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Reviews For: Blackcat Systems CI-V USB

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

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Review Summary For : Blackcat Systems CI-V USB
Reviews: 5MSRP: 59.00
Description:
USB CI-V (CIV) Icom Interface. Connects your computer to Icom radios with a standard CI-V port. Allows computer control of your rig.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.blackcatsystems.com/usbciv/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0055
K2CUB Rating: 2010-07-31
Great Product Great Support Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Works well and well constructed. Support has been outstanding! Chris is helpful and went out of his way to stand behind his product. I am about to order my second unit for my other QTH.
Bravo!
K0ZL Rating: 2009-01-16
Black Cat Systems USB CI-V works with SPE EXPERT 1K-FA and Icom Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am using the 4 port USB CI-V interface from Black Cat Systems on my station. We are only using two ports at this time, one for the Icom 756 non-PRO and one port for the Expert 1K-FA amp.

On our eMachines Vista computer, it came right up and found the USB device when I put in the supplied CD. It assigned the "box" to Serial Port 4. I set up Ham Radio Deluxe to go find the Icom on port 4, 9600 baud, same as the rig. Rig "CI-V TRANCEIVE" is set to ON.

The Expert, meanwhile, is connected via it's RS-232 port and a straight DB-9M-F cable to the computer's legacy serial port on the back; the Expert console software sees the amp on Serial Port 1.

When I control the rig from HRD, the Expert follows right along, beeping at me if I select a band for which I don't have an antenna.

I have not tried any of the less expensive USB CI-V adapters, but feel that the Blackcat is a "sure thing"; it's in a nice box, the drivers work well, and shipping was very fast. Why gamble on something cheaper, that might not work?

The box is very light and will mount nicely on a vertical surface with some sticky Velcro.

Inside the box, it can be seen that the manufacturers used a bit of filtering on the CI-V ports, which in the 2, 3 and 4 port models are simply paralleled. I have noticed no RFI on the system at all, running a KW to an 80M dipole 30' up and located about 20' south of the shack.

All in all, a great value and a great experience.

73!



N1YE Rating: 2009-01-04
Good perfomer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This unit does what it was designed to do. It connects the CI-v control lines of my Icoms to my logging computer. It worked flawlessly out of the box under Windows XP and Ham Radio Deluxe. I had to download Linux drivers to use it with Ubuntu Hardy Heron, grig, and Xlog. On my system,it emulates Com 4 in Windows XP and /dev/ttyUSB0 under Linux.
WE1X Rating: 2007-06-30
Simple and Affordable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased the 4 unit model two weeks ago. Prompt delivery. Installed easily with perfect connectivity among my IC-7800, 756ProII, 718, and R75. Using it with Ham Radio Deluxe and the companion DM780 multimode software, MixW, and Logger32 ... no problems whatsoever. A nice affordable alternative to Icom's CT-17.
KB5DRJ Rating: 2007-03-20
Works perfectly Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The USB CI-V from Blackcat Systems is a little white box with a USB plug on one end and a CI-V plug on the other. It interfaces a computer to a rig with a standard CI-V jack. The unit tucks nicely under my IC-718. It comes with a CD with Mac and Windows drivers. The cables are very long. so the computer could be about 12 feet away from your rig.

I am a Mac OSX user, but I run Virtual PC in order to run N3FJP’s software and occasionally Ham Radio Deluxe. When I ordered the USB CI-V from Blackcat Systems I was hoping that it would work in Virtual PC 7.02. I’m pleased to say that it does and the installation was simple - just install the OSX driver then set Virtual PC to use the USB CI-V as COM1 Port. Forget about fighting with Virtual PC’s USB support. Just set it up as COM1 and it’ll work great! :)

The CI-V USB also works great with MacloggerDX for OSX.

I do not know how this unit compares with other similar devices since I don't have any of the other devices. I do know that this unit works perfectly for me and deserves a 5.