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Reviews For: USB to Serial/PDA Converter Cable - GUC232A

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

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Review Summary For : USB to Serial/PDA Converter Cable - GUC232A
Reviews: 3MSRP: 39.99
Description:
USB to Serial cable/converter
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=product&Item=GUC232A
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0034
KF4HPY Rating: 2009-12-07
Does as designed Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The I/O Gear cable works just fine in conjunction with an ICOM-706 MkIIG and a eMachine XP computer using a Nomic from WMR. I did have to return to the I/O site for my Vista laptop to download the Vista upgrade. As I said it does what it is supposed to do. 73
KE3Y Rating: 2007-05-08
Works well, but low current output Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The GUC232A puts out +&- 6 volts at low current--probably CMOS. It is quite satisfactory for equipment with buffered interfaces. It works with the Pakratt 232 TNC, which appears to have LSTTL buffers.

It will barely light an LED. So it is NOT satisfactory with LED monitors in the serial line. It is NOT satisfactory to drive LED optoisolators used in most homemade PTT interfaces UNLESS that optoisolator has a Darlington transistor. A single-transistor optoisolator will NOT turn on well enough.

In addition to using a Darlington optoisolator (ECG3045 in my case), I used a 1200-ohm resistor in series with the input LED. After the resistor place a diode with cathode to ground. Don't use an input steering diode. You may need the extra voltage.

You especially will not have enough current to use the CUG232A to drive a Hamcom interface, which uses 4 diodes to rectify certain RS-232 outputs to produce +&- 5 volts for a 741 op amp. Any op amp should get its supply somewhere else. But with a sound card application, you won't ever need a Hamcom interface.

The GUC232A has a tendency to come back as a different Comm port each time you change USB ports. It has also changed Comm port number upon restarting the computer. However it may settle down when I'm through experimenting. It has stayed at COM5 for several cycles when left in the same USB port. No drivers are needed for Windows XP. Drivers are supplied on CD for Win 98 SE but not for Linux. I don't rate it perfect because it is only a low-power version of a conventional serial port.
KB1KIX Rating: 2004-12-10
durable and flawless Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This was a few dollars more than I expected to pay. But, it worked great out of the box. Used it with a PDA, Rigblaster and GPS - all worked fine.

I used it with Win XP, but has software for windows and mac. OSX support as well, so, I'm curious about compatibility with linux.

Rock solid product, nonetheless. I think I paid 35.00 for it.