Rig Interface cables
Q. Does your cable work with
[
fill in your favorite program here] ?
A. Probably, hi! (about 90% probability) If your program of
choice is not on my 'supported
list' (see below) then there are a few things to check.
- Your Rig. Make sure your
program supports your rig.
ICOMs are probably OK; all ICOMs speak the same language. Yaesus are a
bit
trickier - make sure your rig is in your program's 'supported list'.
- The RTS (power) pin. My cable (and many others) gets power
from
this serial port pin. While most programs hold this pin high for this
reason,
keep in mind there is no 'industry standard' for this,
but the chances are good. Check your user's manual. In newer
programs
(2001+) you may have to select an option to turn this on.
- Current known supported list: CT, NA, DX4WIN,
WriteLog, Logic6, Logger, TRX-Manager, FT-Basic, N1MM Logger, Ham Radio
Deluxe, TRLog.
Q. I can't get the cable to work with my
radio. Help?!?
A. After making sure it's plugged in (you'd be surprised) , here
are several things
you should verify before contacting me if your cable just won't work:
Step 1: Check the obvious.
- Power.
My cable gets its power from the RTS
pin on the serial port. If your software program requires you to select
'RTS
pin high' or something like that, please do.
- Baud rate. Make
sure the baud rate you have selected on your radio matches the COM port
baud rate on your software. NOTE: Don't trust AUTOBAUD settings. Set
your baud rate manually on both ends.
- Hex address (ICOM
only). Make sure that your radio is
sending the hex address you think it is (if it's configurable from a
menu),
and that your software is looking for the proper address.
- Firmware revision
(YAESU only). Some older Yaesu rigs
(e.g. FT-990 and FT-1000) may need to have their firmware brought up to
date
to support CAT operation, especially if they're still running the
version
they were shipped with. Contact Yaesu for details.
Step
2: There could be a software issue - your program doesn't
support
the cable, or you have something configured wrong. Try a simple test
with
a known program - download CI-V Test (for ICOM) at www.plicht.de/ekki/civ or
FT-Basic (for Yaesu)
at http://www.g4hfq.co.uk
and
see if the cable works with them.
Step 3. You could have a hardware issue on your machine - an IRQ
confilict on the serial port, etc. You can :
- Try another serial
port.
- Verify the serial port works with another
application
- Try the cable & software on another machine if possible
Step 4. Contact me by Email!
Q. So is there anything the 'real'
cables (i.e. the CT-17, FT-232) do that yours doesn't?
A. Besides cost more, not much. There's one thing I'm
aware of for ICOM - the CT-17 has inputs for controlling up
to 4 radios at
once (on the same COM port), but obviously that only works if your
software
supports it, and I know of no programs that do. My cable just controls
1
radio at a time. If you want to control 2 radios you just buy two
cables
and use 2 COM ports, that's what everyone does, and plenty of programs
support that. On the Yaesu side, I
know of no shortcomings.
Q. Can I use your cable on my USB
computer with a USB-to-serial adapter? Do you make a USB version?
A. The short answer to both is no.
I can make no guarantees when using a USB-Serial adapter. While there
is
a VBUS (power) pin on the USB plug, there is no guarantee that a
positive
voltage will appear on the serial RTS pin, which is where my cable gets
its power . Some of my customers have reported
success; I guess it must depend on the specific converter.
Q. (ICOM only) I can use this instead
of the OPC-478 on handhelds (for cloning, etc)?
A. Yes. I now sell cables wired 'both' ways: for the 'REMOTE'
(or 'CI-V') jack (for most base stations), and for the speaker jack
(for many handhelds). Just choose the proper pinout option on the order
page.
CW cables
Q. So do I want serial or parallel?
A. If you're using DOS or Windows 95/98/ME, it's a
matter of choice, and
how many spare COM ports and LPT ports you have. If you're using NT,
Win2000, XP, or Vista, you need the serial port version - those OSs do
not allow direct
LPT
port control.
Q. Can I use your serial cable on my
USB computer with a USB-to-serial adapter? Do you make a USB
version?
A. See answer under Rig Control ,above.
Q. What about grid-block radios?
A. I make grid-block compatible cables on demand. The
circuitry is slightly more complex. Email me for info.
This page is periodically updated. Last updated on 11 June 2007
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