Simultaneously Decoding a RTTY DX Station Operating Split and Its Pileup

WinWarbler incorporates two independent RTTY decoders: the MMTTY engine and the 2-Tone engine. If your transceiver includes a Subreceiver, you can connect the Main receiver's audio output to your soundcard's left input channel, and the Subreceiver's audio output to your soundcard's right input channel. If you then configure one engine to decode your soundcard's left channel, and the other engine to decode your soundcard's right channel, you can simultaneously copy a RTTY station operating split while tuning the pileup to determine where best to call. The 2-Tone engine is only used for reception, so the MMTTY engine's AFSK or FSK output alone will handle RTTY transmission. The instructions below assume that you've already configured WinWarbler for RTTY operation.

The Icom IC-7800's Main and Subreceiver audio outputs can be directed to backpanel ACC-A and ACC-B connectors via CI-V instructions contained in WinWarbler macros; the IC-7850 and IC-7851 also have this capability. This permits the definition of Simplex and Split Macros that switch between both engines decoding the Main receiver's output, and one engine decoding the Main receiver's output while the other engine decodes the Subreceiver's output. Separate Configuration and Operation instructions are provided for the IC-7800, IC-7850, and IC-7851 transceivers.

The Icom IC-7610's Main and Subreceiver audio outputs are routed to its built-in soundcard's left and right input channels. To exploit this, change the Windows Sound settings for the recording device from the default mono to stereo.

The DAX channels (virtual soundcards) provided by Flex 6X00 transceivers can also be configured to simulaneously decode a RTTY DX Station and its Pileup. See this RTTY Configuration and Operation section.

General Configuration

  1. On WinWarbler's Main window, set the Operating Mode panel to RTTY.

  2. On the RTTY tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window, check the 2Tone panel's enabled box;' the 2-Tone window will appear

  3. In the 2-Tone window, open the Setup menu and select Settings to display the 2Tone Settings window

  4. In the 2Tone Settings window,

    1. click the RX Right button beneath the Receive Settings panel

      a in the TX Operating Mode panel, click the AFSK TX button

    2. click the OK button

  5. On the General tab of WinWarbler's Main window, check the General panel's split frequency operation box

  6. On the RTTY tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window, click the MMTTY Setup button to display the MMTTY engine's Setup window

  7. In the MMTTY engine's Setup window, select the Misc tab

    • in the Source panel, click the Left button

    • click the OK button

General Operation

  1. click on the DX station's RTTY signal in WinWarbler's tuning display; the receive pane associated with the 2-Tone engine should display text decoded from this signal.

  2. place your transceiver in Split, and tune the Subreceiver to range of frequencies in which the DX station is listening.
    • when you click on a signal in the tuning display, the receive pane associated with the MMTTY engine should display text decoded from that signal
    • the receive pane associated with the 2-Tone engine should continue to display text decoded from the DX station while you tune the pileup
    • look for a pattern in the DX station's choice of frequency; locate clear spot near the next likely frequency, and transmit your callsign there

IC-7800 Configuration

The instructions below assume an Icom IC-7800, whose Main and Subreceiver audio outputs can be directed to backpanel ACC-A and ACC-B connectors via CI-V instructions contained in WinWarbler macros. The audio output in ACC-A is connected to the soundcard's left input channel; the audio output in ACC-B is connected to the soundcard's right input channel. The CI-V commands shown refer to the IC-7800's default CI-V address of 6A.

  1. Add the command <xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE01A05002400FD> to WinWarbler's RTTY startup macro

    • the FEFE6AE01A05002400FD command directs the IC-78XX to route Main receiver audio output to ACC-B

  2. Define a Simplex macro with these commands: <tunefreq: rx><xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE01A05002300FD><xcvrsplit: off><xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE007C0FD>

    • the <tunefreq: rx> command directs WinWarbler to display the Main receiver frequency in its tuning display (waterfall or spectrum)

    • the FEFE6AE01A05002300FD command directs the IC-78XX to route Main receiver audio output to ACC-A

    • the <xcvrsplit: off> command directs WinWarbler to direct Commander to configure the transceiver for simplex operation

    • the <xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE007C0FD> directs the IC-78XX to disable its Subreceiver

  3. Define a Split macro with these commands: <tunefreq: tx><xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE01A05002301FD><xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE01A05002400FD><xcvrsplit: on><xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE007C1FD>

    • the <tunefreq: tx> command directs WinWarbler to display the Subreceiver frequency in its tuning display (waterfall or spectrum)

    • the FEFE6AE01A05002301FD command directs the IC-78XX to route Subreceiver audio output to ACC-A

    • the <xcvrsplit: on> command directs WinWarbler to direct Commander to configure the transceiver for split operation

    • the FEFE6AE01A05002400FD command directs the IC-78XX to route Main receiver audio output to ACC-B

    • the <xcvrcommand: FEFE6AE007C1FD> directs the IC-78XX to enable its Subreceiver

  4. On WinWarbler's Main window, set the Operating Mode panel to RTTY.

    1. in the 2-Tone window, open the Setup menu and select Settings to display the 2Tone Settings window

    2. in the 2Tone Settings window, click the RX Right button beneath the Receive Settings panel, and click the OK button

    3. On the General tab of WinWarbler's Main window, check the General panel's split frequency operation box

    4. on the RTTY tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window, click the MMTTY Setup button to display the MMTTY engine's Setup window

    5. in the MMTTY engine's Setup window, select the Misc tab

      • in the Source panel, click the Left button

      • click the OK button

IC-7850 and IC-7851 Configuration

The instructions below assume an Icom IC-7850 or IC-7851, whose Main and Subreceiver audio outputs can be directed to backpanel ACC-A and ACC-B connectors via CI-V instructions contained in WinWarbler macros. The audio output in ACC-A is connected to the soundcard's left input channel; the audio output in ACC-B is connected to the soundcard's right input channel. The CI-V commands shown refer to the IC-785X's default CI-V address of 8E.

  1. Add the command <xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE01A05003100FD> to WinWarbler's RTTY startup macro

    • the FEFE8EE01A05003100FD command directs the IC-7850 or IC-7851 to route Main receiver audio output to ACC-B

  2. Define a Simplex macro with these commands: <tunefreq: rx><xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE01A05003000FD><xcvrsplit: off><xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE007C0FD>

    • the <tunefreq: rx> command directs WinWarbler to display the Main receiver frequency in its tuning display (waterfall or spectrum)

    • the FEFE8EE01A05003000FD command directs the IC-7850 or IC-7851 to route Main receiver audio output to ACC-A

    • the <xcvrsplit: off> command directs WinWarbler to direct Commander to configure the transceiver for simplex operation

    • the <xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE007C0FD> directs the IC-7850 or IC-7851 to disable its Subreceiver

  3. Define a Split macro with these commands: <tunefreq: tx><xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE01A05003001FD><xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE01A05003100FD><xcvrsplit: on><xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE007C1FD>

    • the <tunefreq: tx> command directs WinWarbler to display the Subreceiver frequency in its tuning display (waterfall or spectrum)

    • the FEFE8EE01A05003001FD command directs the IC-7850 or IC-7851 to route Subreceiver audio output to ACC-A

    • the <xcvrsplit: on> command directs WinWarbler to direct Commander to configure the transceiver for split operation

    • the FEFE8EE01A05003100FD command directs the IC-7850 or IC-7851 to route Main receiver audio output to ACC-B

    • the <xcvrcommand: FEFE8EE007C1FD> directs the IC-7850 or IC-7851 to enable its Subreceiver

  4. On WinWarbler's Main window, set the Operating Mode panel to RTTY.

    1. in the 2-Tone window, open the Setup menu and select Settings to display the 2Tone Settings window

    2. in the 2Tone Settings window, click the RX Right button beneath the Receive Settings panel, and click the OK button

    3. On the General tab of WinWarbler's Main window, check the General panel's split frequency operation box

    4. on the RTTY tab of WinWarbler's Configuration window, click the MMTTY Setup button to display the MMTTY engine's Setup window

    5. in the MMTTY engine's Setup window, select the Misc tab

      • in the Source panel, click the Left button

      • click the OK button

IC-78XX Operation

  1. Activate the Simplex macro created in step 2 above

  2. click on the DX station's RTTY signal in WinWarbler's tuning display; the receive panes associated with the MMTTY and 2-Tone engines should display text decoded from this signal.

  3. Activate the Split macro created in step 3 above, and tune the Subreceiver to range of frequencies in which the DX station is listening.

    • when you click on a signal in the tuning display, the receive pane associated with the MMTTY engine should display text decoded from that signal
    • the receive pane associated with the 2-Tone engine should continue to display text decoded from the DX station while you tune the pileup
    • look for a pattern in the DX station's choice of frequency; locate a clear spot near the next likely frequency, and transmit your callsign there

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Configuring WinWarbler for RTTY operation

Operating in CW, Phone, PSK, and RTTY

Getting Started with DXLab

RTTY_SplitDecode (last edited 2018-07-05 20:41:49 by AA6YQ)