Hi Peter (VK6HP).
Thanks for your informative reply. Since the statue-of-limitations is long behind me now, I will, for the very first time, own up to the fact that I never used a Collins crystal "novice adapter" when using my Dad's (K1RAW) Collins S-Line while he was in Vietnam in 1966-67. There, I feel better now, hi. I'll will also never forget my very first CW contact as a Novice, with a ham in Alabama (my QTH was in Massachusetts) and his futilely trying to explain to me to use "DE" instead of "this is" numerous times. I was 11 years old back then and it took awhile for DE to sink in, but I swore after that I was going to learn the ins-and-outs about ham radio before doing something foolish like that again. This is why I'm taking a cautious approach before jumping headfirst into digital, to hopefully avoid as K0UA has correctly said, "rookie" mistakes.
One of my concerns was transmitting out-of-band, so RF frequency is important to me. Many rigs, such as my IC-7300, has the ability to prevent out-of-band transmission. My Yaesu FT-911A, however, apparently does not, and will only provide a flashing TX led when xmitting out-of-band. Will this ever be a problem? I don't know. But the established 80M CW-RTTY-DATA Band Plan extends down to the 3.5 MHZ band edge and the possibility exists. Hence, my thinking that having some RF Transmitting Frequency reference may be of value. Especially if I'm up way beyond my bedtime at 2am and imbibing in a great Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Hmmm, now that I think about, these automated computer digital modes maybe just the ticket and go hand-in-hand with my other favorite pastime, hi...! See Peter, you'll never know what you'll learn from Elmers! It just troubles me that it took me so long to catch on...
On a more technical side, I have noted a few things that seem odd to me when using WSJT with my FT-991A.
A. After transmitting into a dummy load something is changing my selected USB-DATA mode to the RTTY-DATA mode.
B. After transmitting into a dummy load something is changing my selected 3.573 frequency to another frequency.
Does anyone have a clue what may be causing this to happen? Perhaps I should be using the USB mode?
And please advise me if these issues are better placed in either a new or different thread.
For W1VT: I'm confused by your last sentence. Do you mean using "digital detection" to digitally detect, analyze, and translate FT-8 audio, etc., within our PC's? Isn't that what we are doing now? Or do you mean something different? I'm not trying to be some smart ass here but sincerely trying to learn. Tx
Thanks again to all who have replied.
Bob K4SSS