PK-232 MBX – OPERATING MANUAL BAUDOT AND ASCII OPERATION
8/91 6-7 84
Number 2 (ITA #2) must be used by U.S. stations when operating RTTY. This corresponds
to the CODE 0 command (default), but you may want to see the CODE command for
more information on what your PK-232 is capable of.
6.5.11 Copying Encoded RTTY Transmissions
In the Short Wave bands many RTTY stations can be found that are not transmitting in
plain text. Most of these stations are using sophisticated encryption techniques that make
receiving them almost impossible. There are a few stations however that use a relatively
simple bit-inversion technique to make them hard to copy. For these stations, the PK-232
has included the BITINV command to allow the SWL to decode these simple forms of en-
coded RTTY stations.
6.6 ASCII RTTY Operation
ASCII RTTY operation is almost identical to Baudot operation but there are a few differences
you must know. Because the ASCII code uses seven bits to define a character (instead of
the five bits used in the Baudot/Murray code), the probability of receiving errors is some-
what higher. For these reasons, ASCII is not used widely on the HF amateur bands. How-
ever, some commercial and military HF stations do use ASCII.
6.6.1 Starting ASCII Operation
First you must enter the ASCII mode of the PK-232. If you are using an AEA PAKRATT
program, follow the instructions in the program manual to enter the ASCII mode.
If you are using a terminal, simply type ASCII or AS from the Command Mode followed by
the <Enter> key to enter the ASCII mode. The PK-232 responds by displaying the pre-
vious mode:
Opmode was BAudot
Opmode now AScii
Your PK-232's front panel will show the CMD and ASCII LEDs lit.
The following parameters are the most common settings for HF ASCII operation. Check
the parameters and make sure they are set as follows:
ABAUD 110 (or whatever speed you wish)
RXREV OFF
TXREV OFF
WIDESHFT OFF
Some VHF Bulletin Boards and MSOs use ASCII at 110 and 300 bauds, most commonly on
two meters.
6.6.2 ASCII RTTY Operating Tips
Follow the general operating procedures shown in the sections above for Baudot RTTY. As
in Baudot operation, you can step the system through all the available receiving speeds.
The following "Function Keys" and immediate commands are included for ASCII RTTY op-
erating convenience.
Immediate Commands From the Command Mode:
To Next Page
Loading...