HS-736USB
The Yaesu FT-847 is closer to the Icom IC-910 in design era (time frames). Yaesu provided a first-generation (limited) CAT interface for the FT-736R, which.
FT-736R to HRD USB Interface
The Yaesu FT-736R remains a popular satellite ground station transceiver. However some modern computer software is not compatible with the CAT interface on the FT-736R. Ham Radio Deluxe, in particular, does not support the FT-736R. Ham Radio Deluxe does support the Yaesu FT-847 which has similar features. We can solve this incompatibility by programming a CAT interface to present a FT-847 to the PC and emulate the new commands not supported on the FT-736R.
Features not present on the FT-736R are ignored. Memory channels are not supported and the radio must be set to VFO, also satellite mode must be set to VFO, before enabling CAT control of the radio. 1240 MHz is mapped to 240 MHz because the FT-847 does not have 4 MHz digits.
Credits
The concept for this interface was developed by Dave, KA6BFB in 2010. He developed a proof of concept in software using VB and Windows. It was however quite cumbersome and used 3 virtual serial ports to work with HRD. But an excellent proof of concept nonetheless. This software can be found here:http://home.comcast.net/~tinkyr/736/KA6BFB%20Windows%20Emulator.htm
The hardware version was developed by Chuck, N6BIL. The source code is GPL licensed and the Eagle CAD files were published along with the code. The hardware CAD files, source code and binaries can be found here:http://home.comcast.net/~tinkyr/736/N6BIL%20Hardware%20Emulator.htm
Ham Spot Inc based the HS-736USB on their great work and thanks them immensely for their hard work on solving a challenging problem! The goal of Ham Spot Inc is that if this interface is popular we will develop similar interfaces for other older rigs which are also not supported by HRD. Specifically in mind are the FT-757GXII, FT-890 and various Icom and Kenwood radios. There will likely be firmware updates to this hardware available on the http://hamspot.com/ website in the future. If you have a PIC programmer the chip has been socketed to allow you to flash new firmware or easily replace the device. If not, there will be made available an inexpensive preprogrammed chip that you can plugin to upgrade the firmware or convert the FT-736USB to another model Yaesu rig as they become supported.
For the past few months I have been back and forth about picking up the FFT-1 board for the FTDX1200, or going with a software solution.
The FTT-1 is a user add in board for the Yaesu FTDX-1200 that will give you the ability to decode CW, RTTY, PSK, as well as a small (a few kHz) real time spectrum scope.
My immediate value for the board is / was for the CW decode feature, as I will need a computer to send PSK31 and log the contact – the same with RTTY. So, while real time decode of these settings is nice, you really can’t do anything with the data real time, as you need another interface to operate.
The install is easy.
- Remove the power plug from the back of the radio
- Flip the radio over, so the feet are pointing up in the air
- Remove all 17 screws off the bottom of the radio
- Remove the cover off the bottom of the radio
- Take the FFT-1 board from the box and throw away the directions – they tell you nothing
- Install the board in the FTDX-1200 in the space provided in the upper left of the radio (with the front facing you)
- Use the 4 screws in the box and screw the board to the radio mounts
- connect the two connections, the smaller connects to the port near the front, the larger in the rear of the board.
Yes, this is a pic of a FTDX-3000 with the board installed, however, it mounts the same way in the FTDX-1200.
9. Put the bottom cover back on the radio
10. Screw in all 17 screws
11. Flip over radio
12. Attach the power cable
13. Hit the power button
You can find this install process in dozens of Youtube videos. That was easy. What was a bit confusing was how to get the decoder boards to become active.
What I found is that you have to hit the SCOPE button a few times, then double push the button to get the menu item to switch from the spectrum scope view to the decode window.
What I found is that you have to be in USB-CW for the CW Decode window to show up, as well as USB-DATA for the PSK Decode window to show up. The same applies to RTTY decode, you have to be in the correct mode setting. This is what is should look like below when properly setup. You peak the signal with the window on the right with the peak of the signal in the middle of the three vertical dotted lines.
Think of this as a “tuning” section of the scope, where the peak of the scope readings is centered in this area, and the result is data being printed into the left window.
I immediately found that it was pretty quick to pull in PSK31 conversations, even through it was a bit strange use a spectrum display vs a standard waterfall display to find strong PSK31 signals, I was able to print several different lines of text. Cool.
I then went to use the CW Decode feature. I found several stations to choose from, however, all I could decode was the letter “E” as well as the occasional letter “I”. I could tell there was a CW contest going on, as I could hear CQ TEST.. repeated as well as 5NN. However, the decode board was not decoding this CW. I found some slower CW as well as faster CW, the same result. I went to the internet to find out what I was missing..
- I was using the right mode
- I was using the three “tuning” dotted bands to peak the signal
- Signals were anywhere from S1 to S7, all perfectly comfortable copy.
- I still only would decode “E” and “I”.
Frustrated, I pulled up my iPhone and ran the Morse Pad software from Black Cat, which is a Decoder software for the iPhone. Firing that up, I set the WPM (words per minute) setting to AUTO… and it started decoding CW on the iPhone. Then it hit me, maybe I need to adjust the WPM setting on the FTDX-1200.
I looked at the iPhone, and saw it was decoding at 21 WPM. I dialed up the WPM from 10 to 21 WPM on the FT-1200. Boom!
CW being decoded!
Success! As you can see in the picture, the receiver was hearing the CW at a S1 level on the meter, So I was expecting some dropped letters as well as false decodes.
I further discovered that faster QSOs at 30 words a minute wete possible to be decoded and leaving the setting higher at 30 words per minute allowed decodes at 21 through 25 WPM. The trick was setting the WPM rate close to what was being sent. All in all, quite happy now that it is working!