| VA6GC |
Rating:  |
2025-01-08 | |
| Awesome add-on |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Just received my unit today along with catknobz. Everything worked perfect, great display resolution, fast update, accurate and very easy to read. I love the SWR plotting for the band, very helpful.
Chris (ZL1CVD) was great to deal with |
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| W4AXW |
Rating: |
2024-06-19 | |
| Slick add-on! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
What a great addition to my FT-710! Tons of excellent features in a small package and a reasonable price point. Initial start up was a piece o'cake and didn't take long to learn the ropes. Love the ability to monitor/change so many things without changing the display on the transceiver or going thru a menu.
Chris accidentally forgot to include the stylus at shipping, shot him an email, within a couple hours he had refunded the cost of a stylus from the purchase price. Can't ask for much more than that considering he's in NZ and I'm not.
Great product! Thanks Chris! |
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| WB4RA |
Rating: |
2023-12-28 | |
| Very Nicr |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Got mine for my Yaesu FT101D a couple of days ago and it works perfectly.
If I was to nit pick, and I will, the white CAT cable stands out like a sore thumb and I'm not nuts about the open back. Having to turn it off and on manually also kind of sucks. It sure would be nice if CAT could do that.
The open back, plastic housing, and long white unshielded cable make it very susceptible to RF in the shack
Still a very handy addition to my shack and worth every penny.
My questions to Chris were answered very quickly. |
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| K0FO |
Rating: |
2023-09-07 | |
| Delightful, Useful, Wow! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I could not be happier with this little gizmo. It has been very helpful to me, in getting the best from my FT-991A, and Chris is a great guy, wonderful to deal with.
I would buy this again, in a hearbeat. |
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| N1NGV |
Rating: |
2023-07-10 | |
| Works Great, No Complaints! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
After seeing all the glowing reviews for this I knew I had to get one. The price seemed very fair so after a very short wait, my package arrived from NZ. It was very well packed and protected during shipment. I didn't realize that the version for my FTDX-101MP required external power. I contacted Chris who was very helpful and even provided me with a link to a very inexpensive wall wart. Hookup literally took less than 5 minutes and I was blown away by the beautiful color and brightness of the display.
It was very clever of Chris to provide a "parking" place for the included stylus as I would most certainly end up losing it. It's great to have all those readouts available without having to mess with the controls on the radio itself. That's about all I can say here, many others have said it more eloquently but I'm happy to give Chris and his product 5 stars, kit's also very encouraging to see small businesses bring such a great product to market. It speaks well for the future of our hobby. |
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| MM7BVP |
Rating: |
2023-07-03 | |
| Cat Touch for Yaesu 991A |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I agree with the other radio enthusiasts reviews below .
I bought the Cat Touch after seeing a meter for the Yaesu FT897 and was intrigued . As always i like to spend some time getting to know things and how they work before i leave a review .
The Cat Touch device arrived around thirteen working days after i placed the order from Chris Days site , It was well and securely packaged and contained everything required to connect to the Yaesu 991A (Comm port D Cable etc).
After following Chis detailed and easy to follow documentation, flashing the latest firmware to the device was easy peasy and i was up and running in no time at all (around 5 minutes )
The Cat Touch provides an extended view of the meters in the radio all together in an analogue style manner .
Each meter has a clear display on the screen and there are many features available such as SWR , Parametric EQ adjust and the abililty to view each meter setting as a complete overview of whats going on in your radio .You can also load in your awards photos and other jpg,png files and let them play as a slide show which looks nice in the shack atop the TRX.
I am absolutely over the moon with Cat Touch the unit is solidly constructed and so easy to use . Cat Touch has taken the dismal and tiny Yaesu 991A display and given a whole new lease of life to the rig ..and it looks good too .
I highly recommend Chris' work and he has come a long way with the project , regular updates and information are available on his site . Chris is responsive to support requests although setting the device up on your rig is pretty self explanatory and easy .
I am vouching for this project and Chris Days excellent service . My next purchase will be the Kat knobs for the Yaesu as i dont like the 991A menu system, and would.like to try and avoid accessing it each time i want to adjust a setting such as mic gain , Checking ALC , width etc .
This is an essential piece of kit and theyre also for FTDX-10 and other Yaesu radios for more info the check out :
https://www.catmeters.com/
Or search for Chris ZL1CVD
Thanks Chris , Truly happy with the cat touch and i cant thank you enough ..Cheers n Beers
Rab MM7BVP Scotland Mon 3rd July 2023
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| EI4GEB |
Rating: |
2023-06-18 | |
| What a fabulous add on for your radios |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Ever since I incorporated the CatTouch into my amateur radio setup, operating my Yaesu FT-991A and FT DX 10 transceivers has taken on a whole new level of enjoyment and efficiency. This remarkable add-on has revolutionized the way I interact with my radios, providing a touch-sensitive control panel that has truly transformed my radio experience.
One of the standout features of the CatTouch is its touch screen display, which allows for intuitive and effortless navigation through various settings and functions. With a simple tap , I can access menus, adjust parameters, and fine-tune my radios to match my preferences. The responsive nature of the touch interface makes the entire process seamless and enjoyable.
What sets the CatTouch apart is its ability to be fully customized to suit individual preferences. With the CatKnobz software, I can easily create personalized button layouts, assigning specific functions to each button on the touch screen. This level of customization has significantly streamlined my workflow, as I can access frequently used features with a single touch, saving valuable time during critical operations.
Beyond its functionality, the CatTouch adds a touch of modernity and sophistication to my radio setup. The sleek design and high-quality construction blend seamlessly with the Yaesu transceivers, elevating the overall appearance of my operating station. The CatTouch truly complements the aesthetic appeal of my equipment while providing a practical and ergonomic control solution. For the 8m band on both radios it has been a brilliant help
In my journey as a radio enthusiast, the CatTouch has become an indispensable addition to my Yaesu FT-991A and FT DX 10 radios. Its touch screen interface, customization options, and multi-radio control capabilities have elevated my operating experience to new heights. Whether I'm pursuing DX contacts or participating in contests, the CatTouch empowers me to navigate through settings effortlessly and efficiently. It's a testament to the dedication and innovation of CatKnobz in providing amateurs with tools that enhance our passion for amateur radio.
Thank you Chris for all your help and good work.
Best 73's
Lez |
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| EI7II |
Rating: |
2023-06-13 | |
| Have it all right in front of your eyes. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Folks....
Received mine a week or so ago. Rather than boring you with the details..... see the review from EI7KN.
It is so nice to have almost all you want available right in front of your eyes.
Not only that.... works on FT991 & A, the FT dx10 and the FT 101 as well. So..... what are you waiting for.
Firmware is upgradable.... but one point to note.. the unit uses the standard SD cards not the MICRO ones.... but with an adapter... those will fit too. Also note max card size is 16GB. However... unit will work perfectly as shipped from Chris in ZL land without a card installed. |
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| EI7KN |
Rating: |
2023-05-22 | |
| An exceptionally useful gadget |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
In the Republic of Ireland we have a particularly generous bandwidth allocation on the 8m band, from 40.0MHz to 45.0MHz. This is an interesting band, having something of the magical properties of 10/11m and 6m. Although the Yaesu FT-991A is not designed for this 8m band, by taking the appropriate steps entering its engineering mode and by very necessary use of a suitable bandpass filter, the transceiver will work happily within these frequencies. Unfortunately, when the radio is in its engineering mode, its screen is filled with menu items, so you cannot see RX signal, SWR, Power or ALC. However by connecting a CatTouch interface to the 991's RS232, all is revealed.
This device has easily been one of my best purchases to go with the Yaesu FT-991A, though it should be noted that the same device can also be used with a FTDX10 and an FTDX101 D/MP.
Highly recommended. |
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| KD9WNR |
Rating: |
2023-04-28 | |
| Plug and Play - Display and Control |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Calibrating the touch screen is a little tricky. But, once you get passed that, this is an impressive little gadget. I lets you monitor and control your radio from this auxillary screen! Adds analog type displays for Power SWR, compression and ALC. Other bar graphs are tucked into the display. You can control your radio from the touch-screen menus; Beats using the knob. There are many screens for everything from adjusting your speaker equalization to displaying pics! There even a local/zulu time clock.
These are designed and hand-made by ZL1CVD, Chris in New Zealand. Took awhile to get to Chicago, but worth the wait. Very well though out, and Chris is constantly working on improving the firmware (downloadable).
They come for various Yaesu Radios; Mine is an FT-991a. See this and Chris's other products at https://www.catmeters.com/ or lookup ZL1CVD on QRZ.com
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