[WriteLog] Belkin F5U409 Question.

Wed Feb 14 12:57:12 EST 2007

You might try 2 stop bits on the COMM port to see if rig control starts 
working. I hear that is a common problem with Yeasu serial comm.
Mike, W1NR
James M. Galm, W8WTS wrote:
> Thanks for the input, Mike. It was VERY relevant! 
>> Based on Mike's suggestion, I disabled rig control (No Rig in all serial
> port slots) and set the frequency and mode manually. With that setup, the
> Belkin F5U409 SENT SERIAL PORT DTR CW PERFECTLY, either from the Alt-k
> dialog box or from the F key memories. 
>> That is a very important result, since it shows that of the two problems
> that I originally described (no rig control and no DTR CW), the CW problem
> is nothing but a direct consequence of the rig control problem. Now that
> serial port DTR CW is solved, I will try to focus on why rig control doesn't
> work. 
>> I don't use a rig interface box, since Yaesu FT1kMP has a true RS-232 serial
> port on the back. There is a Maxim MAX232CWE chip on the control PCB in the
> FT1kMP, so the signal levels on TxD and RxD are perfectly compatible with
> PCB serial ports. 
>> Thanks again for the tip, Mike. That's just the kind of information that
> makes working with a large and knowledgeable user group successful. 
>> 73, Jim, W8WTS. 
>> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike McCarthy, W1NR [mailto:lists at w1nr.net] 
> Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 8:28 AM
> To: jim at w8wts.com
> Cc: writelog at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] FW: Belkin F5U409 Question.
>> One thing that I have noticed is that WriteLog memories via the F keys are
> dependent on the mode read from the rig. If the mode is not CW, the Fx keys
> don't work. That is true for RTTY also.
>> What type of rig interface are you using? I have found that W1GEE
> interfaces don't work with USB cables that use the Prolific PL-2302 chips.
> Must have something to do with deriving power from the serial port, but I
> never did look real close at it. A standard Kenwood IF-232 has no problem
> with it. These chips also don't do FSK RTTY properly. I have found them
> used in the RocketPort II and USBGear dongle cables.
>> I have a Silicon Labs CP2102 development board coming in a few days that,
> from the data sheet, might be programmed to work properly.
>> You might be better off getting one of the USB rig interface boxes. 
> They are more expensive, but at least they are designed to work with
> WriteLog and the various rigs.
>> 73 de Mike, W1NR
>> James M. Galm, W8WTS wrote:
>>> Here's a very interesting new result from tinkering with my Belkin 
>> F5U409 USB/serial converter.
>>>> I posted earlier that it does not do rig control with my FT1KMP and it 
>> does not send WriteLog generated DTR CW. More testing showed that it 
>> DOES send WriteLog generated DTR CW when sent from the Alt-k keyboard
>>> window.
>>> Characters typed into the Alt-k keyboard window send correctly from 
>> the Belkin F5U409 DTR signal. Characters sent from the CW memories 
>> never cause the Belkin F5U409 DTR to change state.
>>>> Perhaps this fact could help those with more detailed knowledge of how 
>> WriteLog interfaces with its serial ports to understand why the Belkin 
>> F5U409s fail to do rig control or send CW from the memories.
>>>> All insight is appreciated. 
>>>> 73,
>>>> Jim, W8WTS. 
>>>> _____
>>>> From: GARY ELLIOT [mailto:k7ox at msn.com]
>> Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2007 7:57 PM
>> To: James M. Galm, W8WTS
>> Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Belkin F5U409 Question.
>>>>>> Jim,
>>>> Let me know if you get it to work...I have a F5U409 and could not get 
>> it to talk for rig control to a Icom 756 PRO. Installs just fine and 
>> the comm port shows up in Device Manager as COM 3 but the radio will not
>>> talk to it.
>>> About ready to give it up and look for a PCI serial card.
>>>> Gary
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