Howdy:

I haven't put this alternate data cable into service just yet, but I think it should work for my intended uses (audio In/Out/PTT).? I paid $6.35 for the cable on the Walmart online store, but the cable is available all over the place.? I did VOM the leads, as shown below, and it looks like the 1200 baud pinout (#5 on the FTM-6000R) is missing, so I guess we'll just have to go for the gusto and make it 9600 baud instead.? Works for me.

Doug
NS4ZM

Considering Yaesu wants 30 bucks for the CT-167, this is a good find.
What is your intent for this cable? What do you need to interface it with?

This 10-pin connector is very difficult to find...

Micky K1XH

Micky:

I have been wanting to set up a tabletop arrangement where I can play with various weak signal modes from one VHF set to another for use on the low part of 2 meters (with dummy loads, of course), so I can become proficient in the software usage for every weak signal mode I was interested in.? I was hoping the FTM-6000R would go as low as 1 watt for that type of setup, but 5 watts is as low as it goes.? I purchased a second FTM-6000R, which just arrived today.? I really don't know if RFI/desensing will spoil this whole test setup, though, even with dummy loads attached, and with audio piped in and out by way of these alternate cables, but I guess I'll find out.? For $6.35 I was willing to take a chance! (double that, now - since I didn't want to 'splurge' on my first video cable order, and only ordered one, . . . so now I have to wait until the second one arrives).? If there are no major glitches when I set this up I want to experiment with various sound cards and PTT arrangements to see what works and what doesn't, and to see what different types of computer setups might glitch when working close to RF.??

I forgot to mention in my first post that there is no continuity between one shield wire to the next on this alternate cable.? Yes, the PIN #4 conductor is a true copper (not aluminum) shield wire, wrapped around the Green video center conductor, which is in in its own jacket (I cut off the phono plug to look), and it looks to be substantial enough copper, that it easily matches what you see in all the other center conductor wires for the rest of the cable.? The only common ground I could find on the cable was the audio ground found on? the stereo left/right leads, and I won't be using those.? I suspect the reason why our PIN #5 is vacant on this cable is because of this common audio ground.? With five leads they only needed to wire 9 conductors.? Every video lead had its own shield but the two audio leads shared a common ground.??

I didn't list the rest of the pin outs on my first post, but here they are:

PIN #7? ?Video Blue shield
PIN #8? ?White audio/Center
PIN #9? ?Common audio ground
PIN #10 Red audio/Center

Doug
NS4ZM

Doug:
With dummy loads you should be able to operate on your kitchen table just fine at 5 watts.
I have done this before, except with different radios. Granted I could dial them down as far as 1W, but running them at 5W yeilded the same result. (Yaesu FT-100D) This was back when PSK-31 ruled the digital modes. It will probably be down to how well your dummy loads radiate...

One thing that is noticeably absent from the Operating Manual is the pinout of this connector. Where did you find this information?

Micky K1XH

. . . somehow I managed to reply to post #26 on totally different topic thread, so I'll repost in the right spot:

Micky:

The graphic I sent through on the first post was a screenshot taken from page 22 of my PDF of the advance manual (see Doug Shepard's post #16), and then redrawn to show the component video cable connections, instead of the Yaesu CT-167.? The pin outs referenced on that graphic should be from the perspective of looking directly into the actual data jack of the rig.? When you are looking into the end of the plug, instead of the data jack, you kind of have to do some mental gymnastics to make sure you are referencing the right pin (not necessarily as easy as it sounds !).

Doug
NS4ZM

Wow! What an awesome find Doug.
All this time I thought the Advance Manual was just a color glossy brochure!
I am gonna have to scan that manual for more tidbits of info!

I have always been able to find the Technical Supplement for Yaesu radios, I sure hope someone finds it and posts the link here...

Micky K1XH

Micky:

I played around a little with my alternate data cable today, and I was able to get both VaraChat (part of VARA FM) and FlDigi to key the rig using a DB-9 serial, camera- shutter adapter that I had on hand.? Using serial RTS keying on the com port worked reliably when connected to the correct pins on the data jack, and both VARA and FLDigi support this, and both worked well for me today with this method.

I plan to buy another of those shutter controllers for my second rig.? They are marketed as shutter controllers but little does the seller know they make bang-up PTT controllers, too.

If you check Ebay for:? "Opto-Isolated Camera Shutter Controller 2.5mm to DB9/ USB Adapter for Canon DSLR"?you should find it easy enough.? Its marketed by Cables Online.? I think the only caveat I could give on this item, though, is that the USB DB-9 interface they provide is reported to have a Prolific chip, and I had long ago changed mine out for an FTDI based interface, instead.??

Having a separate but reliable PTT interface then gives me the chance to go ahead and experiment with different sound cards, independent of the PTT path.? Only downside is you will wind up using two USB ports this way, to interface with your computer.? ?I expect that after my experimenting is over that I will probably wind up with a MastersCommunications DRA-50, which I have my eye on.? People who use this particular sound card interface are reporting some pretty impressive data speeds with VARA FM Wide/9600.

Doug
NS4ZM

I also purchased via amazon the cable mentioned, however I think got different pin outs then
previously described. "I could be wrong folks"

However here is what I found, I am also calling the ground of the phono plug a "ring"

Pin

1 blue tip
2 ring of red/black wire
3 tip of red black wire
4 ring blue wire
5 tip green wire
6 no connections and this I think needed for allstar which is what I want it for.
7 ring green wire
8 tip red/gray wire
9 ring white wire and ring of red green wire "both the ring of white wire and green wires shorted."
10 tip white wire

Cable I purchased has blue phono, white phono, green phono and two red phono one gray and one black for ident.

I also just used sharp knife to cut away the rubber so as to fit the socket and fits fine.

Now only need to find one of such wires for cos?needed allstar.

As pin 6 is pk Squech which could have been used for my need.

Jim:

I don't have a ready explanation for you on why you had continuity on the 1200 Baud lead but not the PKK/Squelch lead for your cable, which was the opposite for what I saw for the cable I got from Walmart.? Either cable would work for audio IN/OUT/PTT.

I finally decided the best way to make this cable work is to use phono plug to 3.5mm T/S mono adapters on each lead.? I payed about a buck a piece for a ten pack of those on Ebay.? Now I have to open the cable mid-stream and resplice everything to make the leads 'match up' and this will give me the three working 3.5mm mono leads for audio IN, OUT, and PTT.? Actually I think the cable that is provided is too long, anyway, so a little shortening won't hurt.

So far, I still only have about $17 invested, so I am willing to tinker a bit to make it work.

It's not so much the $30 price of the Yaesu cable that irks me but the gouging that most vendors carry out with the shipping charges.

Thanks for the update on the pin outs for your Amazon cable.

Doug
NS4ZM

开云体育

More later Internet down hi

Hi all:

I spliced on a female DB-9 onto this alternate DirecTv cable that I had mentioned earlier, and I was able to enter programming mode with the Yaesu software.? I didn't actually do the programming just yet, since I need to assemble all my neighborhood frequencies, first.? I was able to download the factory programming that was already on the rig, though,? as I think it might have some of the baseline settings.? So, I think this confirmed full RS-232 communications.?

I cut the cable down to about a foot or so from the mini-DIN-10 end, and the color codes remained the same on that side of the factory splice.? If you want to duplicate this yourself please proceed with caution, as the last thing I would want would be for someone to damage their rig with instructions I provided.? One forum member reported some different pin outs than what I saw on my cable.? If everything works out, though, you should be able to substitute this homemade $7 substitute,?for what is normally a $50 Yaesu cable, (depending on whether or not you already had some of the rest of items needed in your junk parts box).

Here is the graphic that shows my connections:



Doug
NS4ZM