RTTY on the Teletype Model 28 KSR

Decoding the ARRL digital bulletin transmission on December 7, 2017 on the Teletype Model 28 KSR.
For more about this station, see kb8ojh.net/station/ and kb8ojh.net/station/teletype/.

[@stephenr.hendrickx1601]

One of the most beautiful sights and spunds we have, thanks fopr this!!

[@cw7422]

I used all models of TYYs in the Navy from 1973-1995.

[@denniscorcoran6391]

tks for posting…will show to the grandchildren as I was a Tty repairman in the Navy and New England telephone company…they might be interested….still have my miniature tools…

[@kevinbrouelette6361]

That's so cool. I ran offset printing presses for 25 years and I still love the old school mechanical stuff and what it can do.

[@drborn63]

Ethan. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I was a 306x1 in the Air Force from 1981-1992. Repairing Model 28's was one my jobs for quite a few years until they were phased out around 1990. Your videos on the Mod 28's bring back so many memories.

[@johnanderson8046]

Wasn't 306X1 DSTE maintenance? Or did they combine that with 363X0?

[@drborn63]

​@@johnanderson8046 John, you are absolutely correct. Teletype was 306x6. I went back and checked my DD-214 to verify. DSTE was indeed 306x1. If my memory serves me correct, and I am old now so it may not, they integrated with crypto maintenance.

[@johnanderson8046]

@@drborn63 You're not alone. I'm old now too!

[@polarstar]

I was teletype also, and we ended up integrating support with both DSTE and Crypto @@drborn63

[@johnanderson8046]

I was a teletype technician in the Air Force back in the 70s. Worked mostly on Model 28s which were very reliable even in heavy use. Ironically, as a ham I never got into RTTY.

[@cannong1728]

Hats off to all your old school RTTY guys....keep the flame alive. I inherited a ASR-33 from my elmer back in the '80's but with college, grad school and life in general, never got it up and going on the air. Eventually sold it...like so many other things, regret!

[@Greywolf3]

In the mid-1970’s I had the Model 28ASR with the HAL terminal unit and Collins 75A4 receiver. I used them for both ham RTTY contacts and printing the latest news from the wire services which transmitted on HF frequencies. w0xs

[@dentron9885]

I just got a Model 28 KSR and HAL ST-6 along with so much other equipment from an estate. This thing sat in a shed for probably 60 years, but its complete and needs throrough restoration. Its gonna be a lot of work, but I will bring it back to life.

[@EthanBlanton]

Good luck! They're complicated but ultimately logical machines.

[@WASRT001]

I used to repair those in the 80's and early 90's. What a pain. LOL.

[@awiles79]

I will be picking one of these up soon and can’t wait to get it up and running! Thanks for the video. Hope to see you post some additional videos

[@markhall7646]

Great video Ethan! Keep them coming!

[@EthanBlanton]

Thank you! I have a few queued up, just have to find the time!

[@gw4fokwales113]

Good job Ethan 👏👏👏 Judging by some of the previous comments below there’s a few OTs, here, like me, who have enjoyed this video and who will probably recall the past use of transmitting RYRYR and TQBF for R T T Y testing purposes.

[@johnsimmons7806]

Had a 28ASR geared at 100WPM with a UT-4 which changed the incoming 60WPM (45 baud) to the speed of the 28. Also changed the outgoing speed from 100 to 60 WPM. Was really cool to watch. Loved working on the air with the 28. Wish I still had it as I loved the sound, smell and rhythm of the mechanical stuff.

[@LarryYaw]

Working awesome Ethan. You need a R-390a receiver to go with it!

[@EthanBlanton]

Some day!

[@cw7422]

When typing messages you always used 2 carriage returns and 1 line feed to accommodate the time it takes for the type box return to the left edge of the paper roll.

[@user-ky2it8qc5k]

I love it!!

[@davemitchell116]

I used RTTY teleprinters (Model 15 & 19) both on Ham radio and at my job (broadcast newsroom), from the mid 60s to the mid 80s. I would suspect that since radio and TV stations and networks as well as the military, no longer use teleprinters, that ribbons and paper must be very expensive and hard to find. Of course, that's what happens when demand is greater than supply.

[@EthanBlanton]

Ribbons for the 28 aren't bad because the common Underwood ribbon and spool are compatible. For units with low clearance (like the LPR tape punch), the new manufacture plastic spools are problematic, but for the tipping unit even those are fine. Paper is more troublesome.

[@leonvanderlinde5580]

If you have a Siemens Elmux on both sides, you have excellent forward error correction.

[@bborkzilla]

I was given a Model 32 back in the 80's, which I used with a homemade XR2211 demodulator from QST and my R-4C. Great receiver, lousy demodulator - I sure envied the guys who could afford an ST-5000! :)

[@EthanBlanton]

The ST-5000 sure does seem to do an admirable job, even by my modern sensibilities. Homebrew is great, though!

[@slippery396]

Can you tell me the numbers on the junction board I can use for the input on the Model 28 ?

[@denelson83]

Do you do regular maintenance on that teletype so nothing within it breaks down?

[@EthanBlanton]

It was designed for continuous service with maintenance intervals on something like a semi-annual period, so in service a few total hours per month/year, it needs very little. Lubrication does gum up and dry out, so I occasionally wipe things off and drop a but of oil here and there. I have no meaningful maintenance schedule, however.

[@taxidepotinc5823]

Wondering if someone will buy my Teletype

[@KG84C]

75" clutch gaps!

[@richardhaas39]

From memory a bidrec gap was 30 thousandths on an inch. Where "bidrec" was an acronym for BI-Directional REgenerative Clutch. If you cannot achieve this measurement replace the shoes. If you still cannot replace the drum.

[@demizer1968]

If you feed that “low signal” into the 28 it will decode it just fine.

[@spakkajack]

why are you poking a metal screwdriver around it

[@EthanBlanton]

I'm not sure I understand the question. It's mechanical, not electrical, if that helps. If you're worried about the pointer hitting moving parts, that's probably camera perspective, there's clearance.