CTU Presents

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CTU Presents

• RTTY Contesting for Beginners
• Roger J. Cooke
• G3LDI

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Why do it?

• Because its FUN.
• It is the easiest mode to use in contesting.
• It is Nirvana for the computer freak!
• More people use RTTY for contesting.
• There is no more noise!
• No paper to sort.
• Very little typing, just mouse clicks.

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RTTY The Ubiquitous Creed 7B
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RTTY BasicsRTTY Activity on the Bands

• 10 meters 28080-28100 KHz, during contests
  28050-28150
• 12 meters 24920_24929 KHz. NO contesting.
• 15 meters 21080-21120 KHz, during contests
  21060-21150 KHz
• 17 meters 18100-18109 KHz. NO contesting.
• 20 meters 14080-14112 KHz, during contests
  14060-14140 KHz
• 30 meters 10140-10150 KHz. NO contesting.
• 40 meters 7040-7050 KHz, during contests
  7025-7060 KHz
• 80 meters 3580-3620 KHz, during contests
  3570-3600 KHz
• 160 meters 1838-1840 KHz. NO contesting
• Notes
• Avoid PSK-31 operations near 28120, 21070, 14070,
  7070, 3580 KHz
• Avoid the NCDXF beacons at 21150 and 14100 KHz
• For more detail, see www.aa5au.com/gettingstarted/
  rtty_subbands.htm

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RTTY BasicsMark and Space

• RTTY transmission is a continuous carrier which
  shifts frequency between two distinct frequencies
• There is no amplitude modulation, only a pure
  carrier similar to CW with the addition of a
  frequency shift.
• The lower RF frequency is known as the SPACE
• The upper RF frequency is known as the MARK
• The difference between the two is known as the
  SHIFT
• Using FSK for a RTTY transmission with display
  setting at 14090
• Mark frequency is 14090 KHz
• Space frequency is 14089.830 KHz
• Shift is 170 Hz
• Characters sent at 45 baud or 1/6 second per
  character

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RTTY BasicsAFSK and FSK

• The difference is the way your transmitter
  generates the RF signal.
• AFSK audio frequency shift keying
• Mark (2.125kHz) and Space (2.295kHz) audio
  signals generated from computer sound card to
  audio input on radio.
• AFSK is usually transmitted in LSB mode so Mark
  frequency is higher than Space frequency.
• FSK frequency shift keying
• With FSK, your transmitter receives a simple
  on-off signal which causes the carrier frequency
  to shift between mark and space.
• Digital signal generated from the computer
  serial port to FSK input on radio.

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RTTY on the Web - Useful Links

• AA5AU Website
• Getting Started on RTTY - detailed step-by-step
  instructions (www.aa5au.com/rtty.html)
• RTTY Contest Macros - examples and explanations
  (www.rttycontesting.com/rttymessages.htm)
• RTTY Tutorials - WriteLog, MMTTY,
  software-generated FSK, Microham Microkeyer, etc.
  (www.rttycontesting.com/tutorials/tutorials.htm)
• Downloads - Super Check Partial (RTTY version),
  keyboard templates, etc. (www.rttycontesting.com/d
  ownloads/downloads.htm)
• Miscellaneous - SO2R, contest notes, survey
  results, USB-to-serial adaptors, improving your
  RTTY scores
• Getting Started on RTTY
• AA5AU website (www.aa5au.com/rtty.html)
• British Amateur Radio Teledata Group (BARTG)
  (www.bartg.org.uk/articles/Getting20started20on
  20RTTY.pdf)
• DX-Stations Guide to RTTY Operations
  (www.plicht.de/ekki/rtty/dxguide.html)
• Sound Card Interfacing
• Understanding Soundcard Interfacing by Ernie
  Mills, WM2U (www.qsl.net/wm2u/interface.html)
• Simple Serial FSK Setup (users.skynet.be/ON4AOI/ke
  yer.shtml)
• Understanding FSK and AFSK (homepage.mac.com/chen/
  w7ay/cocoaModem/More/Contents/part2.html)
• Using MMTTY with FSK (mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/e
  xtfsk.htm)
• USB-to-Serial Port Adapters (www.rttycontesting.co
  m/usb)
• N1MM Logger documentation (pages.cthome.net/n1mm/h
  tml/English/Help.htm)

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RTTY on the Web - Useful Links

• RTTY Discussion
• - Email reflector (lists.contesting.com/mailman
  /listinfo/rtty)
• - Searchable archives (lists.contesting.com/arc
  hives//html/RTTY/)
• RTTY Background
• History of RTTY (www.rtty.com)
• Software
• MMTTY
• - mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca
• - groups.yahoo.com/group/MMTTY
• - Help file and troubleshooting
  (mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/files/mmtty-hlp_07-17-
  04.zip)
• N1MM Logger
• - www.n1mm.com
• - groups.yahoo.com/group/N1MMLogger
• - groups.yahoo.com/group/N1MMLogger-Digital
• WriteLog
• - www.writelog.com
• - lists.contesting.com/_writelog/

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Station Transceiver

• CAT control
• Selectivity
• AGC
• Roofing Filters
• Add-ons, DSP filters etc
• Power control
• TPF

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The ideal Christmas present
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RTTY SetupInterface between Radio and Computer
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• Home Brew, lots of circuits on the Internet
• MicroHam www.microham.com
• RigBlaster www.westmountainradio.com
• SignalLink www.tigertronics.com
• Rascal www.BuxComm.com
• Many others. Look on Eham for reviews
• Be careful some do not have FSK capability.

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Contest Logging Programs

• Personal choice
• N1MM
• Writelog
• MixW
• WinTest
• Versatility

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N1MM Contest Program
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N1MM Configuration

• Download program - http//www.n1mm.com/
• Quick Start guide at http//www.pvrc.org/n4zr/Qu
  ick.htm
• Help file N1MM reflector

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RTTY Tuning
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Macros

• Different macros for different contests
• Several contest macros in hand-out
• For demonstration we use the RSGB CC
• Short contest, 90 minutes total, ideal for the
  beginner.
• Starting in RUN mode

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Run mode how NOT to do it

• RYRYRYRY CQ CQ CQ RSGB CC CONTEST DE G9BF G9BF
  G9BF AR PSE KKK
• RYRYRYRY G9BF G9BF DE G2BF G2BF G2BF AR PSE KKK
• RYRYRY G2BF G2BF DE G9BF GE UR RST 599 599 599 NR
  IS 002 HOW COPY OM? G2BF DE G9BF PSE KN
• RYRYRY G9BF DE G2BF G2BF SOLID COPY OM THANKS FOR
  THE QSO UR RST 599 599 NR IS 001 001 PSE UR NR
  AGAIN G9BF DE G2BF KN
• RYRYRY G2BF DE G9BF MY NR AGAIN IS 002 002 002
  002 002 HOW COPY? G2BF DE G9BF AR KN
• RYRYRY G9BF DE G2BF G2BF QSL QSL 73 AND GOOD LUCK
  IN THE CONTEST G9BF DE G2BF AR SK
• RYRYRY G2BF DE G9BF QSL 73 SK SK QRZ QRZ RSGB CC
  CONTEST DE G9BF G9BF G9BF G9BF G9BF G9BF AR PSE
  KKKKK AARRGGGGHHHHHHH

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Run mode the right way

• CQ DE G9AA K
• G2AA
• G2AA HI 599 001 001 G2AA K
• QSL 599 044 044 BK
• QSL QRZ G9AA K
• Nothing else is needed!

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RSGB CC Data Contests

• Short, BUT PSK is also needed
• N1MM caters for that with MMVARI
• Same Macros used
• Serial number unaffected
• PSK 31/63/125 possible
• USB for PSK
• Strategy needed

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Frequencies to avoid

• Avoid PSK-31 operations near28120, 21070,
  14070, 7070 and 3580
• Avoid the beacon frequencies21150 and 14100
• More details
• www.aa5au.com/gettingstarted/rtty_subbands.htm
  

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You are upside down!

• Figures vs. letters
• TOO599, PPQ001
• Upside-down
• Reverse Mark Space in software or if FT1000MP
  Reverse Normal
• REV button in MMTTY

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Hints and tips

• Audio DSP external filter
• Ergonomics of station
• When to call station
• Use ESM mode
• Call History lookup? Purists NO!
• Profiles
• 75 Bauds

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Hints and Tips

• RTTY is a 100 duty cycle mode caution!
• Practice
• During frequent RTTY contests
• Multi-Ops
• LoTW
• Join BARTG Our Golden Jubilee Year
• Awards, special QSLs and Plaques
• Join the N1MM reflector

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And finally.

• Advanced functions
• Cluster
• Bandmap
• SO2R?
• Logthenpop
• Cabrillo conversion and upload
• QRT to catch up with some sleep.
• G3JOC ( now SK ) after a heavy session at GB4ANT
  in our luxurious accomodation.

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G3JOC Catching some Zs