[amsat-bb] CAT Cable and Rotor Controller for FT-736R

[Jeff Bollettino K4AMK]

Hi all, I'm getting back into the hobby after a lengthy absence.  I had 
to re-test for extra as my old license had lapsed and I've taken care of 
that and shortened my call by one letter by getting an available vanity 
call sign.  So now I want to get my old Yaesu FT-736R operating the 
satellites and could use some help.  First up is interfacing SATPC32 on 
a new windows 10 machine to the CAT interface.  I've read through all 
the AMSAT-BB threads I could find on the topic, with one approach being 
to add an RS-232 interface to the PC and building a TTL to RS-232 cable 
with some electronics.  If I can buy rather than build I'd prefer to do 
that for time reasons.  I found a cable on the UK site radioarena.co.uk 
that is a "Yaesu USB Programming / CAT Cable for Radios with 6-pin DIN 
Connector" which sounds perfect but one learns to be suspicious when it 
seems too easy.  Has anyone tried this USB to Yaesu CAT cable with an 
FT-736R, or otherwise knows why it would or would not work?  Here's the 
link: 
https://radioarena.co.uk/programming-cables/yaesu/yaesu-usb-programming-/-cat-cable-for-radios-with-6-pin-din-connector.html

Second, I'm planning to get an Arrow LEO antenna with a low noise figure 
preamp and try a fixed elevation with just an azimuth rotator, mounted 
in an attic.  Could I get some suggestions on the rotor controllers that 
interface most easily/best with SATPC32?  I know there's a list of all 
of them in the read me file but this program's been around for awhile 
and I'm looking for what is easily available and integrates without 
running into unnecessary snags.  I haven't owned a rotator before, and 
so I'm not familiar with them.  I think what I need with a small, attic 
antenna is probably at the small end of the rotor scale.  I'll probably 
go through Norm's Rotor service, but it would be great to have some 
experienced recommendations on what to get.

thanks for any guidance you can offer

73

Jeff