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Re: Memory battery???


 

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Thanks for the info Doug. I suspected that uSoft might have grown unwieldy as a company. Certainly Apple has blown it any number of times. I won¡¯t even go into my struggles with that weak sister MagSafe power connector. It is telling that my neighbor, who has loaned me this shiny new W10 machine also is offering to sell it to me for $100 as he is staying wth his W7 one. Hmm.

I¡¯m seriously considering a project to A: Teach myself Python and B: cobble together some cross platform software for my own use. I have a servo motor system on my astronomical telescope that must be programmed from an external PC. Right now the only software is Windows. And I¡¯m going through very similar struggles with it. It seems that uSoft has teemed up with a supplier of USB to serial dongles to block the operation of pirate units. I didn¡¯t know that and have gone through a week of hell thinking it was my doltishness with Windows (It still may be!).

I¡¯ll see about experimenting with terminal to radio communication with this cord. I have an IC-706 sitting here that I use for maritime mobile use and I think I have the cabling. I¡¯m pretty sure that this DB-9 to 1/8¡± cable came with the 5105 though, as you mention, there was no wall wart. And MFJ did offer to upgrade my rig for free except for return shipping.

I am going through some fussing trying to get an 8 pin to 6 pin cable wired right so that I can connect my WOLPHI android box to the 5105. For my grab and go box, using my android phone to do digital modes is a very attractive and compact solution. I¡¯m doing it now with good technical success just using aural coupling. Holding the phone up to the mic or speaker as needed. Getting and sending good copy. It¡¯s just physically inconvenient. i recommend checking out his suite of PSK, WeFax and SSTV software as well as hardware solutions. Communicating with him can be problematic as this stuff is a second job.

Even this android combination is subject to mission creep as I¡¯m tempted to take along my 10¡± tablet and then along comes my small folding blue tooth keyboard and pretty soon the whole shack! Must be on guard always!

As an economic issue, the el cheapo outlet chain, Harbor Freight, has a clone of the Pelican box for a fraction of the cost. I¡¯m sure there are tradeoffs but so far I¡¯ve had no dust or moisture intrusion. Comparing their Apache cases with Equivalent Pelican one is startling as the price is one third as much.

Happy New year to all. It's blowing half of a gale and raining up here in the San Juan islands.

Mike


On Jan 1, 2021, at 6:45 AM, DougVL <K8RFTradio@...> wrote:

On Thu, Dec 31, 2020 at 02:45 PM, Mike Colyar wrote:
I have a cord with a DB-9 on on end and a 1/8¡± (~3.5mm) plug on the other end. One gets the impression that this was how one updates the firmware.
?
I know that the correct implementation of RS-232 is + and - 12v but in this application I am using the word to mean serial communication that is not USB.
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Since my apprehension is that my USB to DB-9 (232?) adapter/converter might be a problem
Oops!!? I'd forgotten about this part of your posts.
Xiegu's update cable is USB to 1/8 in. serial.? It's not likely that your cable came with your radio, and MFJ's catalog doesn't list the cable being included.? In fact, it didn't even come with a charger, or charger cable.? Check your your DB9 cable with an ohmmeter and see if it's not just straight wires.? You must have the correct signal voltage level, and it could be either 5v or 3.3v.? There are cheap little USB-to-serial modules on Amazon and ebay, and some have a jumper to set the voltage.? I've used one for making the CIV cable for my IC-706.? It gives me the serial data line and the PTT signal.? The price was around $6, certainly under $10.? Or be safe and get the CE-19 for about $35.? Then you get a few extra features, too.? And you could use your Mac, with a terminal program, for the firmware update.? No need for a borrowed PC with horrible OS.
?
--
Doug, K8RFT

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