Jim,
I hope Matt has a lot of success. Everyone has a different setup,
different expectations, and different degrees of tolerance for
aggravation.
Maybe someday there will be a one size fits all, plug and play kind of
thing that all blind hams can use with no fuss. Maybe Matt will be
the one to figure it out.
73, Steve KW3A
On 7/16/2015 9:44 PM, Jim Stanga wrote:
> Hi Steve,
>
> I for one am enjoying this thread.
> I have never used the digital modes.
> Not sure if I ever will but you and Matt certainly make it sound
> interesting!
>
> 73,--
> Jim
> WA5VYL
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Forst
> Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2015 6:16 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Digital Modes
>
> Matt,
>
> Playing the wav files has nothing to do with your interface or radio.
> you just play them from within the MMTTY program. It's just RTTY
> audio that the MMTTY software will decode and display on the screen.
> Then you can try all the various things to get your screen reader to
> read it. This is totally independent of your radio or interface. I
> had suggested trying this before spending money on the Signal Link, but
> as they say "Boat has sailed".
>
> Most modern rigs, including the 480 hav an RTTY mode, along with CW,
> LSB, USB, Am, and FM. You will hear the "R" as a mode selection as you
> toggle through the various modes. If set in this mode, you would
> send RTTY by FSK (frequency shift keying). This hard keys the radio
> and doesn't use the sound card for TX. This is the way I do RTTY with
> an old Rascal interface.
>
> Most hams are totally sound card for both RX and TX. This is what you
> will be doing with your SL interface. You will be sending all your
> digital stuff (including RTTY) by AFSK (audio frequency shift keying).
> Instead of the radio being hard keyed as in FSK, the sound card
> generates the tones and the radio is in LSB mode.
>
> Confusing huh? I'm sure others on the list are giving there delete
> key fingers a real workout on this thread.
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>
>
>
> 7/16/2015 5:55 PM, Matthew Chao wrote:
>> Hi, Steve. Got the mtty sound files. Won't be able to do anything
>> until my new toy comes in.
>>
>> Also, heard mention of an RTTY button on the TS480, but unsure of
>> what that does, if it's there. Ideas? Thanks.--Matt, N1IBB.
>>
>> At 04:45 PM 7/16/2015 -0400, you wrote:
>>> Matt,
>>>
>>> It's been a long time since I've used the Signal Link, since the 590 has
>>> it's own sound card. I did mention in a recent post how to get into
>>> the unit to install the header.
>>>
>>> It will come with a CD that has some digital software on it. Maybe
>>> something that interests you. The CD will also have docs and install
>>> info.
>>>
>>> I got mine back in 2007, but I remember it is an easy install. It
>>> will grab needed drivers from Windows. Once installed, you will go into
>>> windows audio devices and set some things following the instructions for
>>> the unit. Some things are set to 100 percent, so you have full control
>>> with the front panel knobs.
>>>
>>> 73, Steve KW3A
>>>
>>> On 7/16/2015 4:14 PM, Matthew Chao wrote:
>>>> Hi, Steve. Isolating the radio from the PC's sound card works for
>>>> me. Any special instructions for installing the interface? Is there
>>>> a special CD for doing this?--Matt, N1IBB.
>>>>
>>>> At 08:28 AM 7/15/2015 -0400, you wrote:
>>>>> Matt,
>>>>>
>>>>> If you have removed the little plastic cover from over the jacks, the
>>>>> one on the left is a 1/8 jack for external speaker, the one in the
>>>>> middle is a mini din for data (this is where the interface connects),
>>>>> and the one on the right is a mini din for connecting an amp.
>>>>>
>>>>> Without looking it up, I think the data jack is a 8 pin mini and the
>>>>> amp jack is a 6 pin mini. The amp jack also has the pin for FSK rtty,
>>>>> but that's not an issue if you are using the sound card to generate
>>>>> AFSK RTTY.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you go the Signal Link route, be sure to request the cable for the
>>>>> 480. It will have a square RJ type plug at one end for the Signal
>>>>> Link, and a small round mini din to plug into the radio.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you just want to test with an audio connection, you can use either
>>>>> the headphone jack or the external speaker jack to feed audio to the
>>>>> sound card in the pc. To keep from over driving the sound card you
>>>>> would set the radio volume way down and tweak with the pc's mixer
>>>>> controls. If you get the interface, the audio is routed via the usb
>>>>> cable to the interface and through the din connection to the radio.
>>>>> No need for an extra audio connection in this case. Once you've
>>>>> followed the installation procedure for the interface on the pc, all
>>>>> your audio in and out levels are controled via the front panel knobs on
>>>>> the interface.
>>>>>
>>>>> BTW, there are other interfaces oute there with a built in sound card,
>>>>> but the SL USB is well reviewed, reasonably inexpensive, and used by a
>>>>> few on this list. Of course with a radio like the 590, with it's
>>>>> built
>>>>> in sound card, an interface isn't needed, so mine is currently not in
>>>>> use.
>>>>>
>>>>> 73, Steve KW3A
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 7/15/2015 5:58 AM, Matthew Chao wrote:
>>>>>> Hi, Steve. Thanks for the info. How do I figure out which DIN port
>>>>>> to use on the 480? And would running a patch cord from the headphone
>>>>>> jack into the PC's input work? Thanks in advance.--Matt, n1ibb.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> At 10:04 PM 7/14/2015 -0400, you wrote:
>>>>>>> Matt,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The Signal link USB is nice. I have one and others on the list do as
>>>>>>> well. cheapham.com has it for $89 plus shipping. This price
>>>>>>> includes 1 radio specific cable to go from the unit to the radio.
>>>>>>> In
>>>>>>> your case, it will plug into one of the mini din jacks on the front
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> your 480. These are behind a little plastic cover that needs to be
>>>>>>> removed just to the left of the serial db 9 connector.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If you go the SL USB route (no matter where you get it) you
>>>>>>> should
>>>>>>> spend the extra $5 bucks or so and get the plugin module for the
>>>>>>> 480.
>>>>>>> The SL USB can be configured for a lot of radios, and comes with a
>>>>>>> bunch of little wire jumpers that need to be plugged into a header
>>>>>>> inside the unit. The optional, radio specific modules plug into
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> header as a single piece, instead of 8 little jumpers. When I
>>>>>>> got
>>>>>>> mine years ago, the modules weren't around, and I had to do the
>>>>>>> jumper
>>>>>>> thing. Not the end of the world, but spend the extra money and get
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> plug and play thing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The unit does have knobs on the front for audio in and out levels,
>>>>>>> as
>>>>>>> well as vox delay.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sorry you couldn't make any sense out of the articles on
>>>>>>> hamradioandvision.com I thought that seeing what other people are
>>>>>>> doing might give you pointers.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Before spending money on an interface, maybe just try some rx and see
>>>>>>> how it works. To receive, all you need is a audio cable between
>>>>>>> audio
>>>>>>> out of the radio, and line in on the pc's sound card. I know you
>>>>>>> want
>>>>>>> to work all modes, but maybe just pick one for starters. Download
>>>>>>> software for it and see if you can get the rx side to work. The
>>>>>>> biggest problems for digital operation by the blind are getting the
>>>>>>> signal tuned in, and getting your screen reader to speak out
>>>>>>> something
>>>>>>> that makes sense. If you can't make the rx work to your
>>>>>>> satisfaction you might be wasting your money on an interface.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I think the MixW software John uses isn't free, but has a free trial
>>>>>>> period. It never worked for me. MMTTY for RTTY and Digipan for psk
>>>>>>> are
>>>>>>> both free. In digipan, set the menu option to "use arrows for
>>>>>>> seek"
>>>>>>> and the arrow keys on the keyboard will jump between signals
>>> on the band.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 73, good luck, Steve KW3A
>>>>>>> On 7/14/2015 7:15 PM, Matthew Chao wrote:
>>>>>>>> Hi, Folks. Now that I've gotten my question answered regarding
>>>>>>>> splitting the sound card duties (Window-Eyes on one card, and
>>>>>>>> digital
>>>>>>>> mode on a USB card) I have a few questions.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1. Someone recommended a Tigertronics USB system to me to interface
>>>>>>>> with the radio. Does anyone know anything about this system?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 2. What software is likely to work best with Window-Eyes? I'm
>>>>>>>> interested in doing PSK31, RTTY, and JT65.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 3. I was up on the Web site recommended to me by one of you folks,
>>>>>>>> and only got totally confused on how to get digital modes going. I
>>>>>>>> think the site was hamandvision.com.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 4. Of all the digital modes, which one is the least difficult to
>>>>>>>> start with and grow?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sorry for all the questions, but this mode sounds interesting, and a
>>>>>>>> new challenge. Thanks in advance for your help.--Matt, N1IBB.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
>>
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