AUTOSPEC
(with SPREAD 11, SPREAD 21 and SPREAD 51)


A FEC system that converts the 5-unit ITA-2 code into 10 element characters. The interleaving is so arranged that the position taken by each character is incremented one position forward each 10 elements. e.g. the 1st element of a particular character occupies position 1 in the first block of 10 elements, position 2 in the second and so on until the last element occupies the 10th position in the 10th 10-element group. Interleaving of 0, 20 and 50 characters duration is also occasionally used. It is also possible to operate with Inverted element interleaving. System operates at 68.5 Bits/sec for 50 Baud input and 102.75 Bits/Sec for 75 Baud input.

 

A FEC system once used by British coastal stations to communicate with North Sea oil rigs, typically ran with baud rates of 62.3, 68.5 or 102.7 bd. This has probably been replaced with microwave. Also known as Autospec-Bauer or Bauer and has been referred to as Autospec Mk1. No loggings have been recorded in the previous year. See SPREAD.

 

SPREAD

 

A FEC system, used (formerly?) by Romanian diplo stations, using the Bauer code used by Autospec, with characters spread over a large time span, designed to reduce burst and fading errors. SPREAD-51 has been known to be used by Brazilian Navy and shore stations but no loggings have been noted for at least 4 years.

SPREAD-11 and SPREAD-21 have not been logged recently.

Typically 68.5, 102.7 or 137 bd. Also known as SPREAD-11, SPREAD-21 or SPREAD-51 depending on data spread in effect. SPREAD is Autospec Mk2.

When a station sending SPREAD is idling it cannot be distinguished from AUTOSPEC. The 2 systems can only be identified when sending traffic.

 

Click here

for a typical AUTOSPEC sound.....