Base/Mobile Tranceivers

Kenwood TS-680S

HF/6m tranceiver that run on 12-16V using just above 1.5A for RX and 20A for full power TX.

Kenwood TS-680S Pic

General info here, here and here.

Remote Interface

This is a 7-pin DIN plug used to connect to an external linear amplifier or transverter. It has an ALC input and a T/R-relay connection. The ALC input is biased down to -10V for minimum power output.

Serial Interface

To connect to a computer the TS-680 needs the IF-10C module installed and IF-232C interface and level converter. They are out of production like the transceiver itself and hard to find. The latter also is a bit old fashioned nowadays when USB is the norm.

The interface cable can be made with a USB chip like the FT232RL. The connections from FT232RL to the 6-pin DIN is:

      6-pin DIN  (ACC1)
GND - Pin 1
RXD - Pin 2
TXD - Pin 3
RTS - Pin 4
CTS - Pin 5

Serial interface full  duplex
Transfer rate:     4800 BPS
Sync:              Asynchronous
Bit construction:  1 start bit, 8 character bits, 2 stop bits  (NO parity)

Even easier it can be made by soldering a 6-pin DIN plug to a cheap off-the-shelf FTDI USB-Serial cable.

It is tricker to find or replace the IF-10C. There is a commercial IF-10C substitute from Piexx that also include the level converter and a ribbon cable meant to bypass the 6-pin DIN (ACC1) and connect directly to a serial port.

If you want to roll your own there is a schematic and PCB layout available. This Japanese ham built his own copy.

Audio/PTT/Keyer Interface

Homebrew Audio Interface

Connected via 13-pin DIN ACC2.

The optocoupler for PTT is connected in a non-inverting way to the RTS line of a USB serial port. Some friendly applications like fldigi lets you configure if you want the PTT to be a logical high or low. Some applications like WSPR and wsjtx don't and then the optocoupler might have to be connected so it inverts the RTS line.

     Non-inverting            Inverting

--------------------------------------------- +V
              |               |       |
 >-[==]-1[U]4-/               \-1[U]4-/
         [ ]                     [ ]
      /-2[_]3-[==]->     >-[==]-2[_]3-[==]->
      |
--------------------------------------------- 0V

Yaesu FT-817ND

A very portable HF-UHF all mode QRP tranceiver. A real best seller for Yeasu.

Yaesu FT-817ND Pic

General info here and here.


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