as you stay inside the band ! ) and provided you keep the audio levels within the linear portion of your transmitter's audio and RF circuits, you are reasonably sure to transmit a good, easily copyable signal. ( with that in mind, it constantly amazes me now many POOR signals there actually are on the air ! )
Listen somewhere above the cluster of PSK-31 stations, and below the Pactor Robots on 20 during the daytime, and 40 and 80 at night and you should hear RTTY and some of the other less popular modes. Good luck, and report back to us your experiences.
73, Jim
Quote[/b] (W3MIV @ Aug. 17 2007,11:07)]I think of all the soundcard software out there for digital ops, the very best is MixW. I think it well worth the cost of the registration.
While I am sure MixW is a great piece of software, I was really turned off from using it by their US distributor. Every time I would run across this particular op in New York City, all he ever wanted to do was talk about the MixW program and how versatile it is and recommended that I download it and try it. Granted, he has a vested interest in the success of the program, but what he was doing was (IMHO) was dangerously close to be pecuniary in nature by using amateur radio for business purposes.
Scott NĜIU
But when there is also a Chevy and Chrysler dealer in Dubuque, why should I patronize the Ford dealer?
Scott NĜIU
KC9FSH
08-18-2007, 08:52 PM
I use Digital Master 780. It still has it's bugs (it is currently in the beta phase) but I've come across none that have costed me any contacts.
I also use MixW but I typically only use MixW for modes other than PSK31 and RTTY.
Since you already have the interface and everything I would say just download any of the software listed in this thread and get on the air. If you get on right now there is a RTTY contest and 20 meters is just packed full of RTTY ops today, the contest ends in about 2 hours and will begin again at 0800 UTC tomorrow.
73 de KC9FSH
