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« on: 2012-09-25, 15:28:06 »
A word of advice before you start to configure any two systems together, is to make sure that each is working successfully by itself. If it doesn't work successfully by itself, chances are great that the two won't work together!
When doing the Microbit setup, 4 Virtual Com Ports were created (Com0-3) for Remote Rig to use, and were tied in to specific hardware ports in the computer. You should go into Device Manager and write down the 4 comport pairs- you will need this info. If your comport numbers for the 1st 3 comports are less than 8, you're all set, otherwise you need to make all but the FSK comport to be 8 or less.
Radio CAT for RR Control Unit
1. Connect DB9 cable direct from computer to radio. Choose a comport that is NOT in use as a virtual comport. For my K3, I use Com1 (a real hardware comport) and 38400N81-Off-Off; make sure the radio control works.
2. Unplug RS232 Cable from computer to K3, and plug it into RRControl Com1.
3. Plug in RS232 Cable from RRControl Com2 to K3.
4. Radio Control through the Computer should now work- verify.
CW Keying
1. Connect the USB cable from a USB port on the computer to the RRControl.
2. Using one of the virtual comports you identified, config N1MM using the computer Com port number; in my case, Com 3 was the comport I used, and it was tied to RR Com0. In N1MM, I configured Com3 for "CW/Other", and set "DTR to CW".
3. Open a browser and go to the IP for the RRControl box. Under IO settings, make "USB DTR as CW" to be "COM0", submit and update.
4. The remote rig should now be keyed via N1MM messages.
SSB
1. The supplied microphone cable was of no use to me, as I don't have a mike with an 8-pin DIN plug, so I made my own cable using a CAT5 end from a damaged piece of cable, a 3.5mm stereo jack, and a phono jack. If you make your own cable, Mike Hot is the Green/White striped wire, Mike Ground is the Blue wire, PTT Hot is the Blue/White striped wire, and PTT Gnd is the green wire. This was from a standard CAT5 cable piece.
2. I could not figure out a way to use VOX on the unit without an outboard carrier operated relay type setup.
RTTY
1. The manual shows the correct way to setup MMTTY. If you use MMTTY version 1.68A, it will support comports up to 15. I went back to Device Manager, and made my virtual FSK Comport to be Com15.
2. There is nothing to setup in N1MM; just put Comport 15 into MMTTY.
3. The audio from the RRControl unit to the Sound card was too high a level, so I had to reduce the Radio Settings- Codec Out Gain to 220.
4. A tip- hook up the decoding audio chain before you try and transmit. I didn't hook up the audio decoding and transmitted, and MMTTY doesn't drop back into Rx unless the audio decoding is hooked up. Now I can use N1MM to send RTTY messages via Remote Rig.
Radio Control- Remote Unit
1. My remote unit is housed at a contest station, and we wanted to minimize recabling when going from Remote to normal station use. Just follow the setup for the RR Control Unit above and it works just fine.
One more tip:
I'm using the K3 Twin concept with the Remote Rig. When I turned on the Control Radio and it was already in TERM mode, the audio was not muted and didn't mute unless I went to NORM mode and then back to TERM mode. To avoid this problem, I reduce AF Gain to minimum and THEN turn on the Control K3. When it connects, there is no audio from the Control K3.
Please feel free to contact me if there are questions concerning the above. WinTest and Writelog should be able to be configured to Remote Rig just as easily.
Dennis W1UE
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