On 2/19/2025 1:26 PM, Bob AF9W via
groups.io wrote:
FTM--6000 works great for VARA FM Wide using a DRA-50. Don't
know about Digirig.?
_._,_._,_
?
I have tested end-to-end VARA-FM FAST links with a pair of
FTM-6000s and they work perfectly.? Effortless connect at 22K-plus
speeds.?? I have had a mix of SignaLinks, DigiRigs and my homebrew
interfaces in the test setups.
The main headache is the doofus non-standard TEN-pin miniDIN port
on the rear. It combines the 6-pins of the industry-standard 6-pin
mini-DIN data port,? and 4 conductors of an actual physical RS-232
serial port (not USB) for memory programming and cloning,? on one
connector.??
Yaesu sells a forked cable that breaks out the 10-pin mini-DIN
into both a standard female 6-pin mini-DIN data port and a DB-9
serial port for around USD $40.? I buy 10-pin-male-to-10-pin-male
mini-DIN cables for USD $7 a pop,? cut them in half and then
splice a cable with a 6-pin female mini-DIN connector to each
half. ? Net result is that I get TWO cables for under USD $20.
My Panasonic Toughbook laptops have an actual physical RS-232 DB9
serial port on them. I have successfully used this with the
embedded serial port on the FTM-6000 DIN port to clone the memory
load of one FTM-6000 into four others.?? No hassle with virtual
COM ports over USB drivers.??
Note that once you get around this cable nuisance, that the
FTM-6000 properly implements both the "1200 baud" (de-emphasized
RT audio) and the "9600 baud" (raw discriminator audio) RX
connections of the mini-DIN data port.? It's internal menus also
properly switches the TX-in audio bandwidth properly for both 1200
and 9600 baud modes on transmit. (The 9600-baud TX mode is
required for VARA-FM FAST.)
Another nice feature of this radio is that it only consumes about
140 mA on standby receive compared to around 1 amp for most mobile
radios. Nice for battery-backed standby in remote locations.
Yaesu WAS having an end-of-model-life clearance sale
NOV-though-JAN. Most of the major ham dealers were selling them
for USD $259.?? i snapped up 4 of them in December.?? I don't know
if there are any left at some of the dealers.
Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:?????????
30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency?? Details Here:
????
- APRS over VARA? --
??
"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
??
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Mark Davis
Steve K3FZT
Kevin Custer
Bob AF9W