Data modes help.

Hi again,

Looking to play around and make some contacts via FT8 or other modes.
Using a CRT 7900 Turbo if I can, can anyone recommend an interface that will work with this and my PC? The more user friendly the better.  
Never used data so this should be interesting.

Thanks

Tam

Hi Tam,

Unfortunately it's not always as easy as it seems when it comes to FT8 on some radios compared to the mainstream Ham stuff. Most Hams just purchase an interface for their appropriate modern radio model then it's pretty much plug-and-play from thereafter. (Apart from maybe software setups and Windows 'forgetting' port settings and such!)

The simplest setup you could try for receive only is to run a jack from the radios external speaker output and then into the line-in of your PC or maybe even the microphone input of a laptop. You'd then have to turn the CB radios volume to it's lowest level increasing it slowly until the software started decoding signals. Even then it may be fraught with problems in not having any port 'isolation' so you mostly get noise without much decoding going on.

Anything is possible and I even built my own interface so that I could run my 40 odd year old Yaesu FT757gx on FT8 when I first started but it was less than ideal. With the initial 'warm-up' frequency drift, limited audio response on both receive as well as transmit it wasn't that great. That was after all my efforts into interfacing a radio with some sort of facilities for connectivity and on a CB radio might take some ingenuity in wiring up a mic-plug connector to access the PTT/TX controls and audio input. Even then you've got to get the 'levels' right to successfully use it.

(Plus there isn't a whole lot going on with 11m as far as FT8 goes but the 10m band can be busy and exciting.)

That probably sounds like I've inappropriately quenched your fire (to use a less rude term ) as there's bound to be many that have managed to jury rig up some sort of setup and got it all working.

Might be worth having a scour around the old internet Tam for anyone that has documented such a CB to FT8/digi-mode setup and see if that helps you out. I would look myself for you but with grandchildren living with us at the moment we're up to our necks with Xmas and stretched beyond belief. (I'm slowly losing my sanity! )


Sorry I couldn't be of much help further.

All the best,
Victor

Thank you Victor for your usual in depth reply! My fire is still alight .
I am using 10 and 11 metres on this radio so thought I'd be able to use data via interface like this one on it on 10 metres. Rigexpert ti-3000 - transceiver interface at Radioworld UK
Oh well, back to the drawing board

Just to add... My reason for looking into data modes is my hearing, it is shocking!
Sometimes I find it hard to hear conversations and think looking at contacts on a screen would be easier.

It's not impossible Tam but I just couldn't quickly find an off the shelf solution for you unfortunately.


If you're the type handy with a soldering iron there are loads of options such as the following :-

https://orlokmagelang.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SKEMA-INTERFACE-YES.jpg

http://ocarc.us/images/2016/projects/fldigi-interface-schematic.jpg

They have the appropriate isolation and even PTT (Push To Talk or TX keying) circuitry with VOX switching circuitry suitable for those radios not equipped with such. (All looks elegantly simple if you're so qualified/experienced.)

You wouldn't have USB CAT control but all that does on most radios is just tune it to the appropriate frequency via software....you can easily dial in say '28.074MHz' and select USB yourself.

I know what you mean regards hearing as I've been losing mine more and more as the years go by (too much motorcycling) and FT8 is a very enjoyable option. Works well too with even minimal antenna setups. (I've hit all around the world even with my loft antenna.)


I'll have another scan about when I can to see what's out there but otherwise at least you now know what sort of thing you're looking for. (Commercial items like the one you referenced seem great but often not up to the task you need and flipping expensive to boot!!)

I am quite happy to buy a dedicated radio for data should one exist or even trade my radios plus cash for an HF box with data.  Perhaps I should have gone for a box like the Icom7300 or similar with data modes in the first place.

Ahh, I now know I am barking up the wrong tree, not for the first time! I thought I could simply buy an interface and hook it up to my pc and 7900 .
So I need a data capable radio AND an interface then fiddle with settings.
If anyone can recommend things I would need to get me started that would be great.
Happy to spend a few quid, well happy might be too strong a word for this jock but not loads.
Any ideas/suggestions very welcome.

Thanks

If you haven't yet, look into the very popular 'SignaLink'. I cannot tell you one hundred percent that it will connect your 10m radio to your PC for data modes as I haven't done this. But I don't see why it wouldn't be able to.

It's available with many different connecting cables and also open ended wire cables to wire up yourself. I know they do an RJ45 type mic port variant, but unsure if would be directly compatible with your radio or if a wire or two would needed changing.

In the interim whilst you think about what route you want to go (new radio or an interface like this one) then you can still play with a bit of receiving and decoding. If you do a search for a Fred in the Shed video where he plays with FT8 receiving on a SS6900n, you can see how to receive quite easily with no interface box.

SangueG wrote:

If you haven't yet, look into the very popular 'SignaLink'. I cannot tell you one hundred percent that it will connect your 10m radio to your PC for data modes as I haven't done this. But I don't see why it wouldn't be able to.

It's available with many different connecting cables and also open ended wire cables to wire up yourself. I know they do an RJ45 type mic port variant, but unsure if would be directly compatible with your radio or if a wire or two would needed changing.

In the interim whilst you think about what route you want to go (new radio or an interface like this one) then you can still play with a bit of receiving and decoding. If you do a search for a Fred in the Shed video where he plays with FT8 receiving on a SS6900n, you can see how to receive quite easily with no interface box.

Thank you for this, will have a look. As I have said, I am wet behind the ears here so, the more ideas the better.

TamGlasgow wrote:

Ahh, I now know I am barking up the wrong tree, not for the first time! I thought I could simply buy an interface and hook it up to my pc and 7900 .
So I need a data capable radio AND an interface then fiddle with settings.
If anyone can recommend things I would need to get me started that would be great.
Happy to spend a few quid, well happy might be too strong a word for this jock but not loads.
Any ideas/suggestions very welcome.

Thanks

If you buy a rig that connects to the computer via USB such as the Icom 7300, Yaesu FTDX710, Kenwood TS590 then they have an internal soundcard so you use the USB connection for both rig control and TX/RX audio. No interface required. The Kenwood TS590S (not SG) is quite old now and can be found for around £500-£600 used.

The Yaesu FT-991a is a good radio and it is a shack in a box HF + 2m/70cm.
Had mine some time now and won't part with it.
It will do everything you could want to do.