Another CQ parrot idea!

Remember my failed projects post from last year? I built a new modem for the FT-817 when I  couldn't get the USB soundcard modem working correctly. The new modem does what it has to do and works via the internal radio VOX to switch PTT. However I have some issues now with CAT control disconnecting whenever I transmit, but that's another story.

In the past years I use a homemade voicekeyer but always had problems with RFI during the PACC. I tried galvanic separation and a couple of 10nF caps which helped but there is always one band that gives problems. Last year it was 40m, the years before on 15m. In one occassion it was a defective coax cable between radio and tuner, but overall it is just RF disturbing my modulation. Now, last year I took part in the CQWW SSB with my friends on PA6AA. They use N1MM+ as contestlogger and it has a voicekeyer inside which can play a WAV file. Very handy as you can keep your eyes at the screen and fingers on the keyboard and don't have to look at a separate voicekeyer anymore. Since we were transmitting with high power levels it seems this voicekeyer was taking the RF well. But how to interface it with the radio? You can buy very nice appliances for that but normally you can use your digital modes modem for it. However, my PSK-10 modem with built in VOX gets crazy when I modulate SSB myself. So, that is not a option!

Now, I got this USB modem which was not doing the job on my FT-817. It has the same mini DIN plug for connection with the radio as the Icom. So I got a bright idea and connected the modem to my newly configurated W10 desktop. Immidiatly the USB connection was recognized simple as that. Playing some audio activated the VOX and the radio is transmitting. Now, for a reliability test I had to test my audio on all bands and also test it when I modulate myself in contest configuration. It didn't show any problems, as far as I could hear excellent audio on all contest bands on both the Inverted-V as the Vertical. Hopefully it will stay that way so it can support me when contesting in the PACC this weekend.

Some recycling project isn't it!