Help with mobile digital setup

[swimpedo]

Hello, Smarter than i am people
I have been working on a digital setup for my baofeng-uv5r handheld and i have come across a problem and was hoping i could get some help. I have attached a picture that shows my set up all it is, is 2 different audio cords that plug into the 2 ports on the radio that are for a speaker and mic. which are then plugged into my computer. as soon as i complete the connections the radio starts transmitting and does not stop until it is unplugged i know it is not the computer because i also have a USB sound card (idk where it is or i would have taken a pic) but if you have the radio turned on and its plugged into the sound card but the sound card is not plugged in to a computer the radio starts transmitting. it is not the vox i have it turned off.

Yes i am aware of the baofeng ban and i dont use this radio but i plan on it in the event of an emergency.
Thx/73's,
KN4QWY

 

[AI7PM]

What ports/sockets on the computer are you plgging into?

 

[n5ims]

Most likely you're shorting out the PTT lead to ground on the mic side. The 3 connections on the mic cord are mic audio, PTT, and ground. On the computer side, you may just have mono mic audio so the jack would short PTT to ground (mono would be less expensive to build). If you have stereo mic audio, the PTT lead is still probably shorting to ground through the circuitry. You'll probably need to build a "Y" connection for your mic audio anyway since PTT is often handled using a pin on the RS-232 serial port anyway (the mic audio to your sound card and the PTT connection to the RS-232 port).

 

[swimpedo]

Can i get some details on how to make a "Y" connection? also as shown in the picture the ends of the 3mm audio cables plug into the computer.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Can i get some details on how to make a "Y" connection? also as shown in the picture the ends of the 3mm audio cables plug into the computer.

What are you trying to accomplish with this setup?




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[nd5y]

You found out the hard way that straight cables will not work. You also can't feed speaker level audio into a computer mic/line in or radio mic without overdriving the mic inputs. Try searching for "packet radio interface Baofeng".

 

[alcahuete]

I run the exact same setup (though with a MD-380) with straight cables without any problem at all. It is used to relay a Mototrbo repeater to Zello, and vice versa. So I'm not sure why people are saying it won't work, or it will overdrive the inputs. That just isn't the case at all.

Speaker (Radio) ---> Line In (Computer)
Speaker (Computer) ---> Mic (Radio)

There are potentially a lot of variables at play here, but if it's set up properly, there shouldn't be any issues.

 

[swimpedo]

What are you trying to accomplish with this setup?
I want to be able to use fldigi with my radio and i did not want to spend 100$ on a usb signal link thing, Money is tight for high school students.

Also while digital radios are cool i was looking for something i could use with fldigi

 

[jaspence]

I have had the same problem with two of the Baofeng HT radios with a programming cable that worked for other radios. There have been posts about this, and it is a trait that affects certain radios. I did find an older computer that worked and was able to set up a code plug.

 

[swimpedo]

Does anyone know a type of radio that would work with the setup that i have? Since the baofeng uv5r does not seem to work.

Also someone said that it is likely shorting to ground through mic ptt, is it possible to splice in a switch or simply cut the ptt wire in the audio cable and use the ptt on radio or vox?

 

[alcahuete]

Also someone said that it is likely shorting to ground through mic ptt, is it possible to splice in a switch or simply cut the ptt wire in the audio cable and use the ptt on radio or vox?

I don't have any experience using fldigi in the manner you are trying, but as mentioned above, I have a TYT MD-380 tied into a computer to transfer audio back and forth between a Mototrbo repeater and Zello. I use VOX both on the radio and on Zello and it works great.

 

[IcomIcR20]

What modes are you trying to decode? The modes FLdigi works with are mostly HF modes, not UHF/VHF or FM for the most part.

It may be a good idea to look into a cheap SDR depending on what you want to accomplish. Decoding digital voice like P25, DMR, and NXDN can be done pretty easily using a cheap SDR dongle and DSDplus and a virtual audio cable.

If you get an SDR with HF capibilities, you can run FLdigi on HF modes like PSK31, RTTY, and the like.

P.S. - I am also in highschool so nice to see some other fellow youth out there!

 

[swimpedo]

Well hello other hs student,
Long before I got my license I have had a sdr dongle. I have a few antennas and I sometimes use it for the NOAA satellites.
Ik some of the fldigi modes are for hf but i would also like to be able to send sstv and other modes.

 

[swimpedo]

SOLVED! Mostly
I bought another audio cord from amazon, striped the coating off and cut one of the wires, i think it was the ground if they are color coded i cut the gold/yellow one (3 wire cord red white and yellow/gold) after that i plugged it up with the radio and computer. I sent an sstv image from my computer i just listed did not care about the image, then i sent one from my phone back to the radio. when sending VOX does not work and i had to manual touch the ptt wires together (i plan on adding a push button). Thx and i hope this helps anyone in the future.

 

[swimpedo]

SOLVED! Mostly
I bought another audio cord from amazon, striped the coating off and cut one of the wires, i think it was the ground if they are color coded i cut the gold/yellow one (3 wire cord red white and yellow/gold) after that i plugged it up with the radio and computer. I sent an sstv image from my computer i just listed did not care about the image, then i sent one from my phone back to the radio. when sending VOX does not work and i had to manual touch the ptt wires together (i plan on adding a push button). Thx and i hope this helps anyone in the future.

EDIT: Vox works i just had the plugs backward when i tried to test it a 2nd time
EDIT2: It works but for some reason not with may AMP

 

[jaspence]

Yes i am aware of the baofeng ban and i dont use this radio but i plan on it in the event of an emergency.

You couldn't pick a much worse radio in an emergency situation. True emergency use requires a reliable quality radio from manufacturers like Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, or other established suppliers. A radio that is known to possibly cause problems should never be used. Many experienced operators involved in volunteer emergency communications have used or new commercial radios for their durability and reliability.

 

[swimpedo]

True, but i dont have money to buy a nice radio i would like to have a nicer one but dont have the money, and its covered by the any means necessary clause.

 

[kayn1n32008]

and its covered by the any means necessary clause.

[emoji2357][emoji2357][emoji2357] Here we go again. [emoji849][emoji849][emoji849]


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[AI7PM]

......and its covered by the any means necessary clause.

That "any means necessary" has a legal definition that propably isn't what you're thinking. Ask your self what FCC Part states that, and what service THAT FCC Part referes to and covers. After that, research what the FCC has said it means.

kayn1n32008. Yes, what you said.

 

[alcahuete]

So let's see...you guys get in a car crash, your cell phone is thrown through the windshield, you're trapped in the car bleeding to death, and you guys are worried about using a non-type accepted radio? LMAO! You can't be serious?

If it's me in that car, any means necessary means any means necessary. If that means using a Baofeng, so be it. If it means transmitting on the public safety frequency, that's what it means. I'll deal with the FCC later, but at least I'll be around to deal with them. If some judge somewhere decides that "any means necessary" has a different legal definition, I'll take the $20,000 fine. Don't really care.