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Reviews For: West Mountain Radio Plug-n-Play

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

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Review Summary For : West Mountain Radio Plug-n-Play
Reviews: 39MSRP: MSRP $99.95 + shipping
Description:
Built-in USB interface provides rig control, CW keying plus carrier detect for Echolink operations. The plug & play works only with a radio's data or aux jacks, not a mic jack and may be orered for your particular radio.
Product is in production
More Info: http://westmountainradio.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00394.6
KK0DJ Rating: 2007-07-15
Easy easy easy Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
After having several interfaces like the PK232, Buxcom, MFJ and others, I decided to shrink the shack and have only one rig, one interface, etc. One item that caught my eye for the shack shrink was the WMR Plug & Play. This unit fit my downsizing just fine. Along with that, it was easy to integrate. I purchased it with the cables that interface with an Icom 706MkIIG and plugged it all in. I found that I had selected one less cable than I needed and emailed WMR. I was met with good, patient customer service. The correct cable was sent out immediately and all that was asked of me was to send back the cable I had purchased in error. Class act. In use, the box works very well. I have used it for PSK31, CW and RTTY. It worked easily and flawlessly on all of those modes. I plan on trying SSTV and other modes as I have the time as well. One nice thing about it is that it takes up nearly no room at all in the shack. The USB cable that connects to the computer is short and allows you to 'hide' the unit behind your computer if you like, or you can obtain a USB extension cable and have the unit out where you can see the LEDs light up and blink. This is a nice option I think. I had already purchased a W2ENY cable to control my Icom rig, otherwise I would use the simple connection on the Plug & Play to do that as well. I recommend this especially for hams that don't want to fuss with microphone jumpers, cables and software settings. It is truly Plug & Play.
PAPILLON Rating: 2007-06-03
Simple to install & setup Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I installed the Rigblaster Plug N Play on my Icom IC735 HF radio using the 8 pin Icom plug adaptor. I am a complete newbie to this, but I was up and QSO'ing within a few minutes of installing some of the software supplied on the disk. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who has the AUX plug setup on their radios. Fantastic product!
LA4RT Rating: 2007-05-10
Works fine Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I use it with a laptop and a Kenwood TS-570, mostly for PSK31 and RTTY. Works fine.

I'm running Linux and the fldigi program. A small patch to the Linux kernel was needed to make it recognize the device. This patch was included in the official kernel as of version 2.6.21.
2M0XDS Rating: 2007-04-01
New Product,but wont work with new Yaesu Rigs Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this Interface, after selling my Rig blaster plus, due to no serial port on my new PC.
As I have just purchased a new Yaesu FT-2000,i thought that this interface would work no problem, how wrong I was, this product is very new in the UK and the resellers, were also a bit in the dark, as how this hooks up to yaesu rigs.
After a few phone calls, I was none the wiser, I did try a PS2 (not play station) to 5 pin din plug, to see if I would get lucky, but no.
a e-mail to west mountain was in order, and quickly a reply was sent, all be it a bit sharp worded, and was promptly told to return the unit for a refund as it would not work with the FT-2000

I am now told that the rig blaster (rig blaster plus/and pro now come with a USB-serial adaptor) which is too late for me, as I had already sold my original interface to buy the USB one.

all in all life could have been much easier if the resellers in the UK knew there products better, rather than trying to second guess products on offer, the west mountain website, was also a bit vague on the matter also.

From west mountains point of view, what is the use in a new product that will not support new yaesu rigs, they could have at least made it work with the FT-1000 which has been around a while now.

I therefore went out and bought the new (Tigertronics) signalink USB interface, which works great with my PC, and the Yaesu FT-2000, and is about £30 cheaper

Donald Suttie
2M0XDS
SFD301 Rating: 2007-03-14
Good Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Been using the PnP for a week now. Documentation is not bad, but the nature of these things is getting the audio in/out levels set. Well packaged, and quick shipping.

I gave it a 4/5 due to the short audio cables. For the cost of the thing, you think they would take into account that the line in/out jacks are in all different places. <10" of pigtails is way too short, especially for laptops and towers with front jacks, I would like to see them a little longer. The data jack and rig control cable are a great length though. I would recommend to anyone that wants a small solution for the digital modes and does not want to build a homebrew.

kc2nmx
N0AH Rating: 2007-03-01
Great with Laptop Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have a fairly new laptop which matched perfectly with the Plug and Play hardware.

With the software, once I figured out my sound card was on Com 6, and made the sound card input/output adjustments, life improved.

I have a Rig Blaster but I feel that the Plug and Play is much easier with my system.

Instructions and software A+ as is their technical support which I feel has improved from 5 years ago 100%.

Cost effective, easy to use with my modern day laptop, I give it an A++++. Using an Icom 756-Pro III.
VR2VOI Rating: 2006-10-20
RigBlaster plug & play with EchoLink Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The RigBlaster plug & play is easy to set up and the CDROM has most of the software I need. Once set up, the system is quite stable. Working with EchoLink, SSTV, etc is great. No special cable/adaptor is required for my Kenwood TM-D700.

If it can be cheaper, more hams would love it.
W3JJM Rating: 2006-09-19
Well Thought Out Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Easy to hook up as long as you do it in the proper sequence and very easy to move to another computer if you want to use your laptop. The supplied plug fit my FT817 without an adapter so I just need to get one for my 706MK11G. Very clean design so not a lot of clutter added to the shack and so small that I'm going to use it
for portable work outside up in the mountains.
N3AWS Rating: 2006-09-15
Quick, simple, effective Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
When I saw adds for the Plug and Play I thought, "At last--a simple digital interface to link my laptop and Icom 706 MKIIG." Ordering from the website was easy. Product shipped as promised and arrived on time. It was well-packed and arrived undamaged. You must order according to your specific radio, but the website makes this simple.

Follow the RIGblaster Plug & Play Owner's Manual carefully (13 single sided typed pages) and you will be up and running in no time.

73, Look for me on PSK31 using computer control!

Jim N3AWS