away and not have to worry about whether what you send as English comes out lOOking AEA PK-232 PAKRATT like Serbo-Croatian on the other end. The PK-232 treats ASCII as a separate byParyDollltam KW/O Advanced Electronic Appl ications, Inc, PO Box C-2160 mode, Speeds supported are 45, 50, 57, 75. Lynnwood WA 98036 100,110,150,200. and 300 baud . Price class: $320 • AMTOR-This little-understood mode should gain some popularity with the introduc tion of the PK-232. since the PAKRATT makes - Number 10 on your Feedbil"k card it so easy to use. n's a bit complicated at first (there are a lot of obscure names for the differ • WOyears ago, when AEA came out with A ten-segment LED tuning display makes it ent phases of operation) , but the AEA manual T the PK-64 PAKRATT'" for the Com very easy 10 net stations in on Any. The leads you fhrough an AMTOR OSO step by modore computer, many of us began to won display is like a tiny spectrum analyzer which step. down 10 telling you which keys to press der when we'd see a PAKAATT for a generic lets you look at the mark and space frequen and when to press them. I think that part of fhe machine. I think there was quite a bit of envy, cies 01 the Any signal-with a little practice challenge of AMTOR IS just figuring out how to too, as the non-C-64 owners saw how much you can jump right on top of a station and even talk with someone! fun it was to have a complete station controller tell what shift is being used. For the purist, an • Morse- The PK-232 deals very well with run from the keyboard. Finally, there's some oscilloscope output is provided on the rear Morse sent from 5 to 99 wpm. The manual relief. AEA's PK-232 is designed 10 interface panel. warns you not to expect miracles when trying with any computer having an AS·232 port. to copy a poor fist, but I found the decoding And , maybe to make up for the long wait , the Modes algorithm to be pretty forgiving. There's a fea PK-232 is a classier unit. The PK-232 handles just about every digital ture tha t sends BTs as filler characters, which The PAKRATT concept is this: AEA decided mode available to amateur radio operators. I found a little annoying, I've always consid to put all of ham radio's digital operating Modes are selected from the keyboard; it ered Morse keyboards to be a little silly. and modes into one station controller. The PK-232 takes only a lew keystrokes to jump from one this one is no different. but I must say that I will run Morse, Baudot RTTY, ASCII, AMTQA, to another. Each mode defines special keys to was impressed by the 232's ease of use , If and packet; all modes are selectable from the perform certain functions-you can lurn your you're into CW keyboards, YOU'll definitely like keyboard. All you have to do is plug a comput transmiller on and off with Controt-x and Con this one. er into the 232, run a cable over to your rig, trcl-D, for example. The software folks at AEA •Packet-I have to admit that I consider the and you're on the air! spent a little time thinking about the codes 10 PK-232 to be a TNC that happens to have use, and as a result you'll find yourself quickly RTTY , AMTOR, and CW stuck in on the side . Front Panel remembering which totters do what. The 232 is a complete AX 25 level 2 TNC, and The first thing that you'll notice about the • RTTY- Typing "BA" from command mode you can pick either version 10 or version 2.0. PK-232 is the front panel and its twenty LEOs. will give you a full RTTY system. The unit will Up to ten multiple connections are available The display is grouped into two sections: handle Baudot code at five standard speeds: for those who tend to be slightly schizo, STATUS and MODE. Everything that you need to 45,50,57,75, and 100 baud (60, 66, 75,100, phrenic. know about your operation is right here. MODE and 132 wpm), selected by the ABAUD com One of the best features is a complete set of LEOs show not only the five basic modes, but mand. One blessing is the unshitt-on-space MONITOR commands which let you keep also the "sub-mode" (FEC, ARQ, or listen) on feature which forces a switch to letters when a track of who 's on the channel, what path AMTOR. STATUS LEOs keep you in touch with space is received. This comes in especially they're using, and what time they're on (using what your transmitter is doing, what state the handy if you're copying things like news re the built-in clock). You can also filter out sta PK-232 is in, whether or not you 're connected ports that have times and dates in them on a tions that you'd rather not see on the screen, to another station, and so on. In a glance you less-than-perfect channel. Sometimes the such as crazies who beacon every 10 seconds can see exactly what's going on in the shack. machine will read the shift to numbers but or BBSs spewing out last week 's propagation Two rigs can be attached 10 the PK-232; the miss the shift back to letters. Without UOS you bulletin. Speaking of beacons, the PK-232 will RADIO lIRADIO 2 switch selects which of them is can end up with a few yards 01 nothing but let you know if it thinks you're beaconing too active. Wiring in both a VHF and an HF numbers on your printout. often! (I think thaI if should display the "bea transceiver gives you great flexibility of Another neat feature is the CCIT command coning too often" message any time a beacon choice; the VHF and WIOESHIFT commands which automatically translates characters into is turned on.) let you pick the appropriate tone pairs for op the International Telegraph Alphabet Number You can switch very quickly from VHF to HF eration on HF or VHF. 2 used by many OX stations, You can type packet just by hitting the RAOIO llAAOIO 2 button and selectinq the appropriate tone pair; it takes about 10 seconds.
Overall Heathkit I was impressed with the PK-232 . As I men tioned, I would buy it primarily as a TNC and HS-148 Compact PC Heath Company Justify the added expense by using the other Dept. 150-815 modes now and then. You could, I suppose, Benton Harbor MI 49022 Ill' Perri" DOl/ham KW/O buy it as a ATTY TU and use it on packet and .. Price class: $900 CW now and then. The big selling point is that you get all five modes right at your fingertips Number 11 On your Fa&dback card out of one small box, You can't go to a hamtest anymore without As the price 01 clones falls, it gets to a point The unit is built with the usual AEA attention seeing at least two companies sell ing IBM PC where lt's just silly not to buy one. Why spend to quality and I expect it to run practically compatibles. This year's Dayton Hamvention several hundred dollars on a C-64 with a moni forever. I didn't have any trouble at all with had six! Hams are buying up these uruts faster tor and drives when for a few hundred more interference to or from the computer. than surplus HTs; I have the feeling that the you can pick up a computer that's IBM-com If you have any interest at all in using digital days 01 the VIC-20 and C-64 are numbered. patible and comes with 360K drives and 256K modes on ham radio, I would strongly recom The reason that these units are selling in of RAM? mend buying the PK-232 , Reader Service such volume is the price/performance ratio. The real question, then, is where to buy your number 214 .• 22 73 Amateur Radio • December, 1986 computer. I spent several months wandering ing memory 10 640K is extremely simple-you the hamfests, observing seedy-looking sales just plug the memory in and set a lew DIP man handing out mimeographed information switches to teurne processor how much RAM sheets. The prices were fine , but somehow I to expect. It«ikes about three minutes.! would didn't believe that I would get much support ill suggest not buying extra memory from Heath. ever needed help. Then one day I wandered I hate to keep knocking Heath eoc-ene. but ROOF TOWERSI into the Heath booth. they lend to be a bit pricey (their 256K RAM sets are sao, white you can pick up the same A size to fit your needs Heath 's HS-148 parts at Jameco lor about $30). If you're not 6 ,10, or 15 ft. Heathkit sells several PC-compatibles. I ccrntortable mucking arouncl inside a comput erose one on the low end of the scale since I er, spend the extra bucks and get Heath's OR" Competitively Priced au"er" . really didn't need coprocessors, multitasking, excellent instructions and support. Only from your and networking. The HS-148 kit seemed to CREATE dealer perfectly lill my requirements for a Iow-cost, Operation multipurpose machine that would let me do Once things were all logether, I raced word processing, programming (in languages through the diagnostics and grabbed Micro Galvanized Steel otherthan Basic), and would have the ability to Soft's Flight Simulator off the shell. I figured Bracing and Hardware control the shack. that if the HS-148 could run this, it could run The basic HS-148 comes standard with anything! I managed 10 fly right into the Statue Di st. by ". 167 256K of RAM (expandable to 640K), one 360K of Uberty with no problem.Some 01 the pack ORION HI·TECH half-height disk drive, a monochrome monitor, ages I've run are WordStar, SideKick, and the MS-DOS operating system. The key. CrossTalk XVI, and the Perfect series of inte P.O. Box 8 771 , board is full-size (including 10 function keys) grated software, all with no hitches. Calabasas, CA. and has an excellent feel. Both composite 9 1302 monochrome and AGB video are supported, I'm Happy and one parallel and one serial port are I've been extremely pleased with Ihe HS brought to the back panel. 148 computer. Assembly was a snap (literal THE RF CONNECTION The processor is an BOBB te-en CPU run ly!), and the thing has run flawlessly from the " SPECIALIST IN RF CONNECTORS AND COAX " ning at 4.7 or 8 MHz. A front-panel switCh lets first time I powered it up. It's laster than my p_n I'lo. DHcripllOtI ..... IBM PC, and smaller and lighter, too. I like the ~."..". IN'.... P!oenDk. USA ...... you select the clock speed ; so far I've toggled IlJlsP·IOSO PL·:159P!oenDk ...... rs ~ .'" t04.7 MHz only once, to see how much slower keyboard a lot (better, I think, than the IBM's 8Ull PL·:159 rollan. u s things ran (noticeably slower). There's a spot and infinitely better than Leading Edge's), and I'\·~T LH ....5Ihe' Tfb. USA lG175 Re<1.a:< tor FIG-!iIl '" lor an 8087 numeric coprocessor, and Heath the display is sharp. It runs every scrap 01 UG-116 IleO.ar Iolr FIG-~ ,_8 "" offers the chip as an option for $285. I can't software I've fed it without blinking. UG-21l)\J "_FlG-8,213. 21 4. ~OOI 295 think 01 many applications that need the extra The documentation is about as heavy as Ihe lG21BIU 'l IIaIeRG-8 213. 21 4. "'-'Is 3.15 9913/P1'l ...... p.., Iolr 991 3. 9086. 8214 number-erunching capability, especially in a computer and verycomptete. You also get a f«$ OG-2HllU ' UG-2 1BIU 'I', I .SO berne environment. set 01 docs lor MS-OOS. There's more stuff in UG-21M913 'lilalt tor FlG-8 " om 9913p.., 3 95 lG21l1i99 13 .. 1Ia" fOl" flG.ll " 11l 9913p.., US All 01 the cabling for drive B is in the kit. these books than you'll ever want to know. UG-14&l.i .. "lole ta SQ.2 39, Te1lonUSA S 00 Heath's second drive retails for $200: I sug Is it worth Ihe extra hundred or so dollars to UG-83IU "FemII~ toPL· 259 . T enon USA ~ OO gest buying one mail-order for half the price buy a clone from Heath? I think it is. First, I WE BUY ~"D SEl l ~Ll TYPES Of CONfoj eC TOfIS Rr -CIRC UlAR -DAT~ ,..1 15 (Jameco has one for $1 09). As long as the Irust Heath's quality control. I've built several drive is PC-eompatible you should have no Heath kits and have had no trouble whatsoev THE R.F. CONNECTION 213 North Frederick Ave, #11 trouble-just bolt it down and plug it in. er with them. Second, I know that if something Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Wherever you get it, it's well worth the extra goes wrong, I can can Heath on the phone and price lor the second drive. they'll help me. They have peopl e whose job it (301) 840·5477 PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE SHIPPING There are no expansion slots on this mao is 10 do thaI. Finally, I can join Heath's User's PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE chine. You've gol the built-in parallel and seri Group and gel access to cheap software! VISA. MASTERCARD. OR C,O.D. al ports to work with, but if you need more than Heath's Christmas catalog has the HS-148 uPS C.O.D_ ADD $2.00 PER OROER that you'll have to buy the ZA-141 Daughter and all of me accessories in it; you can get Board for $99. This unit is installed above the a copy by writing to Heath Company, Dept. tIICfIOW...'iE OOOOUUS TJU.HSVEllTEl'l ""'""' 2i&'1 UG 1;>96.,-...,...... 2VI' GAASF'£T IIJ8I IIQ board and allows the use 01 one additional 150-815, Benton Harbor MI 49022, or check MIlfT~ <32-03_._. '010 ~ .....r22llf.!&.S 22O-225IIIlO.I. -. ' 000 $24iI plug-in board (a standard PC has seven ex Reader Service number 215.• .....T .~ ' _' _._.~, 0llU pansiOn slots). I have a couple of appliCations ~ ~ .....7~ -.....u.* .2000 , that require joysticks, so I'll probably encl up "9'_"'".... I30lI using the ZA-141 in conjunction with the PCS ts8 ElECTROMC 71lANSVERTlIIS """EA_ lTZJS ';>96.' _ 1000.GAASF'£T s.t79 110 Game Port ($69.95). ,:;=::o~. lT33S \10:1.--. , '000. GMSF£T s.t79 ... :; .. v • - MCAOUNE '3 ~Kl. ' ,0 1ooI . ~ I30lI - DX'~' '_'_, 0_ ~.2SGl>_ s•• Construction PRETUNEO · "'SSEMBLE O ~ F OR "'LL M ...IIES "'M · OX432S-Q' ~"' . 0_ ~ ,2Odl> _ S'79 O NLII ONE NE"'T SM"'ll "'TEUR TR...NSQII/ERS' OX._ 12!\O-'3OOIolKl.O._"'.23