Second Generation Digital Products from AEA: PK-232 and DSP-232 (

Let's look at a couple second generation digital products used in Ham Radio from Advanced Electronics Applications (AEA, now www.timewave.com), the classic PK-232 and the now seldom-discussed DSP-232.
Subscribe: / davecasler . Ask Dave Playlist: goo.gl/inaQeB. Tip Jar: ke0og.net/tip-jar
To learn more about me, visit: www.dcasler.com/about/
Tip jar (on my website): www.dcasler.com/tip-jar/ (provides a method to use your credit card via PayPal, Also describes Patreon)
To pose an Ask Dave question: www.dcasler.com/ask-dave/ or www.ke0og.net/ask-dave/
To order the most recent and up-to-date Amateur Extra videos on a thumb drive: dcasler.com/aevids-on-stick/
Theme music is "Sour Tennessee Red," by John Deley and the 41 Players, courtesy KZbin Music Library.
I use drawings from OpenClipArt.org, including the "walking man"
Technician training videos, see www.ke0og.net/training/
General training videos, see www.ke0og.net/general/
Amateur Extra training videos, see www.ke0og.net/extra/
List of the Ask Dave videos, see dcasler.com/ask-dave/#askdavelist
Thanks to my sweet wife, Loretta, KBØVWW, for both audio and video assistance! (Her website is www.aldea-art.com.)
My primary website: www.dcasler.com
The ham radio part of my website (direct link): www.ke0og.net
My publishing website: www.mtsneffelspress.com, where you can find my fantasy and science fiction books, as well as some local history books I publish for the Ridgway Railroad Museum and the Ouray County Historical Society
My Amazon author page, which lists my print and Kindle books: www.amazon.com/-/e/B00471I0Q4.
I'm often asked what equipment I use to create the videos. The devices include the Panasonic DMC-G7 camera, Panasonic HDC-TM90 video camera, GoPro Hero2 HD camera, Tascam DR-05 audio recorder, Audio-Technica ATR-3350 lapel microphone, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W560 digital camera, the Kodak Zi-8 video camera, my iPhone 5S. Software used: CyberLink PowerDirector 17 on an HP Gaming Pavilion, also using Smoothdraw 4.0.5.0, FastStone Image Viewer 5.3, FastStone Capture 8.0, Audacity 2.1.1, LibreOffice 5.0.4.2, and Ink2Go 1.7.2. You can see how my studio is set up by viewing • Tips for Making Instru... .
Twitter: @dcasler

[@jimellison9414]

Yes Sir ... I ran the pk232 for YEARS... At the time it was a lot of fun. Everyday I would check the BBS'S and other places for equip... We had a digi group of right around 200 hams, the internet was slowly creeping in and about 2 years later the group was gone... AHHH the good ole days!!... but time moves on..

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Dave, That was a nice trip down memory lane. I had an AEA PK-64 for the Commodore 64 that I just passed on to KM9G. He has a KZbin Channel Temporarily Offline where he built a C64 using a new PCB. I sent him two C64's and a C128 along with some other accessories I had. He recently did an unboxing showing all the components I sent. Stay safe. 73 WJ3U

[@g1egz]

Yep, l used my commodore 64 with my 232 unit, and tohen went over to a amstrad 1640 dos only machine, now running it on a windows seven machine through a com port, still works, he doesn’t do a lot of research does he? lol

[@johng7rwf419]

Loving the potted histories Dave, takes me back to the early days of my career. Thank you for these bonus videos in these pandemic times...J

[@user-su5sq5ib3i]

I have a pk232 and love it and still use it everyday for packet.

[@jimgiordano8218]

Back in 1971 when I was in junior high school and had my novice license, we had a radio shack in the school with Swan equipment including a 2KW linier, a beam antenna with rotator. In the morning I would get in early and tune in the news on the AP, associated press, which was RTTY. We has an interface converter and a telex printer and I would receive and print out the news from that day and post it outside the shack. Great memories for a long time ago.

[@genetomblin2883]

Ships at sea used PK232's and the MFJ equivalent for years they were extremity useful for broadcast Weather in FEC mode as well as CW for traffic lists for coast stations.

[@ac8xu]

I still have my PK-232MBX. When The ISS had the packet repeater on board years ago I would make station to station packet contacts. Best pass I worked was three contacts. First contact was North Carolina, then Pennsylvania and finally Kansas, all from central Ohio. Two contacts per pass was common. Been thinking on some way of bringing it up and working again just for fun. And I still have the 5-pin receptacles that fit on the radio jacks in the back of the unit. Thanks for the post, missed talking to you at Hamvention this year. We spoke briefly by the W5KUB booth two years ago. Keep em coming. Jon AC8XU

[@g1egz]

Yep, still got mine, even got the psk 31 board for it,

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you for the radio history. I did some computer interfacing with laboratory equipment with a lot of help from techs and engineers. It was fun. Thanks again. N0QFT

[@hlbjoker]

Great video. I picked up the PK-232 and the PK-232MBX. Been trying to get one of them going but have not been able to. I am about to just scrap them both!

[@kv4atv]

Rather than solder to the pins for the radio connections, you can get the MOLOX connections on the internet or re-use an old cable from a computer that went to the DVD drive sound interface for music audio. Same thing and it fits the back of the PK232.

[@steverearwin6840]

1:00 I have PK-232 S/N 29506. The CPU is a Z-80. I believe the "232" refers to IEEE std. RS-232. Steve, W6SID

[@g1egz]

Those connectors that you say you can’t get are the five pin molex connectors, as well as the din plugs, and could also send Psk 31 with the interface board

[@brendandenney1184]

Im loving the ham history. Ive only had my license for a few years so this is all ancient tech.

[@borisnogoodnikbadenov5127]

Not really as these modems sometines are able to punch thru the noise and intermittence that their S/W based modems cannot.

[@w9gb]

Governments (US and foreign) have continued to use PK-232 technology (and Timewave was supporting). Lest Not Forget that the US Nuclear Systems we’re using 8 inch floppy drives and media - until recently (past few years). Yes, those agencies are slowly updating and replacing to DSP/Computer and AI-assisted.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

VERY interesting. I tried using digital modes years ago, got nowhere, eventually sold the unit. I can't recall what it was called or who made it.

[@timbacchus]

I still have the Robot 800 for RTTY and Cw. It also received and converted CW to a CRT.

[@davkdavk]

I have just started decoding morse off of a test CW frequency here. Fun piece of gear

[@glennoconnor2980]

My piece of vintage AEA is still running...APRS on a 25+ yr old, non-upgraded PK-900.

[@g1egz]

Yes , it does do Psk31 , if you bothered to look on the timewave site, l can do Psk31 with a board in the pk 232,

[@nickmoniker]

Are the devices you showed the same thing as a terminal node controller?

[@davecasler]

When used for packet, yes.

[@G7VFY]

It DECODES and SENDS MORSE code. There are firmware and DSP upgrades still available. The processor is a Zilog Z80 8bit microprocessor. The '232' refers to the RS232 interface on whatever computer you are using. G7VFY

[@G7VFY]

You can use it with vintage home computers from the 1980's and it was very popular with sailors for SAILMAIL and WEFAX

[@robertwalling9010]

The original PK-232 didn't come with Pactor, Amtor was the only Tor mode. But in 1993 I bought an adaptor from another company to allow Pactor. It had 2 new PROMs and a small PCB that plugged into the back of the 232. Worked great! :) And SCS does Pactor 2, 3, 4. Not packet 2,3,4 :) Love all your videos!

[@g1egz]

Yep, pactor was an eprom upgrade, along with the Psk31 board,

[@Bullworm562]

The old TNCs like the PK-232 and KAM are not completely obsolete. They can perform true ARQ connections. Soundcard interfaces are not able to provide ARQ connections with Pactor or Amtor. Software modems are able to do FEC Pactor/Amtor but not ARQ.

[@flashMXdesigner]

I have and enjoy a PK-232 MBX, got it for 40. and can log into local PBBS and monitor APRS. And, the mailbox is something that isn't done on your computer as far as I know. 73

[@mikeburch2998]

I'm going to get my PK-232MBX to work with a raspberry pi. So far it's working nicely using Coolterm in windows 10 but raspberry pi 4 is the goal. There is no real good reason for using this except it has a lot of nostalgic value to me. I had a lot of fun using it back in the late 90's.

[@davkdavk]

Mike, I use 'tio' as a serial program on my rpi to connect. Works good

[@902Steeler]

I just found one in a thrift shop for 5 bucks, has a sticker on the bottom that is stamped Aug 91'

[@michaelchambers7691]

There are connectors that will fit into radio1 and radio2 back ports. PK-232 is a pain in the neck with modern PC's that only have USB ports. A lot of times USB-Parallel adapters are made in China and are junk. I found me a desktower with Parallel and Serial ports.

[@w9gb]

YES, those Radio Connectors were MFG. in Chicago Area by Pancon (MAS-CON IDC). COVID-19 disrupted orders and production. Pancon was Acquired by Illinois Tool Works (ITW), now known as ITW Pancon. Newark Electronics was a large Distributor of these IDC Connectors.

[@alessandroconcas]

I still love this old equipment and in some circumstance work better then digital mode (mean like FSK vs AFSK); I want to upgrade to internal audio card and usb with daug board but waiting because I still use for some nostalgic reason my c64 with pk232 with vintage tube monitor with TSTHOST/FBB and try to RTTY too..73 de IZ3QVB

[@alessandroconcas]

Think in vid was a 232 MBX I series cause have color led, the standard version was all red

[@TalmidAndy]

Not really second generation technology. There were many steps between RTTY machines and the AEA equipment.

[@loctite222ms]

Sounds like if you have one that's not working, you might as well use it as a paperweight or doorstop.

[@borisnogoodnikbadenov5127]

Amateurish explanation ... little round conectors??? Try DIN.