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Re: [RTTY] Clipped calls

To: peter.jackson17@ntlworld.com
Subject: Re: [RTTY] Clipped calls
From: Kok Chen <chen@mac.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:43:23 -0800
List-post: <rtty@contesting.com">mailto:rtty@contesting.com>
On Nov 11, 2013, at 10:15 AM, peter.jackson17@ntlworld.com wrote:

> Its on incoming calls  ie: KNU (sometimes &KNU) 599 001 001 G3KNU.

Does this happen primarily with especially strong stations?

If so, the AGC can have something to do with causing the first start bit (and 
perhaps more bits if the AGC attack time is slow) to be erroneously decoded.  
That error then propagates for 1 to 4 characters before proper character synch 
is recovered.

Future modems should do better by making use of pseudo-synch properties of 
RTTY, you should at most lose the first character -- the sync error will not 
propagate.

For now, you might check to see if your sound card clips at the onset of a 
strong signal.  If so, back off the gain to the sound card -- it should never 
clip, even when AGC is slow to pull the gain back.  Depending on the dynamic 
range of your sound card, reducing the sound card gain might prevent the really 
weak signals from decoding -- thus the reason why I used 24 bit sound cards 
during my superhet days.

Check also that you are using moderately fast AGC (or at least fast attack 
AGC).  The best is to not use any AGC at all -- but that is only really 
practical with SDRs (my own SDR software sends AGC audio to the aural channel 
for monitoring, but sends linear non-AGC audio to the modem).

73
Chen, W7AY

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