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Reviews For: The Serial Box (S-BOX) by N6TV

Category: Interfaces, Radio to computer, amp, rotor, coax switch, internet

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Review Summary For : The Serial Box (S-BOX) by N6TV
Reviews: 25MSRP: 149
Description:
The "Swiss Army Knife" of interface boxes:
Serial Port Splitter / Amplifier Interface / FSK, CW, and PTT keying interface / Breakout Box

The Serial Box (or "S-BOX") makes it easy to connect multiple devices to any transceiver with a serial
port, including:

o Any control device with a serial port or USB-to-Serial adapter (PC, MAC, Linux, microHAM, RemoteRig)
o Any automatic amplifier designed to monitor serial port traffic (Elecraft, ACOM, SPE)
o Any automatic antenna controller that monitors serial port traffic (SteppIR, KRC2)
o Any other device designed to track frequency changes by monitoring the transceiver's serial port
(e.g. RFSpace SDR-IQ)
Product is in production
More Info: http://bit.ly/S-BOX
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
45255
EI8JB Rating: 2022-12-26
Excellent future proof product with amazing customer service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The S-Box is the key to my stations connectivity, I had first contacted N6TV in 2020 after some research when I was finding it difficult to integrate the equipment at my station to work together.

After receiving Bob's Schematic and Block Diagram of his S-Box that would be used at my station I ordered right away and the S-Box arrived and was labelled and no setup was required just plug and play :)

Over two years after my original purchase I contacted Bob again with a question regarding a station upgrade I was considering.

I wanted to use a feature I already had at my station but had not suggested it in my initial contact with Bob and I was using a difficult work around to make this extra feature happen.

Bob N6TV Came back to me with a new proposed Block Diagram and Schematic.I was able to use my existing equipment and moved some internal jumpers in the S-Box to activate the additional feature.

This is an excellent product which is future proof with amazing customer service.
WW3S Rating: 2022-10-15
perfect solution to my problem Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Trying to interface my amp, and my Steppir, to my IC-7610 proved troublesome, my homemade cable enver worked, and after a few years of trying to cobble something together, I finally contacted TV Bob for his solution. Bob gave his thoughts and suggestions, an d even provided the diagrams and schematics prior to the sale. Quick shipment, well packed, and everything, and I mean EVERYTHING labeled...every cable, both ends, the S box, everything was ready to go, and after a few minutes hooking everything up, my amp now tracks the radio, the Steppir tracks, my ptt tuning relay works, everything worked, first time, every time.....should have bought the bullet and bought this years ago. Thanks Bob, 73
K3FZT Rating: 2022-10-13
Custom Serial Box Just Fine--Support Exceeds Expectation Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received my SPE Expert 1.3K-FA at the end of April 2022 and had purchased from the recommended vendor, local to the distributor of the amplifier, cables for its use with my Yaesu FTdx-3000 and Yaesu FT-991A. After several months of struggling to make the cables work with my rigs I was particularly frustrated with the FTdx-3000 to amplifier connection. Bob Wilson N6TV immediately understood the trouble I was having and explained it fully. Then he explained how he had solved the problem for another ham with the same configuration. At the beginning of July I purchased a custom serial box from him with a switch added to accommodate my operational preference for PC control of rig and amplifier or radio control of amplifier.

Months later I discovered that my Win4Yaesu didn't work with the radio and amplifier. I won't go into the details, but Bob worked with Tom Blahovici VA2FSQ to identify the problem and get it resolved in software. These two men interacted as true professionals solving a problem for their mutual user--me. Bob stayed in touch until I confirmed the fix worked.

The device works exactly as expected. The fabulous support exceeds all expectations. Not to speak of Bob's active contributions on the SPE Expert Groups.io mailing list. Bob's a tremendous and valuable contributor to the ham community.
N2KHH Rating: 2022-10-05
Super piece of equipment! Great customer support! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Needed to connect K4D, TS-890, KPA-1500 and Hamplus AS-630AL antenna switch in order for amp to track each rig and correct antenna. Heard about the Serial Box and contacted Bob, N6TV and wrote him about what I wanted to accomplish. Presto, within short order the Serial Box arrived with custom prepared wiring diagrams, labelled cables and directions. So easy a cave man could do it. Amp now tracks the rig and the antenna with just a quick push of a button on antenna switch. Whenever I change band on either rig, amp tracks, and antenna switch selects correct antenna. Couldn't be better. Thanks Bob.
NT8F Rating: 2022-07-23
Amazing piece of equipment and customer support Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My station consists of a Kenwood TS-890S, SteppIR Urban Beam with the 2000 controller and an Acom 2000A amplifier. I run LogIC 10 as a radio control and logging program.
I had been looking for a way to reduce the mess of cables I have running between my equipment that allows them to talk together and be controlled through my radio.
I came across a recommendation Bob N6TV made to another ham on a SteppIR WEB group that was in response to what I was looking for. He had designed and was selling the S-BOX for connecting various piece of equipment through a common control center. His WEB site gave detailed information on connecting the S-BOX complete with various well detailed diagrams on the connections to the equipment along with the required cables.
I sent an email to Bob explain what I wanted to do and he responded with a detailed diagram of the S-BOX that had been personalized for my equipment. He took the time to familiarize himself with my equipment and the proper method to connect them to the S-BOX
I ordered the S-BOX along with the necessary cables and upon arrival was amazed of what I received. The S-BOX had been personalized with all the connection ports labeled for my equipment and all the cables also labeled at to what each cable needed to be connect to.
I had a question on some of the connections so Bob called me and also connected to my computer to make sure things were set up the best way. He also explained very well what the S-BOX was doing and how it allowed the equipment to communicate with each other.
The customer service provided by Bob has been the best I have ever received on a piece of equipment. His taking the time to personalize the S-BOX to my equipment and providing detailed diagrams for the connections along with helping getting it connected and working was outstanding. Now with the spin of the TS-890S dial my logging program, SteppIR and Acom all follow along.
K4RUM Rating: 2022-01-26
Outstanding Customer Service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased Bob's S-BOX and Y-BOX so that I could power on my K3S remotely and so that I could operate FSK RTTY. Both boxes arrived with the appropriate cables very promptly, and set-up was a breeze. Both boxes work perfectly.

Dealing with Bob was a real pleasure. Highly recommended!
PF7DKW Rating: 2021-11-19
Great asset Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Very very satisfied with the box. Fast delivery, expectation was 6 weeks, was delivered within 3 weeks. All cables connected and software updated and works wonderfully well. Thanks Bob.
K3VAT Rating: 2021-09-27
Special Request S Box Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I needed an interface solution for my Expert Electronics SUNSDR2 DX transceiver and an ACOM1200S Amp; AND for a Yaesu FTDX101D to the ACOM1200S, so that the ACOM would autotrack whatever transceiver I selected and I could directly monitor key amp parameters right on my computer screen.

Bob made me up a S Box that was simple to install and configure. It does everything as advertised plus more. Included were professional station equipment and cable printouts that show you exactly what is connected to what right down to the individual cable pins. Additionally, Bob listed out what settings that the ACOM Amp required to communicate to the selected transceiver.

All cables were very high quality and everything comes securely packaged. TU N6TV! 73 Rich, K3VAT
WW6D Rating: 2021-09-24
Truly “Plug-and-Play” plus professional support Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I needed a solution for doing CW using N1MM+ with my Elecraft KX3+KXPA100. The ‘default’ is to use the KY command imbedded in the F key macros. This has been my workaround for a while but I lost the ability to control CW speed, hit ESC to cancel, etc.

What I needed was a serial port splitter that would allow me to control the transceiver and the ability to use the DTR control line to send CW. I had read about Bob’s S-Box and it looked like right solution.

I looked over the description after following the web link above, then ordered an S-Box-USB using the link for ordering. Bob replied with a couple of questions and later I received an invoice from PayPal. The invoice included several documents on my setup and a schematic on how it was setup for me.

It arrived today and it certainly is “plug-and-play”. The USPS Priority carton was packed with nice material to keep everything safe. The S-Box-USB was immediately identified by my computer. Bob had already labeled the cables for accessing my KX3. The S-Box connectors were also labeled for my particular setup. And, most importantly - it all works! I now have excellent CW sent plus xcvr control.

Save yourself the headaches of wiring your own interface cables, and figuring out how to make things work - just get the S-Box. One COM port does it all!
KE5JWC Rating: 2021-09-20
EXCELLENTLY CRAFTED PRODUCT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
OK, I am not a techie guy and, at 73 years old, will not likely ever be. So when my sunSDRMB1 was not speaking with my SteppIR Urban Beam or my ACOM 1200S, and I cried out for help, Bob found me on a forum and directed me to this great thing he has made for guys like me and, well, everyone. He got all my guys meeting and talking with this fantastic S-Box. Very well made and labeled which made set-up easy and Bob was always available to help if I did something stupid (and I did). I was in no way affiliated with Bob until he contacted me to help. I do not represent his product!