Hi Jason, I am not all that impressed by Rigblaster interafaces (not always totally isolated), it might be better to buy interfacing equipment that directly connects to USB. Newer desktops no longer have COM ports anymore either. I have a high end HP laptop but have to use a USB to COM port to run my Ten Tec Pegasus radio for emergency digital communications.
Used laptops are priced according to supply and demand. Older ones can have lots of problem, e.g, internal battery failure, and if you do have major component failure, HD, motherboard, it would not be economically repairable. I looked into buying a DC-DC converter for my laptop and found the price quite high ~$100, but for emergency use it woud be nice to have and more efficient than what most people use which is to convert emergency AC power to the needed 18.5 volts @ 6.5 amps.. Since this laptop needs a lot of power to run, it is probably not the best choice for an emergency. Jason Hsu wrote: > I have a Yaesu FT-857D transceiver. I'm interested in getting > started on PSK-31, RTTY, and other digital modes. For a computer- > radio interface, I will either buy a Rigblaster Nomic or homebrew > something (depending on how much work this is, its capabilities vs. > that of the Nomic, and whether or not I already have the parts and > tools needed). > > The laptop will be for amateur radio purposes and will NOT replace > my home desktop computer. I've heard that a sound card is essential > and a serial port is highly desirable. (Some people say that the > serial port adapters don't always work, though.) I know that PSK-31 > has been around for several years, and people have used it with 486 > Machines and DOS. > > Any advice? Is it just me, or does it seem that old laptops are > overpriced? A brand new laptop from Dell or other vendors starts at > around $500. Stores selling laptops rarely have anything under > $100, and most sell for at least a few hundred dollars. A brand new > laptop would come with a superior warranty, has never been abused, > has a brand new battery (which I've heard can easily be worth $150), > and has brand new parts in it. A used laptop would come with no > warranty or a very limited warranty, may have been abused, may need > a battery replacement, and may need other costly repairs that can > easily negate the savings of buying used instead of new. > > Also, is there a way to use an external gel cell battery to power a > laptop? I know that many people use an inverter, but it seems to me > a direct connection (or a DC-DC converter if the laptop needs more > than 12V) would be much more efficient. This would be especially > important for operating the laptop in an emergency involving a power > outage. > > Jason Hsu, AA0II > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/ELTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Need a Digital mode QSO? Connect to telnet://208.15.25.196/ Other areas of interest: The MixW Reflector : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/themixwgroup/ Looking for digital mode software? Check the quick commerical free link below http://www.obriensweb.com/digimodes.html Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
