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Reviews For: RIGTalk - West Mountain Radio

Category: Ham Shack Accessories

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Review Summary For : RIGTalk - West Mountain Radio
Reviews: 2MSRP: 60.00
Description:
West Mountain Radio's RIGTalk USB radio interface. Allows you to allow rig control via your PC
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.westmountainradio.com/RIGtalk.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0024.5
WA2LUF Rating: 2007-11-25
Just like the energizer bunny Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Having a laptop with just usb inputs, I saw the rigtalk as the answer to hooking up my radio to HRD...using with Yeasu FT-857d...has been an install start and forget product just like the energizer bunny
KB1KIX Rating: 2006-04-26
Neat little USB Rig Interface Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got this from West Mountain at a local hamfest. Found out there are less than 5 dozen out there. I wanted to use it mostly to use Ham Radio Deluxe and logging software. It works as advertised.

Setup - was a bit painful though. I was told that West Mountain tested this on Icom Radios - same as I have a 706MKIIG - and it didn't function out of the box.

The install, which I followed to the letter under Windows XP - didn't do everything as expected. Only one of the two install processes took place. It installs the RIGTalk and the virtual com port. I don't remember which installed or didn't. However, I was able to point windows to the drivers directory on the CD - and all worked fine. I have an IT background, but I can see how this will drive someone nuts that isn't all that tech savvy.

I think I found the problem after install - there was a something missing from Ham Radio Deluxe. I couldn't get it to work for a few days - then I installed another rig program (N1MM's Contest Logger) - and all of a sudden - it worked. So, I'm thinking some DLL's were installed that updated HRD - or something to that effect.

So, if one program doesn't work, I'd suggest trying it with a few other programs as well.

This solved a great rig interface dilemma - and for a very reasonable price.

I do however wish they used a bit more sturdy case - it's wrapped in shrink plastic - not the most durable if I want to throw it in my laptop bag like a thumb drive (which this is roughly the same size as mine - a little smaller even).

Don't let the negative points fool you. Now it works like a charm and am recommending it to many people in my area - especally hams that want more memories for their radio (this does double duty as a SWL radio as well, and Icom only has 100 memories!!!).

It works on Yaesu, Ten-Tech and Icom radios. No Kenwood though - this from their website "Unfortunately very few Kenwood radios have a TTL level rig control interface and those that do use Negative TTL Logic. RIGtalk uses Positive TTL Logic. Thus we do not have RIGtalk models for Kenwood radios. ".