Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: West Mountain Radio Rigblaster

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

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : West Mountain Radio Rigblaster
Reviews: 31MSRP: 150.00
Description:
Sound card to Rig interface
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.westmountainradio.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00314.5
WG0I Rating: 2001-06-12
GREAT PRODUCT! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Rigblaster works GREAT on PSK31, SSTV, MFSK, RTTY, PACKET and more! I really enjoy working PSK31 wiht it. I have made many contacts running QRP power levels!
Very well built and performs as advertised! Highly recommended!!! I would like to echo the sentiments of all the previous reviewers who gave it 5 stars!
KS1A Rating: 2001-04-17
Wow! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Rigblaster box has been sitting unopened for about 6 months until this week. I waited 6 months too long. It works beautfully, I've rediscovered the fun of the digital modes. The rigblaster folks don't make software for you to use, but it does come with a CD of third party software for RTTY, SSTV, PSK31 etc. In qso's, hams will tell you what software they prefer, and you can just choose those programs off the CD or go get another one on the web. I've just registered the RTTY program that I prefer. Last night a ham in SP land suggested a great SSTV program to use with rigblaster, I downloaded it and, bam! I'm on SSTV. Can't wait to try the other modes, too.

Not hard to set up. I got the two audio cables off the shelf at radio shack to go from the rig to the sound card, I bought the mic interface cable from Rigblaster. Finally you just need a simple serial computer cable to key the rig. No soldering necessary, everything was take out of the box and plug in. Nice job on a terrific product!
K5NIC Rating: 2001-03-15
Very well done Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had mine up and running in 15 minutes. The hardest part was getting the jumper wires on the correct pins. Very close working area, but still very well laid out. Smaller fingers (my wife) ended up making sure that I got each one correct. Getting the sound card set correctly was slightly tricky, but it may just be my sound card, as each one is a little different.

The software I use is Logger, so it really wasn't a big deal, although I am a network engineer, so computers are not only part of my hobby, they pay the bills!

Fine product. Couldn't have homebrewed it any better!
AE4Y Rating: 2001-03-11
This one is a winner! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Within 30 minutes of opening the RIGblaster box, I was on the air making PSK contacts. This is a very well built, very easy to use piece of equipment. Hook up the jumpers for your rig and your on the air. I was concerned about RF getting back into any interface that I might have built. I have had no problems with RF with the RIGblaster. I've used it on PSK, RTTY, and SSTV (receive only) and it has worked flawlessly on all three. I give this piece of equipment "two thumbs up." It would be hard to build a homebrew interface (including cabling, cabinet, components) for what this one costs.

For anyone looking to get on any of the digital modes, the RIGblaster interface will be hard to beat.
W2MSK Rating: 2000-10-14
Professional Product! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I know many Hams consider homebrew the only "true" amateur way to go but this product is so well designed and implemented that you can't afford not to go with it if you want to get into the digital modes. Well constructed, easy to set-up and it works without any problems. Do yourself a favor and go for the 80 bucks, you won't be disappointed.
N5LB Rating: 2000-10-14
Good Design Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Good interface. The adj. range of the audio level pot seems limited, or the characteristics of the pot in this circuit are non-linear. A little patience and got audio adjusted fine though. (SB16 and TS850SAT) Purchased the unit with cables. About as near to plug n play as you get. No RF feedback problems.
Great assortment of software on the supplied CD.
The MFG customer service is great with e-mails when purchased with tracking info. Equipment delivered on the day promised.
Bottom line is this is great design and implementation from a really good manufacturer.
NV4T Rating: 2000-09-14
great product! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.







As they said when the first anesthetic was demonstrated "Gentlemen, this is no humbug" Now getting back to hamming, this is one great product. and much easier than trying to cobble one together yourself. It was simple to set up, the instructions were clear-cut, and best of all----- IT WORKED!!!!.
Now for the downside, the software is a bit intimidating for the absolute beginner in the digital modes, as a lot of us aren't used to how "shareware" really works (or is that better described as does not work!!) Once you get around that , with the help of someone more software savvy, it's fantastic once you have the right programs and understand how to use them.
Still, with that one caveat, I have to call the Rigblaster a 5 out of 5 product!


Signed- having a ball on psk and sstv,

Bill nv4t








K8YS Rating: 2000-09-14
so far, its great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
ok, so I thought, why would I want to spend $90.00 for something I can do myself. I discovered that I should have just ordered the RIGblaster to begin with and not mess with homebrew.

I am impressed by the thing, well built, fairly easy to set up. I tried the "ole audio cable to the AFSK IN/OUT trick first but had problems I never expected... such as, I didn't know that the AFSK IN/OUT had such audio responce that I had to adjust the sound card if I moved up >1kHz... the mic input does not have this feature. I was pluged-and-played in less than 30 minutes, and most of that was putting a stereo connector on a cable. Long story... part of the AFSK to soundcard thing.

Another thing that truely impressed me was that I get an e-mail that the thing had been shipped, and I got the tracking number... without asking for it!

If only the CD that came with it were up-to-date... oh well, minor detail.
KB3DVJ Rating: 2000-05-07
Excellent...but don't expect it to key CW. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The West Mountain Radio "Rigblaster" is a marvel of design and workmanship, a tiny grey wonder that makes connecting a radio to a computer a fiendishly simple thing. I have it hooked to my Icom 751, and it does everything I could expect it to do...but there is ONE thing I wish it did.

I can RECEIVE CW with ease, using any of a half-dozen different programs from Logger to CWGet to Mix...but none of them let me SEND CW. The Rigblaster will faithfully shift my rig from receive to transmit, but it simply does not key. I don't think the problem is in the Rigblaster so much as in their expectations for a rig's keying system. Mine is designed such that the VOX does not directly key CW, but if you attach a key or keyer to the key jack, it will allow full-breakout keying. The VOX is used to achieve keying delay, but sound level does not key.

In order to truly key, I still need to build a simple 2N2222 circuit to take CTS from the serial port and run it to a 1/4" key plug. I can tap into it at the Rigblaster, which makes things easier, but it would have been nice if there were a "key" jack and built-in CTS/switching circuit built into the unit.

Except for this one thing, the Rigblaster is a fantastic device, and the lack of CW keying does not detract from its "must have" status for the shack. That is why, even though it doesn't do everything I would *want*, it still gets 5 stars in my book.

--- Gwen, KB3DVJ
W8OB Rating: 2000-05-07
excellant 5 stars Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
the fellows over at west mountain radio deserve an award for the workmanship of this device
not only is it plug and play but it looks good and removes the hassles of hooking up to ones sound card for the digital modes . i have had mine running for about a week and a half now and have tried it out on most all the digital modes with excellant results. give west mountain a 5 for shipping and handling also keep up the good work