De facto standard for contest RTTY?

[K3GM]

Is there a combination of logging software, RTTY software, and interface that's a standard that every good contest station uses?  I would prefer N1MM Logger as the logging software.

[N0IU]

I use N1MM with the MMTTY engine. As far as the sound card interface, I built my own which was specifically designed for my radio. I use an Icom 756 Pro and the interface was designed by Bob Lewis AA4PB.

I don't think there are any particular interfaces that are designed specifically with contesting in mind.

Scott N0IU

[K3GM]

Seems to be a popular combo, Scott.  I also use a 756 P3.  As you know, the ACC1 DIN plug on the back appears to have all the necessary inputs for FSK and AFSK.  It would be nice if Logger and MMTTY had some hookup schematics and interface suggestions, but I've been unsuccessful in finding any.  I suppose it would be advantageous to use isolation transformers or some optical device between the PC and rig.  Thanks for the advice.  Tom K3GM

[NN4F]

I use N1MM with the MMTTY plug-in and run a Rascal interface to the FSK port on the back of a FT1000MP.

The two peices of software work well together and basiclly make the rtty contest a point and click operation as far as logging goes, load up the macros and you're all set. Worked great in last weekends WPX contest.

Paul - NN4F

[AD6WL]

Writelog and MMTTY plug-in is probably the most popular for serious contesters.  

N1MM and MMTTY plug-in is probably the most popular for budget minded ops.

Both are very good setups.  After using them both I like the Writelog/MMTTY combo better.

73, Jim
AD6WL

[5R8GQ]

I like my HAL DXP-38 with WriteLog software, rig
is the 756 PROII. Between the PRO's filters and the tuning LED's on the DXP-38 I can get "right exactly" on frequency, which makes the station I am calling hear me better.

[K4FX]

The N1MM and MMTTY is very popular, as is the 756 Pro series, N1MM is a super contesting logger, supports just about everything, you can also run SO2R if you have the hardware. Almost an unfair advantage :-)

I run the Pro II with a home brew FSK interface that can be found here http://www.aa5au.com/rttyinterface.html

Don's little 2 transistor deal works fantastic on FSK, I have to disagree with Tigertronics comments that AFSK is better than FSK, I have used both and there is no contest as far as which is better, also as the previous poster mentioned, with the ACC connector it's very easy to interface the 756 radios for RTTY, for about 5 bucks you can have an interface that rivals a 150 dollar Rigblaster Plus on FSK, add one wire with a couple of resistors and an isolation tranformer robbed off an old modem from the mod input on the acc to the sound card and you have an all modes as well as FSK and no worries of adjusting the mic gain between modes, etc, it's all in thru that ACC connector

Read Don AA5AU's review of the 756Pro III on his site, I think the Pro series is one of the better RTTY radios on the market, it has a lot of features especially for RTTY, like a built in rtty decoder (memory transmit on the P-III) and the twin peak RTTY filter, I went from a SDR-1000 to the Pro II and I love this radio better than anything I else I have owned, and it's as good on the other modes as it is on RTTY, you can get a Pro II for 1400-1500 and a used P-III for just over 2K.

One more thing, if you go with a 756 rig for contesting, you must have a PC interface, don't waste your money on an Icom CT-17 interface, there are many designs out there for Icom interfaces for very low cost, I recently built a direct copy of the CT-17 by ordering it part for part from Mouser, the parts cost including shipping was about 13 dollars!! I think the last price I saw on a CT-17 was well over 100 bucks!

I read somewhere that RTTY was the fastest growing mode in ham radio, you work a couple of contests and you will see why, it's a lot of fun and has been my most used more for the last 3 or 4 years, lotsa DX too!

Have fun

K4FX