What follows is a lengthy backstory. If you just want to see the answers drop down 3 paragraphs.
?Yesterday I ventured into the great unknown of making an audio cable to interface between my sound card and the CE 19 device for use with data modes (FT8 & JS8CALL).
I thought this would be a straight forward action. However, I began to question the correct wiring mostly because of the terminology used between the devices.
On the CE-19 the AF in and out are marked on the device for the 3.5mm plug. Is that AF in and out from the radio or the soundcard? Then does the data in and data out on the soundcard plug the same as from the CE-19? Finally, with the supplied 3.5mm cables from the manufacturer which wires go to which part of the 3.5mm plug (a red, black & white wire)? Using a multimeter I could figure out the cable question.
How it works
The supplied audio cable from Xeigu has the following configuration:
Base = Black wire
Ring = Red wire
Tip = White wire
This means for making a soundcard cable, the white wire is AF out, Red wire is AF In, and the Black wire is the ground.
After trial and error I determined that the Sabrent data out port (green) is the same as the AF Out on the CE-19. AF In is the data in, the pink port.
The Sabrent has two 3.5mm female plugs, but the supplied audio cable from Xeigu has only one ground wire, so to make a cable requires a little extra wiring before you solder the wires to the male plugs.
First take some spare wire and make two lengths of about 2.5-3 inches (Depending on how much you need for your 3.5mm plug case. Then join the two wires you made to the black wire. Now you have a ground wire for two plugs from the single black wire. (You will have to cut away some of the out cable cover to give you a longer set of wires to work with.)
For the Data Out plug solder the black/Grd wire to the base of the plug. Next solder the white wire the tip of the plug.
For the Data In plug solder the black/Grd wire to the base of the plug. Then solder the red wire to the ring on the plug.
Verify all your connections with the multimeter, then screw on your plug covers and apply any shrink tube. (Remember to insert your shrink tube and plug covers over the wires before you start connecting wires to the 3.5mm plugs.).
Plug your Data Out plug into the green port, your Data In plug into the pink port. Plug the green end of the supplied audio cable into the AF IN & Out port on the CE-19. Plug the DIN cable into the CE-19 and then into your radio.
Now you are ready to do your favorite data mode on the X5105. (After plugging in the Sabrent to your computer/Raspberry Pi USB port.)
I got into FT8 after making my cable last night and had a contact with a Wisconsin station from here in Colorado. According to the meter on the 5105 I was only putting out 3.5 watts. My antenna was a homemade dipole I made the day before strung from the ceiling in my shack as best I could hang it, which was very poor. I couldn’t go outside and try it because it was snowing hard, with 15-20 mph winds and the temp was 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Attached are a few pictures to aid in understanding.
Brian
K0FBS
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Brian
K0FBS
Brian Smith
