I have a new Yaesu FT-817ND that I would like to use on PSK-31.

According to the manual, one should be able to just connect the radio
to the sound card without the need for any interface boxes such as the
Rigblaster or Nomic.

I have done this with my old Icom IC-735 and it worked pretty well up
to about 10 watts of output, so one would think I should be able to
get away with it running only 5 watts or less on the FT-817.

My question is, have any of you all done that with success?

As for connections, I must say that the FT-817ND manual is pretty bad
at explaining how to hook it up.

On page 38 the manual discusses SSB-based AFSK and shows the radio
connected to a TNC.

Then on page 39 under PSK-31, it says only to "Connect the FT-817ND to
your computer's sound card or interface" without going into any detail
on how to do tyat.

I can only assume that the connections for audio are the same as shown
on page 38, but they don't say that explicitly.

The big question is, how is the PTT connected? Does that operate off
of DCD or DTR on a serial port? If so, note that the voltage coming
out of a serial port's handshake lines can be as much as +/- 15 volts
and still be within the RS-232 spec. I find it hard to believe that
+/- 15 volts on the PTT pin of the radio is OK.

Of course, if the VOX circuit is active and can hear the audio from
the data connector's Data In pin, then VOX could be used to switch to
transmit mode.

Do any of you know if VOX will work in PSK31 mode?

Thanks and 73...

Rick WA1RKT

Hello,

Why do you seek problems? Doesn't it have a mini DIN connector to connect a
TNC?
Personnaly I recommend an interface to plug the TRX to the computer... Guess
why.

Soundcard interface schematics on this page:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/f6crp/denis/psk31.htm

I homebrewed one and sent some pictures on the packet net.

The mini DIN connector is standard so if you find one pinout picture you are
saved.

73 de F8BOE Olivier ...-.-



Rick WA1RKT wrote:


I have a new Yaesu FT-817ND that I would like to use on PSK-31.

According to the manual, one should be able to just connect the radio
to the sound card without the need for any interface boxes such as the
Rigblaster or Nomic.

I have done this with my old Icom IC-735 and it worked pretty well up
to about 10 watts of output, so one would think I should be able to
get away with it running only 5 watts or less on the FT-817.

My question is, have any of you all done that with success?

As for connections, I must say that the FT-817ND manual is pretty bad
at explaining how to hook it up.

On page 38 the manual discusses SSB-based AFSK and shows the radio
connected to a TNC.

Then on page 39 under PSK-31, it says only to "Connect the FT-817ND to
your computer's sound card or interface" without going into any detail
on how to do tyat.

I can only assume that the connections for audio are the same as shown
on page 38, but they don't say that explicitly.

The big question is, how is the PTT connected? Does that operate off
of DCD or DTR on a serial port? If so, note that the voltage coming
out of a serial port's handshake lines can be as much as +/- 15 volts
and still be within the RS-232 spec. I find it hard to believe that
+/- 15 volts on the PTT pin of the radio is OK.

Of course, if the VOX circuit is active and can hear the audio from
the data connector's Data In pin, then VOX could be used to switch to
transmit mode.

Do any of you know if VOX will work in PSK31 mode?

Thanks and 73...

Rick WA1RKT

Rick WA1RKT wrote:

I have a new Yaesu FT-817ND that I would like to use on PSK-31.

According to the manual, one should be able to just connect the radio
to the sound card without the need for any interface boxes such as the
Rigblaster or Nomic.

I have done this with my old Icom IC-735 and it worked pretty well up
to about 10 watts of output, so one would think I should be able to
get away with it running only 5 watts or less on the FT-817.

My question is, have any of you all done that with success?

As for connections, I must say that the FT-817ND manual is pretty bad
at explaining how to hook it up.

On page 38 the manual discusses SSB-based AFSK and shows the radio
connected to a TNC.

Then on page 39 under PSK-31, it says only to "Connect the FT-817ND to
your computer's sound card or interface" without going into any detail
on how to do tyat.

I can only assume that the connections for audio are the same as shown
on page 38, but they don't say that explicitly.


I had an 817, and ran the transmit and receive audio directly to the
sound jacks on my laptop with no issues after I got the levels set
correctly. It's possible you may have to pad the output to the rig a
bit depending on what sound card you have.

The big question is, how is the PTT connected? Does that operate off
of DCD or DTR on a serial port? If so, note that the voltage coming
out of a serial port's handshake lines can be as much as +/- 15 volts
and still be within the RS-232 spec. I find it hard to believe that
+/- 15 volts on the PTT pin of the radio is OK.

I made an optoisolator from an led and a phototransistor from Radio
Shack. The led went to DTR with a current limiting resistor, something
like 5K I think, and the phototransistor went to the PTT input and ground.

Then I set PSK mode to USB for the PSK entry on the menu, and it worked
fine.

Tom
K0TAR