HAMS: Pro-106 Cable same as a TTL adapter?

[k4gps]

I know we have a lot of hams on here so I wanted to ask. Does anyone know if the ICOM/YASEU etc. etc. programming cable work with the PRO-106 ? Does this radio work with the standard TTL to Serial adapters.

I know that everyone would like to sell you a new cable for each radio but it's not really necessary in many cases. My ICOM cable works with my Yaseu hand helds and it also worked on an ID-800 even though it was claimed it would not work. I ended up buying a USB ICOM cable but sold it along with the ID-800 since my serial one worked just fine.

Just trying to reuse something I don't use very much and save $32 at the same time. I also have an adapter that I can use that will change the polarity of the contacts in the plug along with a mini-sub-mini adapterso that should all be covered. Is the RS cable a stereo mini plug ?

 

[smokeyjones666]

I know we have a lot of hams on here so I wanted to ask. Does anyone know if the ICOM/YASEU etc. etc. programming cable work with the PRO-106 ? Does this radio work with the standard TTL to Serial adapters.

I know that everyone would like to sell you a new cable for each radio but it's not really necessary in many cases. My ICOM cable works with my Yaseu hand helds and it also worked on an ID-800 even though it was claimed it would not work. I ended up buying a USB ICOM cable but sold it along with the ID-800 since my serial one worked just fine.

Just trying to reuse something I don't use very much and save $32 at the same time. I also have an adapter that I can use that will change the polarity of the contacts in the plug along with a mini-sub-mini adapterso that should all be covered. Is the RS cable a stereo mini plug ?

I think this is related to something I've been trying to find out more about myself. I know the serial cable for the Pro-96/97/106/whatever has a mono 1/8" plug on the radio end. My USB programming cable has a stereo 1/8" plug and included a stereo to mono adapter, but you can plug the stereo plug into the RS and GRE radios without the adapter and it works just fine.

Edit: now that I think about it, I don't know about that old mono serial cable for the Pro-106. I know they discontinued it, perhaps in anticipation for the Pro-106.

I have a usb programming cable (aftermarket, with the prolific usb to serial chipset) for my yaesu HT but I've never been brave enough to try and plug it in to my PSR-500 - and I was never brave enough to plug it into my Pro-96 when I had it.

If anybody has any information on building homebrew interfaces for either of these radios I think we could figure out of this would work, though. I wouldn't be surprised to find out if your hunch was right and we could do this with adapters.

 

[k4gps]

Ryan... more searching right on the R/S web site review of the pgm cable.
>>>
I have used this scanner cable to control my ICOM 746PRO radio. I have used in with VISTA and XP. I did not use the provided CD - [...]Ham Radio Deluxe software works with this cable.Airmail2000 software will soon support this cable - s/w changes are being made to provide a RTS enable/disable option in the program.MARS/ALE software - based on PC/ALE works with this cable. Unfortunately both these ALE programs do not function properly on Vista.This has to be the lowest cost ICOM CIV compatible cable available. And it is readily available at Radio Shack stores nationwide.
>>>

Looks like my guess is right. Now I'll have to search for the cable and some trial software.

 

[jeffkraussws]

I wonder if this will work:
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-Programming...oryZ4674QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[k4gps]

That is exactly what I ordered for my ID-800 and from the same person KAWA. All I can say is that after I got the USB cable I found my old serial verson for the W32A and used that with a USB adapter and it worked just fine.

All that there is in there is a Serial (In this case USB) to TTL adapter. I just found my serial cable and noticed one thing. The plug is stereo, I believe the RS adapter is mono, can anyone verifiy this ?and is data on tip and ground on ring ? If so then a female stereo wired to a male mono connected to the correct female tabs should make this cable compatable.

I went ahead and plugged mine in and am trying to use ID TrackerII right now to test it since it is freeware. No luck now but I got to find a couple of menu items that need to be changed as per the author. I am trying to find the CCDUMP and DSPCOMS parms so I can disable them. Not sure where they are and it's not obvious from the manual, maybe it's in a secret menu. Back to searching the internet!

 

[pappy1]

Good rule of thumb on programming cables for scanners is:

Mono plug on end for analog scanners.

Stereo plug for Digital Scanners:

Stay with the above and you will not go wrong.

 

[k4gps]

Some progress, thanks Pappy for the encouragement.

I got IDTRACKERII making my radio go into clone mode now, I believe because it sucks info out of the radio prior to the package starting to work. I just can't find where to shut off CCDUMP and DSP comms in the menu.

Back to searching the forum and GOOGLE.

 

[pro92b]

http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/uc/rsk/Support/ProductManuals/2000106_GM_EN.pdf

 

[jeffkraussws]

All that there is in there is a Serial (In this case USB) to TTL adapter. I just found my serial cable and noticed one thing. The plug is stereo, I believe the RS adapter is mono, can anyone verifiy this ?and is data on tip and ground on ring ? If so then a female stereo wired to a male mono connected to the correct female tabs should make this cable compatable.

No, the RS 20-047 interface cable for the Pro-106/197 and the GRE-500/600 has a stereo plug. It also comes with a stereo-to-mono adapter so it can be used with older scanners. But the stereo plug is required for digital scanners.

Have you tried the ICOM-compatible cable with a digital scanner?

 

[k4gps]

I am right now and I get IDTrackerII to get the radio to go into clone mode but then an error comes up. I am going to mess with it a bit more, looking for some freeware program that works with the PRO-106 that we all know that works 100% to use as a platform.

If I find that the cable works well then I'll search for some paid programs and take the plunge.

Any other freeware suggestions, nothing fancy needed just something so that I know the cable is working.

 

[k4gps]

Sorry guy's at least the old TTL to Serial adapter does not work. It appears that it is not full duplex like the new USB ones are. I can get the radio to go into clone mode and start downloading but IDTrackerII and PSEDIT500 so not see anything coming back from the radio. I also read that the PC/IF port outputs in standard ASCII data so if the cables were seeing data hyperterminal should be streaming characters at the very least.

That is not to say that some of the KAWA USB $5.00 cables would not work but since I sold mine off a year ago I can't test it. Anyone else care to test with one of the generic USB pgm cables ?

 

[mikey60]

I am trying to find the CCDUMP and DSPCOMS parms so I can disable them. Not sure where they are and it's not obvious from the manual, maybe it's in a secret menu. Back to searching the internet!

Press PGM, FUNC, F3(GLOB). Scroll down to the bottom of that menu and you'll find those options (Press FUNC-Down Arrow to jump to the bottom of the menu quickly).

Mike

 

[nettiser]

I have the pro-106 and also the Icom TNC-17 USB cable. It does not work on the 106 It does work on 95 and 97 and possibly the 96.

Being in Australia I have not been able to get a cable ( no one here has them )and Radio shack is not supported here since Woolworths bought out Tandy Electronics.

I had one quote from RS in USA for $32 for the cable and $36 to post it here. Really! a 2 oz wire cost $36? I had a whole scanner semt USPS priority ( the same) for $13.

Talk about rip off postage