Hello TO. KE8SRG here. I made myself a very similar cable with one difference, I added 1k ohm resistors from the left and right channels to the mono out pin. This protects the audio circuits as one should never connect two outputs directly together in electronics. This makes it so that the output won't ground back through the other output. Anyways, great video and love the channel!
I was thinking of making a write-up of what I have done making custom accessories for my truSDX on my website, but I haven't gotten around to it yet! I guess I better get to it!
Another thing one can do, is only hook up the left or right and tell the FT8 client to use mono out and just tell it to use only the left or right channel. Which ever was wired.
love the channel, just a quick tip (after soldering thousands of audio connectors in the field over the years); an elastic band stretched around the handles of pliers gives you a cheap extra hand to tightly grip just about anything that needs to be soldered. Acts as a heat-shunt as a bonus. Handy when you need three hands for those pesky little 3.5mm jacks that roll about the place and won't stay still :)
Being a phone guy, i can say those scissors ARE the way to go. You made that cable fix look really easy Steve, i may need to create somet that i need. With videos like this, i might even get convinced to dig out the rigblaster stuff and try digital again on my non digital radios.
@@temporarilyoffline , long ago, i tried with my 857 and the TS480. I wonder if my KX2 would be easier to deal with, i just dont want piles of cables to deal with.
@@hamradiowithkevin the 857 would take a 6 pin mini-din on one side and 2xTRS on the other - basically a Y cable. I don't know about the elecraft. The 480 has a 13 pin on it, right? I think that is a Y cable setup also.
I just took a look, the KX2 has a mic and a phones connection, can probably do it with just 2 standard TRS cables, VOX and manually setting the frequency.
As being rather new to building cables and such stuff, I never thought about using the multimeter to determine which parts of a connector connect together. I relied on Google to find diagrams of such… Even though I’ve been around dealing with network connectivity issues at a company on a semi regular basis and sending tone through to find a single Ethernet cable in a rats nest of cables. I recently got a more decent Kaiweet’s multimeter (similar to the one you have in the video) and is so much better than the $5 Harbor Freight bottom line multimeter, and helped me out a lot on my last cable build. 73!
@@temporarilyoffline So true! I just got a UT 61E+ because my Amprobe 37 is a little out of spec... And an Aneng 620A...just because. And I DO have a few more.....
A photo of the setup with everything plugged in would be nice and easier for me to follow. Maybe in a follow up video? Thank you for this video though it gives me a great starting point for my MacBook and (tr) usdx
Do you manually tune the (tr)uSDX to the FT8 frequency? Is that actually controllable over USB? I'm considering getting one but still trying to grasp the extent of its features. Is there a mechanism for streaming serial data to the computer to see a band-wide waterfall? Or if I wanted that, should I just get a little SDR receiver and work out switching the antenna somehow?
In this video I tuned manually, but in the Follow-up vid, I was able to get cat control working. As to waterfall, I bet there is an IF tap inside the radio. Check out the schematic!
@@temporarilyoffline Ah, yeah, I see CAT has been fixed. Thanks for the explainer, it's a really neat kit. I wonder what could be done with a slightly more powerful microcontroller, like an ESP32-derivative...
Looking forward to receiving mine which is on order..! Thanks for the heads up with your video. Looking to find a little hand pouch / box for carrying this in to include, Adam's K6ARK wire antenna and Tr uSDX 18650 power bank case. I take it you was on your DX Commander with the PSK reporter showing results.. not bad with 5 or 6w. Cheers
For the mic/key part, you can wire it with left or right, butvit still needs to be custom wired. For the headphone side it doesn't matter as long as the jack lines up right. (Radio side of both connections)
@@temporarilyoffline I got it to work. I had to place a small piece of shrink tubing to keep the two contacts from shorting out while placing the sleeve over the end of the wire. Works great now.
I live on the edge! (I use all the power I can while watching the heat) I don't consider this radio to be an "everyday" radio, so outside of a contact or two, I'd put it back away.
What kind of antenna are you using for this? Great video btw, I just ordered everything in your parts list except for the multimeter! This was a really good wrap-up of the project, I hope to be up and running once everything arrives, the only missing piece for me is the right antenna!
Since I was in the shack, I used my DX Commander, but that isn't easily portable. If you're into kit building. I have to recommend my coffeeanhamradios.com EFHW, but the K6ARK EFHW antenna is smaller. Both make great portable antennas
I think you mixed up "sleeve" (which is ground) with the word "ground" If I got this right, the sleeve should be connected to the sleeve, and the "tip and ring" should both be connect to the "ring" (for the end that goes into the radio) leaving the "tip" unconnected.
The black box metal unit? Yeah, they are slightly different animals. I have a video on one of those as well and more scheduled for it, time permitting. Good radio!
Shortly after making this video, Guido shared a fix for getting this working with CAT: th-cam.com/video/JzqzzRJzkrI/w-d-xo.html
Hello TO. KE8SRG here. I made myself a very similar cable with one difference, I added 1k ohm resistors from the left and right channels to the mono out pin. This protects the audio circuits as one should never connect two outputs directly together in electronics. This makes it so that the output won't ground back through the other output. Anyways, great video and love the channel!
That's a great idea
I was thinking of making a write-up of what I have done making custom accessories for my truSDX on my website, but I haven't gotten around to it yet! I guess I better get to it!
Another thing one can do, is only hook up the left or right and tell the FT8 client to use mono out and just tell it to use only the left or right channel. Which ever was wired.
I'm sure people would love to know what you've been doing. Let me know when you have the site up and I'll share it out.
You bet! That's one of the great thing about ham radio for me. Sharing info, learning, and tinkering with the technology.
love the channel, just a quick tip (after soldering thousands of audio connectors in the field over the years); an elastic band stretched around the handles of pliers gives you a cheap extra hand to tightly grip just about anything that needs to be soldered. Acts as a heat-shunt as a bonus. Handy when you need three hands for those pesky little 3.5mm jacks that roll about the place and won't stay still :)
Oh sweet tip, thanks 💯
Being a phone guy, i can say those scissors ARE the way to go. You made that cable fix look really easy Steve, i may need to create somet that i need. With videos like this, i might even get convinced to dig out the rigblaster stuff and try digital again on my non digital radios.
What radio were you thinking about?
@@temporarilyoffline , long ago, i tried with my 857 and the TS480. I wonder if my KX2 would be easier to deal with, i just dont want piles of cables to deal with.
@@hamradiowithkevin the 857 would take a 6 pin mini-din on one side and 2xTRS on the other - basically a Y cable. I don't know about the elecraft. The 480 has a 13 pin on it, right? I think that is a Y cable setup also.
I just took a look, the KX2 has a mic and a phones connection, can probably do it with just 2 standard TRS cables, VOX and manually setting the frequency.
@@temporarilyoffline I can sre this building up, your going to make me FT8 you, arent you ;)
Great show Steve thanks for sharing great job 🤘🏼👍😎
Thanks 👍 Glad you enjoyed it!
As being rather new to building cables and such stuff, I never thought about using the multimeter to determine which parts of a connector connect together. I relied on Google to find diagrams of such… Even though I’ve been around dealing with network connectivity issues at a company on a semi regular basis and sending tone through to find a single Ethernet cable in a rats nest of cables.
I recently got a more decent Kaiweet’s multimeter (similar to the one you have in the video) and is so much better than the $5 Harbor Freight bottom line multimeter, and helped me out a lot on my last cable build. 73!
A good meter is a good meter! The more I grow in skills the more meter I want. That's how they get ya!
@@temporarilyoffline So true! I just got a UT 61E+ because my Amprobe 37 is a little out of spec... And an Aneng 620A...just because. And I DO have a few more.....
Thanks Steve for being Awesome 😎 73
Aww Shucks 😊
A photo of the setup with everything plugged in would be nice and easier for me to follow. Maybe in a follow up video? Thank you for this video though it gives me a great starting point for my MacBook and (tr) usdx
Message me on discord and I'll get you a photo, link for discord in the description.
Good video Steve.
Thanks Rick!
Do you manually tune the (tr)uSDX to the FT8 frequency? Is that actually controllable over USB? I'm considering getting one but still trying to grasp the extent of its features.
Is there a mechanism for streaming serial data to the computer to see a band-wide waterfall? Or if I wanted that, should I just get a little SDR receiver and work out switching the antenna somehow?
In this video I tuned manually, but in the Follow-up vid, I was able to get cat control working.
As to waterfall, I bet there is an IF tap inside the radio. Check out the schematic!
@@temporarilyoffline Ah, yeah, I see CAT has been fixed. Thanks for the explainer, it's a really neat kit.
I wonder what could be done with a slightly more powerful microcontroller, like an ESP32-derivative...
Xiegu yes been using stm32s. I'd live to design one, but I'm not there yet.
Hi! Thanks for the video! Could you send the cable connection diagram? Thank you!
Its @ 2:44 in the video or in your owners manual. L/R audio to "ring", Ground to "sleeve"
Looking forward to receiving mine which is on order..! Thanks for the heads up with your video. Looking to find a little hand pouch / box for carrying this in to include, Adam's K6ARK wire antenna and Tr uSDX 18650 power bank case. I take it you was on your DX Commander with the PSK reporter showing results.. not bad with 5 or 6w. Cheers
I was on the commander! Good DX with your new radio!
Steve I have a handcap making that cable by myself would be extremely difficult do you make them up?
You're in luck! K6ARK made up a PCB that will do the thing for you. You can get these on ebay here: ebay.us/Owyrih
@@temporarilyoffline Thank you just ordered one
Hey Steve. Thanks for sharing the process for building the cable. What temp did you have the gun set to for the smaller wires? thanks & 73
I made the cable and it works great, however when I put the rig in tune through wsjtx, power seems to fall off a bit as I go? Ever notice this?
"A bit" is pretty normal, "a lot" not so much.
I just ordered one of these. $205 Cdh delivered. I hoe the CAT works. I have a Sabrent.
Let me know!
Hi Steve. Will a mono audio cable work also?
For the mic/key part, you can wire it with left or right, butvit still needs to be custom wired. For the headphone side it doesn't matter as long as the jack lines up right. (Radio side of both connections)
@@temporarilyoffline I got it to work. I had to place a small piece of shrink tubing to keep the two contacts from shorting out while placing the sleeve over the end of the wire. Works great now.
@@KC1PSK excellent!
Hi, do you transmit in FT8 at full power 5 Watts? do not blow final transistors? thanks
I live on the edge! (I use all the power I can while watching the heat) I don't consider this radio to be an "everyday" radio, so outside of a contact or two, I'd put it back away.
@@temporarilyoffline I think one interesting mod would be another transistor and a big heatsink , 73
@diegogarciamedina6363 Check out that PA connection on the upper left of the rig... its looking at you 👀🤔
@@temporarilyoffline great
Well splained TO. All the gear in your orange case shrunk in the wash. Lol
Sometimes tiny is good!
Just ordered one, I am wondering, I use a MacBookPro, does the software run on Mac? That would be great.
Yes it does.
What kind of antenna are you using for this? Great video btw, I just ordered everything in your parts list except for the multimeter! This was a really good wrap-up of the project, I hope to be up and running once everything arrives, the only missing piece for me is the right antenna!
Since I was in the shack, I used my DX Commander, but that isn't easily portable. If you're into kit building. I have to recommend my coffeeanhamradios.com EFHW, but the K6ARK EFHW antenna is smaller. Both make great portable antennas
Who makes a SWR/Power meter that is accurate 1 to 10 watts? Thanks
Bird or look for "service monitor"
I think you mixed up "sleeve" (which is ground) with the word "ground"
If I got this right, the sleeve should be connected to the sleeve, and the "tip and ring" should both be connect to the "ring" (for the end that goes into the radio) leaving the "tip" unconnected.
I think you're on the right page.
The original Speaker sucks?🤣 I have the uSDX from Aliexpress. The internal Speaker works fine.😜
The black box metal unit? Yeah, they are slightly different animals. I have a video on one of those as well and more scheduled for it, time permitting. Good radio!