Ham Software on an Apple Product

[koØm]

Is there anyone here successfully running the digital modes with a CAT MacBook or iMac computer? I am starting from the ground floor on this, seems that I need a program called "hamlib" (the equivalent of HRD in Windows) to do radio control.

I installed the WSJT-X program on my MBP and it works fine except when I go to change frequency it says, "Hamlib cannot open rig"......

No one told me that I needed to have a radio interface running in the background (and, I didn't ask; found out the hard way). I downloaded the hamlib-1.2.15.5 zipped file onto my Mac but, the instructions were a little vague / over my head so, I've spent the last couple of days dev-ing into the Unix shell.

Any help / advice would be appreciated.

.

[NQ6U]

My Mac is too old to run WSJT-X (you need OS X 10.7.x Lion or better and I'm stuck at 10.6.x) but I've run FLDigi with no problem at all. Can't help you with rig control, though—I like spinning the knob by hand myself.

[K7SGJ]

My Mac is too old to run WSJT-X (you need OS X 10.7.x Lion or better and I'm stuck at 10.6.x) but I've run FLDigi with no problem at all. Can't help you with rig control, though—I like spinning the knob by hand myself.

And the nuns thank you for it.

[NA4BH]

And the nuns thank you for it.

I LOLed

[K7SGJ]

I LOLed


Yeah, but you're so easy.

[NA4BH]

Only for you.

[K7SGJ]

Only for you.

I'm flushed........

[WØTKX]

How dreamy...

And yea, FlDigi. The piece you'll most care about at first is called RigCAT. Try it. http://www.w1hkj.com/download.html

http://www.w1hkj.com/images/OS-X.png

[koØm]

How dreamy...

And yea, FlDigi. The piece you'll most care about at first is called RigCAT. Try it. http://www.w1hkj.com/download.html



I went to the site, looked for RigCAT and only saw one mention, a link to some XML files, is that what I'm looking for? if so, where is it applied, I already had FLDigi loaded on the Mac.

I have a working installations of WSJT-X, WSPR and, HRD + DM780 on a Windows 7 Desktop and Dell Vista Laptop but, I cannot use the 10 meter band, here's the trade off; I load WSJT-X on the MacBook Pro and I can operate 10 meters (where I find the exotic calls) but, I have no radio control and, after transmitting on one band or mode, I have to restart the program to change frequencies or change from JT65 to JT9 and back.

I uninstalled the program and, followed the Installations instructions to re-install the program with a USB to serial dongle and get the CAT to operate from the MBP. On the second installation, the computer and the radio will "Talk" just once during setup and after that, the error message is "Improper parameters to VFO"; works in setup not in operational mode.

Basically, I'm just "Crying in my own beer", there is nothing stopping me from moving the wires back to the Windows PC where I have full control but if i want to chase rare stations in propagation modes (10 meters) I suffer with the manual tuning until I come up with an answer.

.

[koØm]

I went to the site, looked for RigCAT and only saw one mention, a link to some XML files, is that what I'm looking for? if so, where is it applied, I already had FLDigi loaded on the Mac.

I have a working installations of WSJT-X, WSPR and, HRD + DM780 on a Windows 7 Desktop and Dell Vista Laptop but, I cannot use the 10 meter band, here's the trade off; I load WSJT-X on the MacBook Pro and I can operate 10 meters (where I find the exotic calls) but, I have no radio control and, after transmitting on one band or mode, I have to restart the program to change frequencies or change from JT65 to JT9 and back.

I uninstalled the program and, followed the Installations instructions to re-install the program with a USB to serial dongle and get the CAT to operate from the MBP. On the second installation, the computer and the radio will "Talk" just once during setup and after that, the error message is "Improper parameters to VFO"; works in setup not in operational mode.

Basically, I'm just "Crying in my own beer", there is nothing stopping me from moving the wires back to the Windows PC where I have full control but if i want to chase rare stations in propagation modes (10 meters) I suffer with the manual tuning until I come up with an answer.

.

I got it!

Bottom line(s) is that you have to have FLDIGI installed and configured and, you have to know the /dev.tty.<device name> of your Serial to USB adpater and you have to place the correct .XML file for your radio in the FLDIGI folder (not necessarily in that order). Once the base program works, the WSJT-X uses the files in 'hamlib' to do the radio control.

13465

13466

Works great after a couple of trial installs.

BTW: This is what worked for me, YMMV.

http://www.machamradio.com/forum/

http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/ham-mac/

.

[NQ6U]

I see you have Apple's developer tools installed. Are you writing code?

[K7SGJ]

How dreamy...

And yea, FlDigi. The piece you'll most care about at first is called RigCAT. Try it. http://www.w1hkj.com/download.html

http://www.w1hkj.com/images/OS-X.png

I used to run FLDigi on an old IBM T30 laptop running XP, and it worked fine. The waterfall looked just like your post. The signals were well defined, and it all worked very smoothly. Of course, I didn't do rig control since I was using my TS530, and have no use for logging. But I digress..............

Last week I hooked up a spare Toshiba running Win7. The waterfall is very inconsistent and broken. Signals are hard to define and lock onto. Since I also changed rigs to a TS130, I haven't been able to narrow it down to one or the other. Naturally, the IBM is gone since I gave it and 6 others to my daughter in Texas for her classroom since she teaches in a very poor school for underprivileged kids, and computers of any kind for them is like hitting the lottery. But I digress...........

The TS530 station and accys were packed up in preparation for sale, so that isn't readily available. I have a feeling it has something to do with the settings and communication between the LT and the signalink. If anyone has run into this problem, let me know. I see no reason to fall in the same hole.

[koØm]

I see you have Apple's developer tools installed. Are you writing code?

Writing code, no (not since Visual Basic 5); trying to interpret what's been already written and how to manipulate it in the OS-X is why it's there.

.

[NY4Q]

I'm using WSJT-X (ver 1.2.1 r 3150) - I was one of the beta testers. I see there's a newer version. Maybe I'll update and break mine...

Anyway, it works fine for me with my FT-DX1200 and home brew cables.

I'm downloading the update now. We'll see.

[NY4Q]

Ok, the new version broke my system, but I got it back.

Whachee gotta do is know what your USB port name is and also know the speed of the port. I was able to determine my USB port's name by opening a terminal and doing an "ls /dev" - which will show the names of all your devices. My port is named -> /dev/tty.usbserial-FTCW0XDL

I know it's speed by the setting of the COM speed in the setting on the FT-DX1200 (38400 baud). Once I set those, it worked ok.

[WØTKX]

I used to run FLDigi on an old IBM T30 laptop running XP, and it worked fine. The waterfall looked just like your post. The signals were well defined, and it all worked very smoothly. Of course, I didn't do rig control since I was using my TS530, and have no use for logging. But I digress..............

Last week I hooked up a spare Toshiba running Win7. The waterfall is very inconsistent and broken. Signals are hard to define and lock onto. Since I also changed rigs to a TS130, I haven't been able to narrow it down to one or the other. Naturally, the IBM is gone since I gave it and 6 others to my daughter in Texas for her classroom since she teaches in a very poor school for underprivileged kids, and computers of any kind for them is like hitting the lottery. But I digress...........

The TS530 station and accys were packed up in preparation for sale, so that isn't readily available. I have a feeling it has something to do with the settings and communication between the LT and the signalink. If anyone has run into this problem, let me know. I see no reason to fall in the same hole.

I suspect issues with the sound card, or maybe the PC is "stuttering" with latency issues due to something that keeps grabbing the CPU cycles.

[koØm]

I used to run FLDigi on an old IBM T30 laptop running XP, and it worked fine. The waterfall looked just like your post. The signals were well defined, and it all worked very smoothly. Of course, I didn't do rig control since I was using my TS530, and have no use for logging. But I digress..............

Last week I hooked up a spare Toshiba running Win7. The waterfall is very inconsistent and broken. Signals are hard to define and lock onto. Since I also changed rigs to a TS130, I haven't been able to narrow it down to one or the other. Naturally, the IBM is gone since I gave it and 6 others to my daughter in Texas for her classroom since she teaches in a very poor school for underprivileged kids, and computers of any kind for them is like hitting the lottery. But I digress...........

The TS530 station and accys were packed up in preparation for sale, so that isn't readily available. I have a feeling it has something to do with the settings and communication between the LT and the signalink. If anyone has run into this problem, let me know. I see no reason to fall in the same hole.

Laptop or Desktop with room for a dedicated sound card?

.

[K7SGJ]

Laptop or Desktop with room for a dedicated sound card?

.

As it turns out, I had an extra HP my BIL didn't want, so I hooked it up. It is running Win 8.1xx. After I got everything together, all works fine. I think the issue with the Toshiba might be in the fact that several years ago my wife dropped it, and the only problem I noticed at the time was the mechanical volume control didn't work any more. It may have caused other internal issues that affect the comms between the LT and the Signalink, too. Since everything is up and running now, I'll just use the old Toshiba to keep my service info for the tractor, forklift, generators, quads, and other stuff on. If I get it grubbed up while fixing something, no big deal. It's like using the old paper service manuals, just a little harder to tear up the pages.

Thanks for the input, Mel.