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USER'S GUIDE
OPERATING MODES
PK232UG Rev. B 9/86
4-1
54
CHAPTER 4 – OPERATING MODES
4.1
General Information
Five modes of operation are available with the PK-232.
o
Morse Code
o
Baudot RTTY
o
ASCII RTTY
o
AMTOR
o
Packet-Radio
4.1.1
Morse Code
Morse continues to be foundation of amateur radio operation. The traditional Morse code
QSO is greatly improved by computer-based Morse operation. Messages formerly handled
manually can now be sent at much higher speeds, with greater ease of operation. Com-
puter-based Morse operation automatically creates and maintains a permanent record of
your Morse communications – a major advantage over manual operation.
4.1.2
Baudot RTTY
Computer-based Baudot operation is growing daily. The combination of the economical
personal computer and the amateur radio station opens new vistas of enjoyment and pro-
vides better methods of handling message traffic in the amateur radio service.
The Baudot/Murray code, also known as International Telegraph Alphabet Number 2, is a
five-bit asynchronous text transmission code for text or message transmission when you
don't need the full character set found in ASCII. The Baudot/Murray code is still the most
widely used RTTY in the amateur radio service in the world.
4.1.3
ASCII RTTY
The ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) code is also known as
International Alphabet Number 5. ASCII is a seven-bit asynchronous transmission code
used to send text or data traffic that requires a more complete character set than that
provided by older, less sophisticated Baudot code. The ASCII code is generally suitable for
any form of data transfer and is required for transmission of computer program listings
and executable or binary code files.
The PK-232 provides RTTY operation in the ASCII code at 110, 150, 200 and 300 bauds,
corresponding to approximately 100, 150, 200 and 300 words per minute (WPM).
4.1.4
AMTOR
The PK-232 provides AMTOR operation in accordance with FCC Part 97.69 and CCIR Re-
commendations 476-2/476-3, Mode A (ARQ) and Mode B (FEC) in normal, semiautomatic
and fully automatic modes.
AMTOR, an adaptation of the SITOR system used in high-seas ship telex, uses a unique
seven-bit synchronous code for error detection and error correction. AMTOR has been
widely used overseas since 1977 and is growing rapidly among U.S. amateurs who wish to
obtain almost error-free RTTY under the worst-case conditions found in HF radio.