AR8200-MK3 PC interface mod?

[wa8pyr]

All,

I just acquired an AR8200 Mk III for a good price. Now I'm trying to fugure out an interface cable for it.

I had an AR8000 years ago (and sold it for some stupid reason). I built an interface connection into it using a 3.5mm stereo connector which was much easier to use than the ribbon cable.

Is there a similar mod for the AR8200 Mk III? I've got an IF8200 bare cable on order but who knows when it will arrive, and I'm thinking the 3.5mm option would again be easier to use.

Tom WA8PYR

 

[AOR-262]

@wa8pyr

Never worked on the 8200 series. As you mentioned you once owned the AR8000 and build an interface for it, here's a video I did creating a programming socket and cable for the AR8000.

 

[morfis]

The connections of the accessory socket of the various AR8200 versions have been well documented online so it ought to be easy enough to open up the case and see where you could fit a 2.5 or 3.5mm socket into it. If you still have your interface from AR8000 days (presumably built around a MAX232 or a couple of transistors) you could easily use that with a USB<>serial adapter.

 

[wa8pyr]

All,

Thanks for the tips.

I do have my homebrew interface still; it's one I use for a variety of radios by simply switching out the interface-to-radio cable. I also have an original version Optolinx (with the "radio input" 9-pin DIN connector); I had forgotten how useful that interface is.

I've got the IF8200 cable on order as well as a service manual; I'll probably wait until the service manual arrives before I start tearing apart this nice radio.

 

[Ubbe]

You got schematics and modifications info in the yahoo group. Yahoo! Groups

/Ubbe

 

[wa8pyr]

You got schematics and modifications info in the yahoo group. Yahoo! Groups

I dug through there first; didn't see anything that really fit the bill. There's loads more in the AR8000 group (to which I also belong) but of course that's specific to the 8k and of only partial value for the 8200.

The schematics are useful to a point, but I'm interested in seeing if anyone else has already done this, in an attempt to avoid reinventing the wheel.

 

[Ubbe]

As you already have the interface, just add a stereo 3,5mm female connector somewhere, maybe up at the compartment for the shortwave antenna if you don't use that, and connect to TX-in and RX-out that goes to the data connector. It goes to a connector on the circuit board where you could solder the wires. There's 1k protection resistors to the CPU. But I would wait for the proper data connector to not have to open up the scanner and expose it to static discharges.

It was the same connector used for a HP device that migh be easier to get hold of, if you didn't even get a shipping date for the AOR cable.

/Ubbe

 

[wa8pyr]

As you already have the interface, just add a stereo 3,5mm female connector somewhere, maybe up at the compartment for the shortwave antenna if you don't use that, and connect to TX-in and RX-out that goes to the data connector. It goes to a connector on the circuit board where you could solder the wires. There's 1k protection resistors to the CPU. But I would wait for the proper data connector to not have to open up the scanner and expose it to static discharges.

It was the same connector used for a HP device that migh be easier to get hold of, if you didn't even get a shipping date for the AOR cable.

I looked around on eBay for the HP version of the cable, cheapest I saw was around $50. IF8200 is around $28 new.

Adding a 3.5mm stereo jack somewhere on the radio (a la the 8000) is what I had in mind, but the 8200 being smaller than the 8k I don't figure there's a whole lot of space to fiddle with. I don't want to butcher my 8200 unless I have no other choice so I'll wait for the IF8200 to arrive!