Rick, I use my TS-2000 with three sets of connections: 1. My KAM + HF port is cabled to the 13 pin DIN connector on the back. The cable is designed to use the pins that mute the microphone when the KAM + keys the rig.
2. My (old) Rigblaster connects to the microphone jack on the front, and the Heil microphone connects to the front of the Rigblaster. There is a single audio cable from the TS-2000 speaker output to the line in on the computer. When the Rigblaster keys the PTT line the microphone is muted. There is a serial cable from the computer to the Rigblaster to allow sound card software to key the radio. 3. There is a serial cable from the computer to the TS-2000 serial connection for rig control. I do not use this much but I have tested Ham Radio Deluxe with it and it is very impressive. One time I needed to set my rig frequency down to the exact Hz and used HRD for that. It even turns the radio on and off if you want it to. Airmail can use this to set the exact frequency for RMSs (PMBOs). I do have another data connection from the VHF port of the KAM + to an ICOM IC-3200A for packet. This cable goes to the microphone jack of the IC-3200A and to the speaker plug on the back. It may be possible to use the TS-2000 for VHF data also but I have not figured out how to do that yet. All of my usage is for MARS. See you all at Hamcom! I am off to Plano! Howard K5HB ----- Original Message ---- From: Rick W. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 9:04:04 AM Subject: [digitalradio] Rigs that isolate rear connections for digital modes If you have a choice in selecting a rig that will also be used for digital radio modes, you would want to give some strong consideration to the ones that support such connections. And it may not always be easy to find out from the casual specifications. I have mentioned this before, but to recap, especially for new group members. In the late 1980's my main digital rig was a Kenwood TS-440SAT with a Break out Box from the 13 pin DIN that allowed me to key the rig with VOX, or use the PTT keying line. This worked with a number of different Kantronics, AEA, and HAL products. A miniature SPST switch was installed in the BoB and positioned to the side of the rig so that I could easily flip it to turn on the microphone mute circuit that Kenwood rigs provided. Later on I used a Ten Tec Pegasus which works well with digital modes although a bit cumbersome to have rig control going on plus the digital software programs. It has a front 5 pin DIN plug, so not very esthetic, but you can select the audio source to mute the microphone circuit. More recently, I have been using an ICOM 756 Pro II which is clearly the best rig that I have found for my casual operating style. It has the ability to switch into "D" mode -- press and hold the SSB button to toggle. This turns off the microphone circuit, turns off the compression, and slows the tuning speed to one fourth. It is also one of the few rigs that can perform ALE scanning without relay operation. In the past I had a problem with Multipsk/DX Lab Commander where any movement of the thumbwheel of the mouse switches you out of the "D" mode, but there is no way to activate "D" mode. The programmers were not able to determine the cause, but Ham Radio Deluxe's Digital Master 780 digital sub program has solved that problem when operating with most of the popular digital modes. And it can toggle the "D" mode directly from the rig control. I would no longer consider any rig that did not mute the microphone when operating in digital modes, unless perhaps modifying it as Bonnie suggests. Our new ICOM 7000's did concern me as there appeared to be no "D" mode. But after reading the recent comments about the 6 pin DIN plug muting the microphone when the PTT is activated, prompted me to decide on using this connector in lieu of the 13 pin DIN (which uses different pin outs from the Kenwood 440 which I still have). Perhaps others may comment on Yaesu and other rigs and how well they work (or don't) with digital modes. 73, Rick, KV9U expeditionradio wrote: > > There are other rigs that have the same issue. > I encountered this problem on an Icom IC-718. > When the rear ACC port is used for audio and PTT, > the microphone is "live". Most ops using this > rig simply disconnect the microphone while operating > digital modes. > > That is cumbersome and eventually wears out the > microphone connector. > > The philosophy of the application I'm using (ALE) > is not only to use digital data/text mode, > but also SSB selective calling and responding > immediately to an ALE call with SSB voice. > > So, I modified the Icom HM-36 stock hand microphone. > > Inside the HM-36 hand mic, the PTT > switch is single pole double throw (SPDT). > > The Common pin of the switch is ground. > The Normally Open is PTT. > The Normally Closed is connected to the > Mic Up/Down switches (so they are inactive > during PTT). > > I cut the line to the Up/Down switches > and soldered it directly to the mic ground. > > Then, I soldered an additional wire to the > microphone element +hot ; and the other > end of the wire to the Normally Closed pin > of the PTT switch (where the Up/Down switches > had originally been connected). > > This shorts the microphone element to ground > whenever the microphone PTT button is not pushed. > > The result is, the microphone is muted, > when the ACC rear panel PTT is in use... > and the microphone functions normally > when the mic button is pressed. > > 73 Bonnie VR2/KQ6XA > > > > > > ------------ --------- --------- ------ > > Announce your digital presence via our Interactive Sked Page at > http://www.obriensw eb.com/sked > > Check our other Yahoo Groups.... > http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/dxlist/ > http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/contesting > http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/themixwgro up > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- - > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1499 - Release Date: 6/12/2008 > 7:13 AM >
