ZS2EZ RTTY OPERATIONS
Ever since starting HF operation in 2005, RTTY has been a mode dear to me. It did not take me long to establish that RTTY was far more suited to DXing than PSK31 - although I still enjoy the occasional foray into ragchewing on PSK31, the quickfire DXing in RTTY has always appealed to me.
Having made a few RTTY contacts via the AO-40 satellite, running RTTY on HF was always high on my agenda when finally getting going on HF in 2005. Digital mode operation has been a major interest in Amateur Radio for me ever since beginning experimentation with WSJT on 50MHz back in 2001, and has become my primary method of operation since. I am equipped for most digital modes currently available, but RTTY comprises around 70% of my overall operation.
My RTTY DXCC totals have climbed nicely over the past few years. After my 2011 DXCC submissions, I am the highest-ranked ZS station in the ARRL's Digital DXCC Listings, with an official total of 256. I have a few unsubmitted confirmations, and current RTTY DXCC worked total is 267 (264 confirmed).
I have used a variety of software for RTTY, but have finally settled on WinWarbler, part of the brilliant DXLab Suite by Dave Bernstein AA6YQ. I use DXKeeper for my logging, and WinWarbler works beautifully in conjunction with DXKeeper, SpotCollector and Commander. WinWarbler makes use of the MMTTY engine (by far the best engine available for RTTY, and also used in N1MM Logger, RCKRTTY and Writelog contesting software).
Many of my RTTY QSOs have been made during RTTY Contests - see my RTTY Contesting page for more on my contest activities!
Recently my DXing emphasis has shifted to the WARC bands, and I regularly call CQ on 18.104, 24.925 and 10.143 MHz in RTTY. Skeds on any band are always welcome!
ALTERNATIVE RTTY DECODERS
I am always looking for ways to improve my RTTY setup, and have tried numerous alternative hardware to provide alternatives to soundcard operation. I own and have tried an AEA PK232MBX TNC, as well as a KAM Multimode TNC. Thanks to Mitch ZS2DK I have also had the opportunity to experiment with a Robot 400 RTTY Terminal (pictured below), but after seeing several postings on the RTTY Mail reflector praising the HAL DXP38 I began a search for one of these units. After several enquiries around South Africa, as well as web postings on the local SwopShop pages, it became evident that I was not going to find one locally
.
The Robot 400 Terminal
As I was planning to visit the Friedrichshafen 2011 convention, and my friend and colleague Donovan ZS2DL was attending Dayton Hamvention 2011, I put out an advertisement looking for a DXP38 on the RTTY Mail reflector. The first responses pointed me to the HAL website, where this model is still available new, at a price that was way out of my reach. Then came the kind of offer that certainly doesn't come around very often : I received an email from David K2DSL; he had acquired a HAL DXP38 at a fleamarket with no cables or software for $5. He had never even tried to power it up, and was prepared to give it to me for free - provided I arranged for ZS2DL to get it from him at Dayton! This was very quickly arranged with Donovan, and upon his return from the USA I very quickly collected my HAL DXP38!! A brief search of the junkbox soon located a power connector for the unit, and I connected a serial cable and fired up the HAL software (downloaded from their website)... to my delight the TNC initialised immediately. I then connected an audio cable from the TNC to the speaker output of my Kenwood TS-870S, and tuned to an RTTY signal... to my utter delight it started to decode!! To date I have not connected it up to transmit, but this will be done shortly. The most important part for me is that it receives perfectly!! I am really looking forward to trying this unit during the 2011/2012 contest season!
My eternal thanks to David K2DSL for his kindness in donating this unit to me!!
The HAL DXP38 TNC in use!!
For the morbid curiosity of those interested in such things, my band breakdown of DXCC entities worked/confirmed on RTTY is displayed below:
BAND |
WKD |
CFM |
80 |
12 |
10 |
40 |
90 |
84 |
30 |
93 |
89 |
20 |
224 |
213 |
17 |
138 |
123 |
15 |
173 |
168 |
12 |
120 |
104 |
10 |
112 |
96 |
LAST UPDATED 2 JANUARY 2012