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A few questions about BitX40
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Hi folks. I just got my license last weekend so I've ordered a BitX40 kit as my first foray into amateur HF. Probably not the ideal starting point but it's all I can afford at the moment. So I have some questions about it: Digital control Are there any mods to enable digital control of the VFO and PTT? I'd like to play with digital modes like JT65 and it seems it should be pretty easy to get something sent over serial or USB to the Raduino to read or change frequency and mode. PTT should also be straightforward. USB? Does the board do USB? JT65 bucks the usual practice of switching to LSB below 10MHz and uses USB everywhere. |
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As for straight forward, beware of ground loops, you want star topology, not daisy chain.. You only want one grounding path between equipment. Directly connecting your computer causes a second connection to ground through the other piece of equipment. Look for more on the subject.? But you could use a audio cable to line-in input to the radio from PC. You can use a USB sound card dongle with your software to line-in from USB port. And then there is a thing called "Easy Digi" kit on Ebay that does DB9 serial port. You could make it yourself for much less, if that's your thing. It does all the isolation for you. Isolation is also good for protection during storms. But as for making it work on Bitx 40 SSB... I don't know really. Look near the top for the spy glass search button and wear it out. There has been much discussion already about almost everything. And come back when you can tell me how you did it.? Plus, someone will probably tell us all about it in a day or two. |
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Ed Vignati
Like John stated, the?"Easy Digi" kit works fine,?I have one,?I love it, ?I also have the signalink. I don't know your electronics background, I would suggest, Read the?"Easy Digi" kit addembly manual first and see if you understand how to? connect it to your radio. ? ? ? ?I have a Kenwood TS-950sd, the audio out from the radio to the?"Easy Digi" ?comes out from a 13 pin din and the audio from the?"Easy Digi" to the radio is wired to an 8 pin mick connector. It connects to your computer via a DB9, you have to buy that connector or, what I did was, cannibalize a serial cable and made that work. The Bitx 40 is lower sideband and most digital uses upper sideband. JT65 uses upper sideband?on all bands, not sure about?psk31. ?? 73s ? ? ? ? Eddie kj4fgi On Tue, Feb 14, 2017 at 12:22 AM, Simon Rumble <simon@...> wrote:
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Our club is building the Easy Digi boards as a group project. There is a particular cable that the seller especially recommends - no he isn't selling them himself, but apparently they are the ones he uses in his finished models. They use the FTDI chipset, so they're a bit more expensive (though not unreasonable). Send him a message and ask, and he will tell you which ones, and what wires go where on the Easy Digi board. That will allow USB control of the PTT. Rich KC8MWG On Tuesday, February 14, 2017 3:52 AM, Ed Vignati <kj4fgi@...> wrote: Like John stated, the?"Easy Digi" kit works fine,?I have one,?I love it, ?I also have the signalink. I don't know your electronics background, I would suggest, Read the?"Easy Digi" kit addembly manual first and see if you understand how to? connect it to your radio. ? ? ? ?I have a Kenwood TS-950sd, the audio out from the radio to the?"Easy Digi" ?comes out from a 13 pin din and the audio from the?"Easy Digi" to the radio is wired to an 8 pin mick connector. It connects to your computer via a DB9, you have to buy that connector or, what I did was, cannibalize a serial cable and made that work. The Bitx 40 is lower sideband and most digital uses upper sideband. JT65 uses upper sideband?on all bands, not sure about?psk31. ?? 73s ? ? ? ? Eddie kj4fgi On Tue, Feb 14, 2017 at 12:22 AM, Simon Rumble <simon@...> wrote:
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Simon Rumble
So the Easy Digital will do the audio but what about tuning? Surely that should be pretty easy to get over serial from the Arduino.?
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On Tue, 14 Feb 2017, 19:52 Ed Vignati <kj4fgi@...> wrote:
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¿ªÔÆÌåÓýUnless your rig allows CAT control, you will have to tune it manually. Don't know if the Raduino can be hacked to allow CAT or not. Rich KC8MWG Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Express 3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: Simon Rumble <simon@...> Date: 2/14/17 5:20 AM (GMT-05:00) Subject: Re: [BITX20] A few questions about BitX40 On Tue, 14 Feb 2017, 19:52 Ed Vignati <kj4fgi@...> wrote:
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Jack Purdum
I think the answer depends upon which CAT commands you want to implement. Some would be easy...others, not so much. Jack, W8TEE From: Richard Andrew Knack via Groups.Io <ihc73scout2@...> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 6:01 AM Subject: Re: [BITX20] A few questions about BitX40 Unless your rig allows CAT control, you will have to tune it manually. Don't know if the Raduino can be hacked to allow CAT or not. Rich KC8MWG Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Express 3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: Simon Rumble <simon@...> Date: 2/14/17 5:20 AM (GMT-05:00) Subject: Re: [BITX20] A few questions about BitX40 On Tue, 14 Feb 2017, 19:52 Ed Vignati <kj4fgi@...> wrote:
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Simon Rumble
Read/write frequency was all I was thinking and ptt. Since this is exactly what the Raduino does I don't think it should be hard. I'll have a go once I'm set up... On Wed., 15 Feb. 2017, 03:23 Jack Purdum via Groups.Io, <econjack=[email protected]> wrote:
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The most important thing I wanted to convey, was isolation between radio and computer. Including using a computer to close the PTT circuit like the button does. You can do what you want without isolation. But you will discover what ground loops are, and radio frequency interference radiated in the shack from your ground loops, and the shock you'll get on your mouth from the microphone. ?There are lots more ways ground loops can be a problem. Keep all related equipment grounded to one ground point, and not to each other. And for those of you playing along at home who remember my RF shock on the lip. It was while using a dummy load resister, that left me isolated from ground. I became the ground and got a mild shock. Guess who is going to try grounding the dummy load next time! |
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KC9SGV
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýGuys, Don't confuse Upper Side Band (USB) with a digital USB port. Different connotations. Search this group for Upper Side Band (USB) operation of the BITX40. I think it has been discussed and is just editing some code for the Raduino frequency controller. Please let us know how you ?made digital operations work on the BITX40. Some of us want to use it with Winmor for RMS Winlink email via HF radio. See the digital notes here Please also post your successes on the Winlink IO group here: Bernie, KC9SGV Sent from my iPad On Feb 14, 2017, at 5:01 AM, Richard Andrew Knack via Groups.Io <ihc73scout2@...> wrote:
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