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Reviews For: Rascal GLX

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

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Review Summary For : Rascal GLX
Reviews: 55MSRP: 39.95
Description:
Computer-to-rig interface for PSK31, SSTV, EchoLink, Packet, RTTY (FSK & AFSK), eQSO, WJST, APRS, CW, MT63, and more.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.packetradio.com/rascalmkv.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00553.6
KJ4QF Rating: 2005-01-11
Kit Version Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm not real happy with it. In the end, it works but I won't say much more.

The kit looked (and is) simple enough a couple of parts didn't match the parts list (2 caps) and therefore it was confusing which went where. Strangely enough, the pictorial seems to have the parts shown properly.

The plastic shell... rediculous. I mean, almost embarrasingly rediculous. I couldn't even fit them together properly. My RASCAL is shell-less.

The schematics do not seem to match the actual circuit. It looks like the RTS and DTR are reversed - but it doesn't seem to make a difference in operation.

It doesn't support direct cw keying, but I added a line direct from RTS to my 817 key-in and it is working great.

So, I've spent good money on a radio, tuner, keyer, etc and I went cheap on the soundcard interface. I deserve what I got.

By the way, if I can get a case around it I plan to use this for camping and buy an SL1+ for the shack. One nice thing about the RASCAL is it requires no power to operate.

73,
Kevin/KJ4QF
K1RTJ Rating: 2005-01-05
Works Great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Picked one of these up on sale over the holidays. Paid $29.95 plus received one free radio cable. (Worth about $20). Item shipped very quickly. Read the Instructions, hooked up the cables, set the audio levels in the sound card, adjusted the mic gain on the transceiver, and have been enjoying the digial modes ever since. The GLX is certainly easy to set-up and get running.

Factor in the free CD ROM that comes with it, that is just loaded with digital related software, cable schematics, tutorials etc., and I feel this item is a real value. This is one product that so far, has performed exactly as advertised.

I am using the GLX to interface my home-built computer (AMD Athlon 1600+ processor), to my Kenwood TS-440s.
KC9DOW Rating: 2004-12-14
Simple to use Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Unit is fairly simple to setup. Bought one for myself and a friend. On the friend's we had a terrible hum when transmitting. I went to www.packetradio.com and quickly found the solution. I wrapped the cables connecting to the computer sound card a few times around a torroid at the computer. This got rid of 90% of the hum. Also per the website, I plugged the computer and the transmitter (or in this case the power supply) into the same power strip to get rid of the residual ground loop. Problem solved.
WA4BFE Rating: 2004-10-08
Totally In-op Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently ordered one of the GLX units. I received it very quickly but after hooking it up as explained in the instructions (yes I read them first) it failed to either receive or transmit. A little troubleshooting showed that the cable were reversed so fixing that it received very nicely... transmitting was another story. No matter what soundcard I tried or what program I tried there was NO transmit. Three emails to K4ABT failed to get any response. It looks like the actual interface nmay really be good and the interface to cable bad but without a diagram as to how the cable is wired I finally gave up...$40 down the tubes.

I would recommend anything BUT the GLX system. The Donner os the same price and much better built....Live and learn I guess...

TANSTAAFL

chester--wa4bfe
VK4TUX Rating: 2004-09-29
Shocker Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Never worked for me with a TS850s. Terrible noise-feedback problems. Have packed it in the cupboard and kissed my money goodbye. Got another opto kit and setup fine now.
N5YPJ Rating: 2004-09-23
Works as advertised Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Works great for the price. Have had more expensive multimode units that may have had more QC thus avoiding some of the situations I've read about, but this unit is very easy to use and very well supported>Mine works very well. I added an extra sound card to my PC and the "new" sound card made lots of difference over the "stock" card that came with the computer. I print what I hear.
KA4KOE Rating: 2004-08-11
Cheapened version of Soap Box Model Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Buck has abandoned the use of 4NXX series optoisolators in the PTT and DTR/RTS lines and now uses 2N2222 transistors. The minute the com port connector is hooked up to computer, the interface puts terrible ground loop hum into my 756PRO. I am going to modify it to the original circuit rather than try to remedy the situation otherwise.

The interface will make my friend's 746PRO transmit the minute it is plugged into the acc1 port on the radio.

As is, the unit is only usable on FSK with my 756PRO. SSTV and PSK31 mode operation is beset with that nasty hum.

A letter outlining the problem didn't make any difference. Rather than try to solve a problem of this sort, the unit was returned as "tested OK" by Buck himself.

I don't know why the optoisolators have been deleted from this good design, as there is only one and its dirt cheap. The original Rascal in a soapbox worked ok for me. The new design has an attactive enclosure. Looks like its soldering iron time here rather than spend more money to return it a second time.
N5KBP Rating: 2004-06-05
Great little interface Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have built 2 of Buxcomms interface's and both have been great. They are simple enough for a neophyte kit builder to assemble but flexible enough to add your own features. On both the serial cables that were supplied all pins were wired through. This allowed me to add computer control level converters for the rigs they were bought for. Makes for a very nice single box solution to data modes and computer control. 5 stars to Buxcomm on this little interface.
KG4YJR Rating: 2004-06-05
Works only when it wants to. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
When it worked the first couple of days I had it, it worked good and I had some fun with it, but after about three or four days it only worked when it wanted to. It had been hooked up to the same computer, same settings, no changes, but somedays it just won't work. Sent it back one time and got friendly and polite customer support but I also got the old "well it worked for me when I checked it" response and then they shipped the faulty (or maybe it's just the typical quality) unit back, two weeks later, the same problems occured again so I don't even bother using it anymore because I never know what day it feels like working or not.
It's not worth wasting anymore time or money on, just a lesson learned,
AVOID.
W0IW Rating: 2004-06-05
The best of the Best Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This board is the best!

A ++++++++++++++++++++

For the price and realiabilty and audio quality
You cannot beat this deal!!!

I had a va3to board... I threw it away!

the audio in is the audio back out which is just
what someone wants...

Reagrds
Joe Leto
KJØL
Des Moines, Ia

Echolink node # 12132