[amsat-bb] Re: Sat Tracking and SatPC32 w/ICOM rig - CT-17 hardware modneeded

[Bill Dzurilla]

Erich,

Wow, thank you so much for the reply.  This is wonderful news.  I was pulling my hair our trying to figure out an easy way to do the hardware mod, and like an angel you give me a much easier solution.  The patch works fine and I am in business.

One question: In the last line of the patch description on your website, it says: "To correct the downlink frequency during a QSO use the "Downl. Corr." controls in menu CAT or the +/- keys of the numerical pad of the keyboard."  I thought that the software automatically corrected the downlink frequency?  Does this mean we should use the "Downl. Corr." controls or the +/- keys and not the VFO dial on the radio to QSY?

73, Bill NZ5N 


--- On Sun, 4/12/09, Erich Eichmann <erich.eichmann at t-online.de> wrote:

> From: Erich Eichmann <erich.eichmann at t-online.de>
> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Sat Tracking and SatPC32 w/ICOM rig - CT-17 hardware modneeded
> To: billdz.geo at yahoo.com
> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Date: Sunday, April 12, 2009, 5:35 PM
> Hello Bill,
> the SatPC32.Exe and SatPC32ISS.Exe files that come with the
> 12.8 setup file
> require the hardware handshaking  I have described in the
> Readme(Icom) text
> (the "normal" SatPC32 only with the semi duplex
> radios IC-706MKIIG and
> IC-7000 when used as single radio for satellite operation,
> SatPC32ISS with
> the IC-910H for "inband" operation in
> non-satellite mode).
> 
> Meanwhile this hardware handshaking is no longer necessary.
> Some time ago I
> have uploaded patch files on my website www.dk1tb.de
> (English page
> "Downloads", sect. 5 "Patches"). With
> the IC-910H and IC-7000 the PTT status
> is now checked via the software (CAT command hex. 1C. I
> didn't know that
> command when I released 12.8. My manual doesn't mention
> it).
> The IC-706MKGII doesn't provide such command, but Tony
> Monteiro, AA2TX,
> found a solution also for that radio and told me the trick
> - many thanks to
> him. So, also this radio does no longer  require the extra
> line between the
> radio's
> ACC jacket and the PC's serial port.
> 
> On my website I have described how to use the patch files.
> 
> 73s, Erich, DK1TB
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Dzurilla"
> <billdz.geo at yahoo.com>
> To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 9:05 PM
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Sat Tracking and SatPC32 w/ICOM rig -
> CT-17 hardware
> modneeded
> 
> 
> >
> > This may be old news to many but perhaps will save a
> few hours of
> > frustration for newcomers.
> >
> > In my prior post about HRD Sat Tracking slowness with
> my Windows Vista
> > computer, I reported there that ST was working very
> slowly with my Lenovo
> > desktop running Windows Vista, but that it ran at
> normal speed with a
> > laptop running Windows XP. However, the frequencies
> were not tracking
> > properly -- the transmit frequency would
> "stick" as the receive frequency
> > on my IC-7000.
> >
> > It seems there is a hardware cause for this issue.
> After I gave up trying
> > to get HRD Sat Tracking to work with the laptop, I
> downloaded SatPC32,
> > another program that automatically sets transmit and
> receive frequency to
> > account for doppler. The same "sticking"
> problem occurred with that
> > program.
> >
> > The ReadMe(Icom) in SatPC32 provides what appears to
> be an explanation for
> > this issue:
> > **************************
> > With ICOM half duplex transceivers (IC-706MKIIG,
> IC-7000) hardware
> > handshaking must be installed to suspend computer
> control while the radio
> > is transmitting. Frequency changes are theoretically
> possible while the
> > radio
> > is transmitting, but frequency errors will occur,
> i.e., the frequencies
> > of VFO A and VFO B will be exchanged.
> >
> > Unfortunately there is no way to check the PTT state
> of the radio via
> > the CAT software. Therefore hardware handshaking is
> needed to prevent
> > writing to the radio while it is transmitting. On the
> radio side pin 7
> > of the ACC socket can be used for this purpose. The
> voltage at this pin
> > is approximately + 8.0 V while the radio is in RX
> mode. In TX mode the
> > voltage at pin 7 drops to 0.
> >
> > Pin 7 of the ACC socket must be connected with the CTS
> pin of the
> > serial port on the PC side (pin 8 of the 9-pin, pin 5
> of the 25-pin
> > RS232 cable connector). I have connected these pins
> via a diode
> > and a 5K resistor, see Acc_Com.jpg in this sub folder.
> >
> > IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT EVERYONE INSTALLS THIS
> LINE AT HIS OWN RISK!
> >
> > When the radio pulls down the voltage at pin 7 to 0,
> it signals the PC
> > not to send data. As soon as the radio is back in RX
> mode the frequencies
> > are updated by the program.
> >
> > ATTENTION! There must be NO bridge between pins 7 and
> 8 of the 9-pin
> > (5 and 4 of the 25-pin) cable connector at the PC
> side! Otherwise the
> > voltage at Pin 8 (rsp.Pin 5) and therefore also at Pin
> 7 of the ACC
> > socket will be pulled down and the radio will be
> switched into transmit
> > mode. The sketches in the Icom sub folder provide this
> bridge. If it is
> > built in, please, remove it.
> >
> > The 25-pin Connector at the ICOM CT-17 also provides a
> bridge between
> > pins 4 and 5 and other pins. The CTS pin of the cable
> connector at the
> > PC side must be connected only to Pin 7 of the ACC
> socket.
> > *************************
> > Thus, as I appreciate this, a standard ICOM CT-17 CAT
> cable will not work
> > properly with SatPC32, and presumably not with HRD Sat
> Tracking either.
> >
> > Can anyone confirm this? Does anyone sell modified
> CT-17 cables that will
> > do the job?
> >
> > 73, Bill NZ5N
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> those of the author.
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