Signalink USB Review

Signalink USB Package

The Signalink USB is an interface that allows a computer to send and receive audio to a transceiver.  With it you can operate the myriad “digital modes” on the ham bands like PSK-31, WINMOR, Slow-Scan TV, Olivia, FeldHell, MFSK, Throb, Thor, etc, etc.  All the device does is pass audio to and from the radio.  It is the software that defines the communications.  AGWPE will let you run packet on VHF without a TNC, including Winlink email access.  EasyPAL will have you sending digital photos on HF at 3000 bits/second.  Echolink will let you create a node with your base radio and Internet PC so you can work the world with your handie-talkie in the back yard.  The NBEMS suite of FLDIGI/FLARQ will enable several different modes and allow error free message handling for emergency communications.

I recently purchased two Signalink USB computer/radio interfaces from Tigertronics in Grants Pass, OR.  The units are sold direct from the manufacturer for $99.95 plus shipping.  I just received a new catalog from HRO that indicates that they are now selling the units as well.  The price includes one radio cable selected at the time of order.  A couple of the cables with 13 pin DIN plugs add $5 to the cost.  Additional cables are available separately for $8 – $25 each, depending on configuration.

My units arrived by UPS ground, well packed in a cardboard carton and foam “peanuts”.  Included in the package are the unit, a USB computer-device cable, a radio-device cable, a mono 1/8 in. audio cable, 6 jumper wires, hex wrench, mini CD of software, and a 12 page instruction guide.  I already own two of the original Signalink SL-1 units which are similar to the USB model except that they do not have an internal sound card- they depend on audio lines from and to a computer soundcard.

The Signalink USB is bar-none the easiest computer/radio interface I have ever set up.  I use a Microkeyer interface from Microhams on my HF base station, and while it is very powerful and customizable, it takes hours to configure and is extremely complex.  First you will need to open the aluminum Signalink case by removing the four hex screws on the front plastic panel.  Pull out the panel with the circuit board.  One of my two units had a very tight fit and I had to push the board from the back with the eraser end of a pencil through the RJ-45 hole.

Circuit board with jumpers

Next you will need to place the jumpers in the header on the circuit board per the directions for your radio model.  There might be a jumper diagram in the package containing the included radio cable, but if there is not, or if you misplace it, the information is on the Tigertronics site. I got both of my units with the popular 6-pin mini-DIN “data port” configuration which works on all of my VHF/UHF radios (Kenwood, Yaesu and iCOM), and luckily my Yaesu-857 HF rig as well.  At this point I will mention my only criticism of the Signalink devices (both USB or basic SL1+).  The Signalink is customized to your radio by BOTH the cable AND the jumper settings inside the case.  If you want to use the device on two different radios that have different jumper settings, you will have to open the case and change the jumpers.  Tigertronics does sell plug-in headers for $5 that can be hard-wired, making it much easier to change settings, but you still have to open the case.  I wanted to occasionally use my Signalink with my Kenwood HT.  Rather than change the headers, I simply custom wired my own cable to work with the current jumper layout, thereby allowing me to use the device with either radio by just changing the cable.  By the way, the radio jack is a standard 8 pin RJ-45 with the wiring and color coding of standard Ethernet cables, so “networking types” will be able to whip up custom cables pretty easily.

Rear panel view

Once the header jumpers are in place, close up the box and replace the 4 hex screws.  Plug your cable in to the radio and the Signalink.  Depending on the wiring instructions, you might have to run a (included) cable from the radio speaker jack to the Signalink.  The 6-pin data plug has all of the needed signals so you will not have to take this step if you use it.  There are jacks on the back of the Signalink for these and other optional connections which are explained in the instructions.  If you have been using computers for a while you know that you should never plug in a new USB device until you have installed the drivers.  Surprise! The Signalink USB uses a standard driver that is already built in to Windows XP/Vista/7, so you can just plug it in and go.  Windows will install the driver and a new sound device called “USB Audio Codec”.  At this point you want to go to the control panel in windows to the audio devices and set the default sound card for playback and recording back to the one built in to your PC.  In my experience, when Windows sees the new Signalink it becomes very excited by the presence of a new device and sets IT as the default sound card.  We do not want “You’ve got Mail!” going out over the air.

That is basically it.  You are ready to operate.  Got to http://www.w1hkj.com/ and download and install the FLDIGI program for your computer and install it.  Go in to the CONFIGURE / SOUNDCARD menu and select the USB audio CODEC as the input and output, then save the settings.  Set up a sked on VHF or tune some stations on HF to read the mail.  One thing you will probably have to do is boost the volume setting IN SOFTWARE in the computer.  Double-click your speaker icon in the system tray (bottom right).  Select OPTIONS / PROPERTIES. In the MIXER DEVICE dropdown, click USB Audio CODEC.  Make sure the PLAYBACK button is black, then click OK.  Now make sure that the volume is at 100% on WAVE and speaker is above 50%.  I had to set both at 100% on my Netbook.  If you are sending and your PTT is not lighting up, it is almost certainly the result of this level setting not being set high enough.  All of this is covered on the Signalink web site in their FAQ.

Front panel view

The strength of the Signalink USB is its simplicity.  There are usually just two cables needed: one to the radio and one to the computer.  The device draws its power from the USB port.  The front panel has the following controls: A power button with a green LED which activates the PTT relay circuit.  Any time the USB cable is plugged in, the unit is “on”, but if the power is “off”, the radio will not transmit.  Next is a red LED that lights during PTT/VOX activation.  The three knobs adjust the TX (Transmitted audio level), RX (Received audio level) and DLY (VOX delay).  In my experience on a couple of different computers, you should start out with the TX at about 9 o’clock, the RX at 12 and the delay fully counter-clockwise.  Some modes like FeldHell and CW will perform better with a longer delay so you will need to adjust as you change modes.  Be careful how high you run the TX setting, as excessive drive will make your signal wide and distorted.

VOX is shorthand for “voice operated transmit”.  In the case of the Signalink, there is a circuit in the unit that “pushes the push-to-talk button” any time an audio signal is detected at the output of the sound card chip.  Many interfaces and software programs are designed to use a hardware PTT (push to talk) circuit via a serial or parallel port.  Since the Signalink is generating the PTT signal when a sound is sent, you can ignore those port settings in the programs you use.  If you can’t set them “off”, you might be able to set them to a non-existent port number.  One note of caution- Since any audio out to the Signalink will key the transmitter, remember that the power button will shut OFF the transmit PTT signal if you have a malfunction.

While I have only been using the Signalink USB for about a week (to excellent effect), it has been the device of choice for the WINMOR developments team.  WINMOR is a demanding communications package currently in beta testing that requires a very stable computer sound card.  While most computers have a built in sound card, using them on your radio gear can be problematic.  To do so, you will have to disable all operating system and other sounds so the beeps and boops do not go over the air.  Setting the levels will also be difficult if you change from listening to music on speakers, to using the radio interface.  An interface to the radio is really a necessity too.  While it is possible to run a cable from your speaker jack to your radio mic jack, and from the radio speaker jack to your computer line-in jack, you will likely suffer from RF hum and ground-loop noise effects.  Radio interfaces like the Signalink provide DC isolation of the radio and computer with transformers on the audio i/o and a relay on the PTT line.

There is a WORLD of communications modes to learn about for anyone with a computer.  I don’t know of a better combination of low cost and ease of use to get involved than the Signalink USB.  I highly recommend the free NBEMS software package aka FLDIGI as previously mentioned as a starting point.  If you are new to digital communications, see the beginner’s guide. The authors of FLDIGI also have a nice internet reference to many of the soundcard modes with waterfall screen-captures and sample audio files to help you identify many of the signals you will hear.  If you live in the neighborhood, come to a meeting of the Mount Baker Amateur Radio Club – Digital Group at the library in Ferndale Washington (2222 Main St) at 7 pm on the THIRD TUESDAY of every month except July & August.

3 x 7

As I am writing this I am setting up PC number three with Windows 7. There is a very cool utility called NiNite that will download and install several popular (most are free) applications automatically.  Just check the boxes next to the stuff you want and go.  It even rejects all the additional toolbars and crapware that some of the apps try to foist on you. Go to http://ninite.com/ and save an hour of clicking and waiting.

The Cliff notes on Windows 7-  If you have Vista, get it.  If you have XP and you are happy with it, leave it alone.  If you are upgrading from Vista or XP, do a clean install (you have to with XP anyway).  You CAN install  the UPGRADE EDITION of 7 on a new bare drive if you follow these instructions.  Shop around- If you are going to upgrade 2 or 3 computers, buy the Microsoft family pack (three machines for $150 -$125 at Costco- thanks K4MP).

Lots of ham radio software is old and picky so do NOT count on 7 running with all of your stuff, especially older hardware.  My “radio” computer is still running XP and will probably stay that way.  Newer “netbooks” are optimized for slimmed down versions of XP and will probably not work better with 7.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Soundcard Pain

Yesterday I hit a computer snag that had me cussing and bashing on the machine for a few hours.  I bought a Signalink USB radio interface device and put it on my “ham radio computer” for a test drive.  NOTE: The Signalink is a fantastic device and a real bargain- I will write that up separately.  The PROBLEM was a software issue that is unrelated.

Basically my first task was to set up the Signalink as a “soundcard TNC” to access Winlink email on a local packet RMS.  I have done this in the past and it is pretty easy if you are experienced with computer networking.  I could NOT get it to work until I made the following discovery.  My computer has one sound card in addition to the on-board sound-chip on the motherboard.  This is not a problem for most programs as you can select the sound device in the software that you want to use.  The snafu is that I also have a camera/microphone combination on the PC.

Windows assigns the soundcard devices a number during the boot process in each of three categories- input, output, and mixer.  Normally sound card one gets assigned input-0, output-0 and mixer-0; the second soundcard gets input-1, output-1 and mixer-1; etc for as many soundcards as you have.  The problem here is the camera/microphone, which has NO OUTPUT capability. Let’s say that during boot, the first soundcard gets 0,0,0; then the next device that Windows enumerates is the camera- it gets input-1, output-null, mixer-1.  Now when the next soundcard is enumerated it is assigned input-2, output-1, mixer-2.

The AGWPE software that lets you run packet with no TNC (cool software, free, get it) and probably several other programs, expect the sound input and output to be on the same device (can you blame it?).  There is no error or crash- it just doesn’t WORK <sigh>. My fix was just pulling the camera off the PC and putting it on another machine.  If there is a way to hack the registry to force it to be the last enumerated device, that would cure the problem.  Perhaps simply uninstalling it and reinstalling it “last” after the sound devices would do the trick, but at this point I am tired of cussing at the machine and happy that it works.

K1BJ-10 RMS QRV

Brian, K1BJ (with the assistance of W7RE) has just installed an RMS gateway at his QTH and is looking for testers.  I changed my packet gear around and my Winlink client is down but I can connect and get a full scale signal here.

K1BJ-10    144.420 Mhz     1200 baud

 

D-RATS RF Link Test

I am testing the Internet/RF link built in to D-RATS.  basically this is a software repeater that will connect a D-RATS user on the internet with other users on the WC7SO repeater.  Because this is an RF transmission, you must be licensed (Technician or higher) to participate.  You do NOT have to own a radio, however.  All you need is a Linux/Apple/Windows PC with D-RATS software.  Because this is a live RF link I am requiring you to use a password to access.  Send me an email with your callsign and I will return a password for you to use, and the server address/port.   Access is subject to change as I use this computer for other tasks as well.

The D-RATS software link (scroll down and get the latest BETA)

The “How to access a RATflector” link

Be sure and read all of the FAQ and manual info on the root page if you are new to D-RATS.

DG 10/20/09

Show and tell night at the Digital Group.  I plan on showing two toys I recently acquired:

The Ruckus Metroflex AP/Gateway

The Ubiquiti Airview 2 Ghz Spectrum Analyzer

I bought them both from Pasadena Networks for about $70 ea.  My Airview has the external antenna- the self-contained model is only $39.

EDIT – Meeting notes are posted here – go take a look! <ac7ky>

D-STAR Radio Sans iCOM

This looks like an interesting development.  I expect someone will loan me a Dongle so I can try this out or maybe they will take the plunge themselves.  Here is a snippet from the readme file from the FILES section of the Open Source D STAR Software group on Yahoo.  In short: If you have a computer / soundcard interface on a VHF/UHF radio all you add is a dongle (for the CODEC) and this software to create a D-STAR radio.  Not only that, but your station can act as a gateway node to the D-STAR world.  No iCOM gear in sight.  Neat stuff in-deed.

DESCRIPTION
===========
dstar HOT POINT software converts your radio station to a dstar RF gateway.
It uses your d-star dongle, an analog base radio and a radio interface like a rigblaster,
VA3TO, or ULI, signalLink or WB2REM or any USB interface board or RASCAL,...

The software will use  RTS or DTR to key up the BASE radio.
For COS, the software will try to detect CTS or DSR or CD.
(Instead of COS, you can use VOX with the VOX threshold).

The basic setup is, you will have a analog base radio at your QTH
attached to your computer(Linux or Windows) thru the
radio interface(rigblaster,ULI board, signalLink,WB2REM,VA3TO,USB-based adapter).
Any local RF user tuned to your base radio's frequency will access
the dstar network, because the dstar_hot_point software will
open a connection to a remote dstar node.
You will be able to control the dstar_hot_point software
and command it to disconnect or connect to any remote
dstar node you want, by using DTMF tones on your HT.

Also, the dstar_hot_point software allows you to use
the computer MIC and speakers if you do not want to use a radio.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
==================
--- a dongle.
    We use the dongle, because other devices, adapters are not ready for prime time
    and suffer from a lot of problems.

--- An analog radio as your base radio attached to the computer
    thru a radio interface(VA3TO, or ULI, signalLink or WB2REM or rigblaster or
    any USB radio interface or RASCAL, or...) using the Mic input and speaker output of the radio.

--- This software(dstar_hot_point)

--- A Linux or Windows machine.

Ham Spots

“Ham Spots” is a web page for digital mode enthusiasts to set up skeds and report  current on air activities and “spots”.  Internet sites such as this one, and Andy (K3UK)’s site are very nice way to sort out all the modes and QSO searching.

Maple Falls RMS QRV

Ron W7RE in Maple Falls has his new RMS packet Gateway up and running on 147.420 at W7RE-10 running 1200 baud.  A list of the Whatcom County digital stations (that I am aware of) can be found at the MBARC Digital Group Stations page.  If there is any local digital service missing from the list, let me know.

Open Source D-STAR Gateway

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/D_STAR_Open_Source

The “D-STAR Open Source Group” has announced the release of a complete Gateway control software package for iCOM D-STAR repeaters.  The application is reported to be a complete replacement for the iCOM product and is supposed to work with existing Trust servers and iCOM G2 Gateway installations.  Cross-band linking and high-speed data have yet to be implemented but are planned for a future release.