Not sure if the SDR radio company(s) have actual patents (one would hope so) but any company or individual that would go to market with a non-patented 'invention' or discovery is probably just asking for legal issues and mucho lawyers fees. Sure the patent filer in the OP didn't invent SDR (since we all know it's been around for a while) but if he was the first to patent it, he will have some leverage in court. Look at the early discoveries in radio and technology and see examples of patents being filed on things that existed or was known to have existed, such as the regenerative receiver first done by Edwin Armstrong and then claimed (and won) by Lee DeForest 2 years later ....

from Wikipedia:

Many of Armstrong's inventions were ultimately claimed by others in patent lawsuits. In particular, the regenerative circuit, which Armstrong patented in 1914 as a "wireless receiving system," was subsequently patented by Lee De Forest in 1916; De Forest then sold the rights to his patent to AT&T. Between 1922 and 1934, Armstrong found himself embroiled in a patent war, between himself, RCA, and Westinghouse on one side, and De Forest and AT&T on the other. At the time, this action was the longest patent lawsuit ever litigated, at 12 years. Armstrong won the first round of the lawsuit, lost the second, and stalemated in a third. Before the Supreme Court of the United States, De Forest was granted the regeneration patent in what is today widely regarded as a misunderstanding of the technical facts by the Supreme Court justices.

---------
So it might appear that having a patent first on some item or idea doesn't always mean that you're protected from 'poachers'.

Gene W5DQ

Basically a real computer would really help a lot

Just kidding!

The "RigBlaster Plug-N-Play" (from West Mountain Radio) is what I use on my TS-2000 but it's on a PC. Basically on the computer side, for most commerical interfaces, you'll need either a physical RS232 or a "COMPATIBLE" USB to Serial adapter and soundcard I/O for RX audio in from the radio and TX audio out to the radio. Some of the newer interfaces use just a USB port and have an internal soundcard capability but I don't think they are compatible with a MAC.

Gene W5DQ

Isolation is not an absolute for any rig so long as there is no issues that will require it. Usually your miles ahead to put it in and be safe than to have to pull it all out and start over. I have home brewed several interfaces and used xfmr isolation in all of them as well as my latest change is to use optoisolators for the keying circuits for CW, PTT and FSK rather than just transistors.

The nice thing about using xfmr isolation is there is no chance of a ground loop to introduce hum and noise. There are those who will argue that it is not needed and basically that is true but I would go ahead and add them if your are building your own interface.

One thing to remember about the TS-940S is if you use the FSK port for RTTY, the signal is inverted at the radio RTTY port and needs to be reverse in the HARDWARE for TX only (not the software) unless you are only going to use a single software package to do digital. You cannot reverse it in the MMTTY software because it wants to reverse both TX and RX and only the TX needs to be reversed in this case. I had a time figuring out this but found this to be the case. Newer rigs have menu options to reverse it on the fly but not in the 940.

Good Luck in your endeavors.

Gene W5DQ

Bert,

I don't know anything about TruTTY but this excerpt from the RBII manual might give you a clue ...

Step 2b: Configure the PC and Radio for RTTY FSK Operation
Presently, to our knowledge the only RTTY software that works with the
RIGblaster Plus II or any USB-to-serial interface is MMTTY, and that
only by using the author’s EXTFSK extension. The reason is that USB to
serial interfaces will not go down to 45 baud.

Follow the MMTTY Help files for setting up the program using the
EXTFSK extension to use the correct COM port with PTT on RTS and
FSK keying on DTR.

Once configured, transmit with MMTTY and watch the PTT and CW
LEDs. The PTT LED should be on steadily and the CW LED should
flicker with the RTTY. Confirm with the radio’s monitor that the FSK
output sounds like RTTY.

You will also have to make sure that your mark and space tones a re
correct by setting the radio and/or the software so that transmit and
receive mark and space tones are correct. The only easy way to do
this is on the air.
--------------

So it looks like if you are not running MMTTY and EXTFSK extension, it might not work???

Just an observation.

Gene W5DQ

Not sure what you are referring to about 14 seconds? I suspect it was the dead time at the end of the one period (ODD or EVEN) before the other TX period begins. If so, it isn't 14 seconds but rather 12 seconds if your clock is spot on. The first period stops TX at :48 seconds and the next one starts TX at :00 with the first tone starting at :01 time. Of course listening to the bands, you'd think there was no spec laying out how the mode works. I hear people firing up at all odd times in the ODD/EVEN cycle. It's a wonder they work anybody as far off as they are on their timing.

I guess you could do the 2 mic trick but it sure seems like a lot of work when building a simple interface is an easy weekend event and you'll be able to use it on many other modes than just JT65-HF and it would be a heck of a lot easier to operate than trying to hold a mic keyed for a long while without moving it.

Either way, good luck. Hope it works out for you. I really like JT65-HF and have had some QSOs on signals I didn't even know were there.

Gene W5DQ

From the tone of your posting, I draw the conclusion that you can't (or do not want to) build your own cable/interface so that leaves purchasing one. Since it also sounds like you aren't comfortable in analyzing the interfaces and deciding which might be the one to use, I would highly suggest that you bite the bullet and just get the OEM one DESIGNED explicitly for your FT-950. It isn't like you're going to have pay for this over and over again so a one time purchase (albeit maybe a bit more than a 3rd party aftermarket interface) might just be a cost savings in the long run and probably results in less issues and problems.

Also it might require more than just a cable to complete the interfacing of the radio to the PC. Not sure what (if any) level conversions might be required for the FT-950 to serial interfacing. If you were capable of doing it yourself, I believe you'll find all the information you need to connect the PC to the radio in the radio's user/service manuals and the pinouts for a standard RS232 9 (or 25) pin PC serial port - all most likely available online somewhere.

With regards to 3rd party cables/interfaces, my advice is "CAVEAT EMPTOR"

Good luck in your adventures

Gene W5DQ

Sorry but I must say ....

DUEL = two guys fighting with swords or pistols over a woman neither really wants (sorry but I watch way too many old movies )

DUAL = something with 2 options .... say for instance, 2M and 70cm bands to choose from 

So which does your mobile prefer .... pistols or swords 

He said he's using a TS2000. The TNC is internal to the radio.

Perhaps the TNC is set for 9600 and not 1200 for VHF? I have a TS2000 but don't use the TNC portion of it so can't offer much advice. Nothing around here to talk to unless I put up the other end of the link too

If your just going to listen for now, be sure and put the Ts940 in FSK mode (bottom of stack of mode buttons). This way you will be able to use the narrow filtering afforded by the 940s receiver. I use a TS940S on RTTY in FSK mode and it works great for that.

Gene W5DQ

The problem is you used QRZ for a special event station 1x1 callsign. QRZ is updated by the FCC database and the wheels of government turn slowly, if at all.

Checking the www.1x1callsigns.com, I found this in about 15 seconds of searching:

W6S : California QSO Party
Start Date: October 6, 2012
End Date: October 7, 2012
Coordinator: ARRL
Record ID: 9139
Requisitioned by: Jay Harmor
Call Sign: KE6GLA
Address: 3498 Alyssum Circle
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
Email: jharmor@comcast.net
Phone: 916-851-4055


Hope you had fun in the CQP. I'm in CA but missed it this year. Hope you worked them.

Gene W5DQ

That's because PSK ops tend not to usually talk about anything specific but rather send macro after macro after macro of canned text about when they were 'created', how many screws there PC case has in it, results of last month's medical checkup and an assorted list of complaint about the government. It's hard to create macros that contain appropriate rude behavior for every given situation

Not that it makes using chicken wire better or worse, but the idea that it will rust only hold true if you live in a moisture prone area. Case in point. Living in the Mojave Desert and less that 5 inches of rain a year on average, I can assure you that I put a piece of cold rolled steel out in the middle of my yard and 5 years from now it would not have a speck of rust on it. I am forever leaving a drill bit or some other small steel item out at a spot on the property when I clean up from a job and when they go back in the box or tray, you can't tell them from the others.

I recommend you put it together AS DESIGNED and don't try to redesign it on the fly. I would imagine that ROHN spent a pretty penny doing the structural analysis before going to production and allowing room for a shade tree mechanic to re-design according to hunches probably wasn't factored in. 

I would call your 'theory' completely submerged and not coming up for air 

Yeah, I know about Texas. Left there many years ago. Never went back except to drive thru on I40 or fly thru DFW. I've heard the 'Everything is done bigger & better in Texas' story way too many times

But before you start another 'left' coast comment, let me say I don't like CA either. It was relatively a not-so-bad place 30 years ago when I came out here after NASA shot it's wad with the Challenger accident and I was left holding a pink slip.

I'm close to retirement now and we're bailing from CA just as quick as we can after that. Where to unknown at this time but definitely not the Houston area from whence I came west back then. I do like Dallas area and it's not too far from my mom's place in Arkansas.

And WRT gun laws, I simply stated what I have heard people talk about around here. I only own 1 firearm and it is registered so no problem there. The point I was making is I doubt there is any traceability in MOST private firearms sales regardless of state.

I hardly think so. Just because someone says that they can control sales and trades between individuals, doesn't mean they can control sales and trades between individuals. Look at private gun sales. Sure, legally you are supposed to register any and all (well most at least) firearm sales between individuals yet how many people do you think trade firearms daily in this country between individuals in homes and back alleys. Sure, by the letter of the law doing so is illegal yet it happens all the time and no one is the wiser .... until some instance causes the new owner to be known and it doesn't match existing records.

As to a radio changing hands - how is anyone going to be able to tell my newly acquired FT-5000 bought AND REGISTERED from that of Joe Blow Ham's privately traded FT-5000 when we both transmit over the air. No way to tell unless the manufacturers start installing some sort of un-modifable sub-audio ID system - highly doubtful!! And how is anyone going to find out unless I or someone else notifies the 'controlling organization' that a private trade has occured. This sounds much akin to the 'internet hoax' sent around every once in a while regarding the taxing of emails by the US Postal Service by charging 5, 10, 20 cents, whatever for each email sent.

Like I told my sister-in-law when she received this and freaked out. If you take the number of emails sent each day via the internet, how is the USPS going to monitor and bill people for each email. It would require each ISP to monitor their email servers and pass info to the USPS on emails sent daily, weekly, etc. and then the USPS has to come up with some way to process this MOUNTAIN of data and individually bill people for the emails sent. Think of the processing power overhead and the logistic nightmare to handle all this. How are they going to do this when they can't even manage to process the paper mail being sent using the given budget they have each year.

My friend, methinks you've fallen prey to a 'the sky is falling' hoax!!