Moving the Yaesu into the Computer control world

[W2CQM]

Interested in bringing my FT2000 & FT Mark V into the 20th Century with some computer controlled accessories. The DMU 2000 is way too much $$ to spend on a component  many consider bordering on the frivolous. Any third party vendors offering alternative, less expensive solutions to easily  getting a monitor/computer hooked up to a transceiver? Any assistance appreciated! ron W2CQM/3

W2CQM@juno.com

[K2CMH]

The DMU is not really a 'computer control' product, it adds things like RF/AF bandscope capabilities, it does not add any type of control or computer interface to the rig.  A lot of people use HRD (Ham Radio Deluxe) for computer control of the rig.  There are a lot of other packages out there that offer computer control.  Yaesu also has some I believe.  What exactly are you looking to accomplish?

Carlton

[KC9JCH]

My FT-2000 is hooked up to the computer and runs HRD.  Ham Radio Deluxe is soon transitioning from freeware/shareware to paid product status and I suspect some changes will be made in the HRD suite.  You can connect the FT-2000 to a computer in any number of ways, it really depends on what you want to do.  I have a fondness for Mac computers.  That could be the subject of a whole othe debate, but my iMac is set up with VMWare and I have windows XP and Ubuntu linux installed as virtual machines on the Mac.  When I want to run HRD, I boot up XP, start HRD and run the rig.  I use two USB to serial port converters.  One is to run the rigblaster for digital modes and one is to run the CAT control for the rig itself.  With HRD and two monitors, I can have full rig control on one monitor and look at eHam or QRZ on the other.  What is it you are wanting to do?  Digital modes?  Just have the radio look like SDR on a computer monitor?  Lots of stuff available and the FT-2000 is pretty computer friendly for hook up and control.