My new class started. It is a Senior Capstone. Basically I have eight weeks to design a software project. I chose to build a CAT cable for my Kenwood TS-450S and write software to control said radio. I ordered the CAT cable parts from Jameco and built the cable/electronics this weekend. I am happy to say that it works! I am still in the ground stages of writing the software but have had success with reading and writing frequencies to the radio. I will try to post the source when I finish. Overall, it has been an excellent learning experience for me because I have always wanted to control something via the computer's serial port. The board (pictured below) is basically a converter that changes the RS-232 signal which has the logical bits swinging above and below ground to a standard TTL level. It was fairly easy to build and implement.
I was given a big surprise by my fellow amateur co-worker. He dropped off a Bencher paddle at my desk and said "here, this is yours"....!!!! It made my homebrew paddle go obsolete immediately. I must say I was happy to build my own paddle, but having a heavy commercially built paddle wins for me!With that, I have made a few digital QSO's as of late and a few CW QSO's. Most of my time now is spent trying to debug the CAT software.
I'm just an average guy in the midwest. I have been hooked on amateur radio for 16 years and now that I have my own house, can hang antennas and build things with my modest supply of test equipment. I really enjoy operating CW and power levels around 100 watts. I only have a 30 and 40 meter dipole and am just fine with that for now. I am very interested in homebrewing my own equipment to save money and to understand how radio electronics work.
My new bencher!
1 comment:
Ewww Benchers....I'll take my Black Widow over that any day! ;)
Cant beat the price though. So anyhow, we doing FD again? I mean, after all, I'll be back at Rockwell!
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