There is the NUE-PSK device which now supports RTTY in addition to PSK31. You 
still need a keyboard however.

In my opinion a better device is the Kantronics KAM XL or SCS PTC II. 

The Kantronics is much cheaper than the SCS and offers some features even the 
Pactor-II/III modems don't.

A used KAM XL is a good investment because it is flash upgradable via a free 
download on Kantronics website - no messing with expensive ROMs.

It offers (via a terminal) PSK-31, RTTY, ASCII, Pactor-1, AMTOR & G-TOR in 
addition to it being a dual port Packet switch (up to 9K6). 

It's perfectly possible to run a "TheNet" compatible node at the same time as a 
multiuser BBS with 480KB of non volatile storage. It is basically a BBS/Node in 
a box that only consumes about 120mA at 12v. 

You can also link the ports to provide VHF<>HF switching. It also has a RTC 
chip so you don't have to remember to set the date every time you boot up which 
is important for message handling.

If you couple this with a cheap serial terminal - perhaps the Tandy WP-2 
"wordprocessor" which provides an 80 column lcd display and can happily run on 
a couple of AA cells for days (available on eBay for peanuts) then you have a 
real low power system which is very usable.

You could run a traffic BBS on VHF and a Pactor-1 (or better yet G-Tor) link on 
HF.

The PSK31 takes a little getting used to if you normally use a waterfall but it 
is a very sensitive implementation and works very well.

I believe the SCS modems have a multiuser BBS too and of course Pactor-II and 
Pactor-III if you can afford it but that is the real catch, these things run 
around $1000 or more even second hand.

You can often find a KAM XL for around $250-$350 on eBay. A radio cable from 
Buxcomm is about $25.

73

Sholto
K7TMG

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