{"id":1425,"date":"2015-12-20T06:07:33","date_gmt":"2015-12-20T11:07:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/?page_id=1425"},"modified":"2025-07-17T06:03:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T11:03:57","slug":"rtty-operations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/?page_id=1425","title":{"rendered":"Computer Generated Digital Modes"},"content":{"rendered":"

RTTY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

My first adventure into RTTY was short lived many years ago with an Apple IIe and an AEA CP-1 Computer Patch Interface. Since DXpeditions appear to select RTTY as their digital mode of choice (up until now – FT8?), I kept revisiting the use of the mode. After trying RTTY with some success using the K3 in the “RTTY paddle” mode I explored the use of my shack computer with RTTY. I started by using the Signalink USB interface. I went this route instead of using the home-brew interface from my PSK31 days (in the early 2000’s) because my current laptop does not have a user friendly I\/O configuration. In late June 2016 I upgraded my K3 with the\u00a0KIO3B Interface Option. This eliminated the need for an outboard interface and I run digital modes through the USB port on my Shack laptop. Someday I would like to transition to true FSK.<\/p>\r\n

The software I am currently using for RTTY is WinWarbler (a component of the DXLab suite rapped around MMTTY).<\/p>\r\n

All I hear on RTTY is DX chasing and Contests. That is okay with me as I am a weak typist, so Rag Chewing is out of the question. It appears RTTY will only have limited use in the future because to date I have not been much of a contest operator and with my power levels and antennas CW has proven to be the better mode for DX.<\/p>\r\n

FT8\/4<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Soapbox:\u00a0 <\/strong>Everyone weighs in on these modes so here I go. A clarification: with my current setup (antenna and power levels) with very little chance of improving, SSB is almost unusable, and I struggle at times to make CW contacts.\u00a0 FT contacts are not very easy for me to make either.\u00a0 I only call DX stations on the FT modes, but will occasionally send CQ to confirm the system is working as PSK Reporter does not tell the whole story.<\/p>\r\n

First, FT8\/4 are real Ham Radio modes.\u00a0 Second, they are very efficient modes. Maybe the most efficient available for general use today.\u00a0 With that out of the way, I sincerely hope FT modes are not the only modes available to me into the future.\u00a0 If so, my For Sale page will contain my whole station. I first noticed this on six meters and now on other bands as well. Strong signals, for example on 40 meters, only a few states away working each other without learning even just a little bit about each other, only a computer generated signal report and the other stations four digit grid locator. Where is the fellowship and sharing of ideas? I can not attest to SSB, but in my world the FT modes have reduced CW activity within my station\u2019s range.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Conversation Digital Modes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

PSK31<\/strong>:\u00a0 For several years back in the early 2000\u2019s PSK31 was my main operating mode where I worked DX (typing ability was not much of an issue).\u00a0 The mode was revisited in 2021 and again in 2024, but increased use of the PSK31 will most likely not amount to anything as my typing skills are lacking (they have not improved over the years).\u00a0 Perhaps working DX on the mode helped spark my strong interest in DXing (later dominated by CW).<\/p>\r\n

Olivia<\/a>:\u00a0 This mode is a multi-frequency shift keying mode and comes in several flavors.\u00a0 That includes a combination of band widths and tones generated.\u00a0 The mix determines the effectiveness and what is important to a poor typist is the WPM the data is being sent.\u00a0 I find very few stations on this mode and as with all my operations so many of the stations I do hear cannot hear me. \u00a0 Time will tell if Olivia gets much use at K4DS.<\/p>\r\n

Others<\/strong>:\u00a0 There are many other conversation digital modes.\u00a0 Other than one contact on MFSK-16 (by accident) I do not have experience on the other modes.\u00a0 If I find another slow WPM mode I may give it a try.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RTTY My first adventure into RTTY was short lived many years ago with an Apple IIe and an AEA CP-1 Computer Patch Interface. Since DXpeditions appear to select RTTY as their digital mode of choice (up until now – FT8?), I kept revisiting the use of the mode. After trying RTTY with some success using\u2026 Continue Reading ‘Computer Generated Digital Modes’<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1425","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1425"}],"version-history":[{"count":59,"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4066,"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1425\/revisions\/4066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wa2bsw.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}