Last weekend I offered a friend of mine, Fred PA3YH, some help with his shack setup. He owns a Icom IC-756PRO-3 radio. Since a few months he bought a Signalink USB and works all different digital modes with it. Actually this combination works really well! He is doing great in QSO’s! The only thing missing was a good logbook. He did connect the rig via the Signalink to his laptop, but didn’t yet use rig control (Cat-V).
So these two things I want to help him with. First, rig control. Fred did already bought a cable for rig control. It is a USB – ACC-connector cable. After installing the driver for the cable, the laptop did see an extra com-port. Now download and fire up the latest copy of Ham Radio Deluxe. No problems so far. Imported his logbook from LogPA (his current log program). Also no problems. What surprised me was the super duper integration of HRD with the radio. I myself do not yet have a Signalink, but men what cool features do you have then! You are able to record sound of the rig, almost all options are controllable from the program.
Also figure out for him how to let Windows use the internal sound card and let the HAM-programs use the Signalink. I wasn’t able to fully test his new setup because he pushed me out of the way, that enthusiastic he was! 😉
The cool thing about this new setup for Fred is that he makes enough time to investigate all the options and tricks. Hopefully I can benefit too from his investigation 😉
I am doing a very similar thing here at my QTH. I have a Icom 756 Pro and have it hooked up to HRD via a $9 interface cable I bought (new) on eBay. See my blog for details. I have ordered the Signalink and am eagerly awaiting delivery.
Watch for me on 14070 as soon as I get it!
VE3CNU
Rick
Rick, cool! My Cobwebb antenna is finally up and running. Now I’ll be able to spot you on 14070. No luck so far. When do you operate most of the time?
I liked the first Signalink USB that I bought another for the other radio. They worked just fine and were simple to connect to the radio and computer.
bello il tuo blog bella foto in originale amidor
Grazie Roberto! Sono contento che ti piaccia! 73, Jim
I had the Rigblaster first and it worked okay but wanted the SignaLink and when I hooked it up, I got RF into my SSB operation. The antenna feed point is directly 35 feet above the shack and am going to change the orientation of it to see if I can get rid of the RF problem. I don`t have any problems with the accessory cable disconnected from the Icom 756 PRO. I have been thinking of putting up a Windom antenna to see what happens there. It is strange that I had no trouble with the Rigblaster. Any other comments out there except using torroids? I just download Ham Radio Deluxe to see how that functions as it was a suggestion just for operation with the digital modes. I have other digital programs I like though.
Hi Ralph, torroids are indeed the first thing that come to my mind. It sounds like you are having RF-feedback. You could also create some capacity be connecting rig and the SL to a central heating system. 73, Jim