RTTY

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RTTY

• Lets get started
• Mike, K4GMH
• k4gmh_at_arrl.net

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INTRODUCTION

• Where to find HF RTTY on your radio
• RTTY Code or what is all this noise about
• Interface between Computer and Radio
• Computer RTTY Software
• Sources of information
• RTTY Contesting

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WHERE TO FIND RTTY OPERATION
10 meters 28080-28100 KHz, during contests
28060-28150 KHz 15 meters 21080-21100 KHz,
during contests 21060-21150 KHz 20 meters
14080-14100 KHz, during contests 14060-14140 KHz
40 meters 7025-7050 and 7080-7100 KHz, during
contests 7025-7100 KHz 80 meters 3580-3600
KHz, during contests 3570 (or lower)-3600 KHz
160 meters No RTTY 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/getti
ngstarted/rtty_subbands.htm
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RTTY CODE
RTTY uses the 5-bit ITA2 code 5 bits means only
32 characters can be represented To get around
this there are two sets, Letters and
Figures Each set uses 26 characters plus 6 common
entries Letters mode A through Z (26 CAPITAL
letters) Ltrs shift, Figs shift, null, space,
carriage return, line feed Figures mode 0
through 9, various punctuation (26
characters) Ltrs shift, Figs shift, null, space,
carriage return, line feed Letters Shift and
Figures Shift latches which set displayed
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RTTY CODE
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MARK 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 (60 WPM)
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MARK AND SPACE
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INTERFACE OVERVIEW
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INTERFACE TYPES
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 should be
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 computer via
serial port or USB (through USB to converter) to
FSK input on radio.
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FSK vs AFSK
Why use FSK? Ability to use your CW filters in
most rigs Easier than AFSK to set up No need to
adjust audio drive Why use AFSK? If your rig
doesnt have an FSK input Same interface as
PSK31 Ability to use AFC
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FULL MODE INTERFACE
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SIMPLE FSK INTERFACE
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COMMERCIAL INTERFACES
There are many commercial interfaces with many
options Buxcomm Rascal Donners Digital
Interface Ham Radio Solutions EZMaster KK7UQ
Model II MFJ 1273, 1275, and 1279 MicroHAM
USB Interface II RigExpert Navigator Tigertronic
s Signal Link West Mountain Radio
RigBlaster ZLP Electronics - DigiMaster
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Computer Software

• Software for computer decoding received RTTY
  signal and
• generating RTTY signal for transmission (that I
  am familiar
• with)
• - MMTTY (http//mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/)
• - MixW2 (http//mixw.net/)
• - Ham Radio Deluxe w/ Digital Master 780
• (http//www.ham-radio-deluxe.com/)
• MMTTY RTTY only, but used with all major contest
  
• logging software. Free
• MixW2 includes most digital programs including
  CW
• (send/receive), SSB, SSTV, PSK, Packet (receive
  only),
• Olivia, etc. 50
• HRD/DM 780 PSK, SSTV, Olivia, etc. Free?

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MMTTY SCREEN
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MixW2 SCREEN
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SOURCES OF INFORMATION
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/rttymessage
s.htm) RTTY Tutorials - WriteLog, MMTTY,
software-generated FSK, Microham Microkeyer, etc.
(www.rttycontesting.com/tutorials/tutorials.htm) D
ownloads - 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/Getting20start
ed20on20RTTY.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/keyer.shtml) Und
erstanding FSK and AFSK (homepage.mac.com/chen/w7a
y/cocoaModem/More/Contents/part2.html) Using
MMTTY with FSK (mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/extfsk.
htm) USB-to-Serial Port Adapters
(www.rttycontesting.com/usb) N1MM Logger
documentation (pages.cthome.net/n1mm/html/English/
Help.htm)
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SOURCES OF INFORMATION
RTTY Discussion - Email reflector
(lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rtty) -
Searchable archives (lists.contesting.com/archives
//html/RTTY/) RTTY Background History of RTTY
(www.rtty.com) Other Article about RTTY
Contesting and SO2R (contestclubfinland.com/pileup
/pu4_06.pdf) 3.8 MB file
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RTTY CONTESTS

• First weekend in January ARRL RTTY
  Roundup
• Second weekend in February CQ World Wide RTTY
  Contest
• Fourth weekend in February North American QSO
  Party
• Third weekend in March BARTG Spring
  RTTY Contest
• First weekend in April EA RTTY
  Contest
• Second weekend in May A. Volta RTTY DX
  Contest
• Third weekend in July North
  American QSO Party
• Third weekend in August SARTG RTTY
  Contest
• Last weekend in September CQ WW RTTY DX
  Contest
• Second weekend in October BARTG RTTY Sprint
• Third weekend in October JARTS World
  Wide RTTY Contest
• Second weekend in November Worked All Europe DX
  Contest
• Third weekend in December OK DX RTTY Contest

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RTTY CONTESTING REFERENCES

• ARRL HF Digital Handbook www.arrl.org/catalog
• WriteLog for Windows http//www.writelog.com
• N1MM Logger http//www.n1mm.com/
• CocoaModem (MacOS) http//homepage.mac.com/chen/
  
• w7ay/Site/indes.html
• MMTTY http//mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/mmtty
• AA5AU RTTY Contesting http//www.rttycontesting.
  com

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