PSK-31 interface help needed for FT-817
 

I have a new Yaesu FT-817ND that I would like to use on PSK-31.

According to the manual, one should be able to just connect the radio
to the sound card without the need for any interface boxes such as the
Rigblaster or Nomic.

I have done this with my old Icom IC-735 and it worked pretty well up
to about 10 watts of output, so one would think I should be able to
get away with it running only 5 watts or less on the FT-817.

My question is, have any of you all done that with success?

As for connections, I must say that the FT-817ND manual is pretty bad
at explaining how to hook it up.

On page 38 the manual discusses SSB-based AFSK and shows the radio
connected to a TNC.

Then on page 39 under PSK-31, it says only to "Connect the FT-817ND to
your computer's sound card or interface" without going into any detail
on how to do tyat.

I can only assume that the connections for audio are the same as shown
on page 38, but they don't say that explicitly.

The big question is, how is the PTT connected? Does that operate off
of DCD or DTR on a serial port? If so, note that the voltage coming
out of a serial port's handshake lines can be as much as +/- 15 volts
and still be within the RS-232 spec. I find it hard to believe that
+/- 15 volts on the PTT pin of the radio is OK.

Of course, if the VOX circuit is active and can hear the audio from
the data connector's Data In pin, then VOX could be used to switch to
transmit mode.

Do any of you know if VOX will work in PSK31 mode?

Thanks and 73...

Rick WA1RKT

PSK-31 interface help needed for FT-817
 

See the other NG.




Rick WA1RKT wrote:


I have a new Yaesu FT-817ND that I would like to use on PSK-31.

According to the manual, one should be able to just connect the radio
to the sound card without the need for any interface boxes such as the
Rigblaster or Nomic.

I have done this with my old Icom IC-735 and it worked pretty well up
to about 10 watts of output, so one would think I should be able to
get away with it running only 5 watts or less on the FT-817.

My question is, have any of you all done that with success?

As for connections, I must say that the FT-817ND manual is pretty bad
at explaining how to hook it up.

On page 38 the manual discusses SSB-based AFSK and shows the radio
connected to a TNC.

Then on page 39 under PSK-31, it says only to "Connect the FT-817ND to
your computer's sound card or interface" without going into any detail
on how to do tyat.

I can only assume that the connections for audio are the same as shown
on page 38, but they don't say that explicitly.

The big question is, how is the PTT connected? Does that operate off
of DCD or DTR on a serial port? If so, note that the voltage coming
out of a serial port's handshake lines can be as much as +/- 15 volts
and still be within the RS-232 spec. I find it hard to believe that
+/- 15 volts on the PTT pin of the radio is OK.

Of course, if the VOX circuit is active and can hear the audio from
the data connector's Data In pin, then VOX could be used to switch to
transmit mode.

Do any of you know if VOX will work in PSK31 mode?

Thanks and 73...

Rick WA1RKT

PSK-31 interface help needed for FT-817
 

The big question is, how is the PTT connected? Does that operate off
of DCD or DTR on a serial port? If so, note that the voltage coming
out of a serial port's handshake lines can be as much as +/- 15 volts
and still be within the RS-232 spec. I find it hard to believe that
+/- 15 volts on the PTT pin of the radio is OK.

Typically, one uses the RTS (request to send) line of the serial port
for PTT purposes. This depends on your PSK31 software package.

Using an optocoupler, rather than connecting directly, is probably a
good idea. A lot of PCs these days use pseudo-RS232 voltages (either
+5 and ground, or +5 and -5) but it's probably best not to take
chances that your rig might object to higher voltages.

Do any of you know if VOX will work in PSK31 mode?

If you're going into the MIC input, probably so.

If you're going into an auxiliary-audio input, it may not. On my
TS-2000, the auxiliary audio input doesn't support the VOX circuitry
and doesn't work with the software-based "activate PTT" command over
the RS-232 port - it only works with the auxiliary input's "PTT"
ground-to-transmit line.


--
Dave Platt AE6EO
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