RTTY


Since I started with the hamradio hobby in 1995, (at that time as a CityBand-station) I'm interested in RTTY. RTTY means 'Radio TeleType' and it's a wireless telex mode. You can hear RTTY on several hamradio frequencies. It sounds like a continuous sound of 2 different tones. The speed is usually 45 or 50 Baud. It's not very quick, but I think it's a nice speed for reading the things you receive at the same time. In the older days, you had to have a noisy telexmachine, but now it's easy to decode the signal with a simple computer with a soundcard. A nice freeware program which runs under DOS is called Intercom by Pier, PA3BYZ. This software can be used with a Hamcom-modem or a soundcard. There's also a nice freeware program for Windows, which is called HamScope. Here in Holland, for example, you can receive RTTY on the 2 meter amateurband on 145.300 MHz. This frequency is also in use by Weit, PA3ESF on Sunday-evenings for his 'World Link RTTY Bulletin'