Kenwood TS-590

This digital mode stuff is a lot more fun than I thought.  Getting WSPR up  was pretty easy.

I found the Mac version of WSPR here. It does have a couple problems:

It has a memory leak. Eventually it uses up all my mac’s memory and I have to reboot.

It seems to crash occassionally for no reason.  Everything is running fine and then poof! it’s gone.  I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that it was compiled for Snow Leopard and I know that Apple has change the memory allocation and management in Lion.

I also tried the Windows version of WSPR running on XP in a virtual machine under VMWare Fusion.  I could not get it to transmit but I did not spend much time trying to figure out the problem.

I also found that the USB connection between my Kenwood TS-590 and my MacBookPro didn’t seem to work as well for WSPR as it does for PSK31 and TJ65.  For some reason the USB Audio Codec devised would intermittently disappear from the Mac Sound Preferences window.  I set up the Tigertronics SignalLink USB and it works great.

WSPR stands for “Weak Signal Propagation Reporter” and is designed for sending and receiving low-power transmissions to test propagation paths. I’m running 10 watts, which is considered a LOT of power for WSPR.

The best part of WSPR is WSPRnet.org. Each WSPR station has the option of uploading it’s receive data to WSPRnet’s database.   Even after just a few minutes of operation you can view the map and see who has heard your signal.

If you want to get started on WSPR:

1. Read G4ILO’s excellent article.
2. Download WSPR. The Windows version is here. The Mac version is here.
3. The WSPR User’s Guide is here.

Kenwood TS-590s Settings

Speech Processor: Off
Mode: USB, Data
Menu 27: 200
Menu 28: 2500
Menu 30: oFF
Menu 31: oFF
Menu 63: ACC2
Menu 66: 2
Menu 67: 3
Menu 69: on
TX Mon: ONce I have everything working I usually set it OFF so I don’t have to listen to my own signal.

SignalLink USB

The SignalLink USB is connected to the ACC2 port on the back of the TS-590 and the USB cable is plugged directly into my macBookPro.

TX knob: 12 o’clock
RX knob: 9 o’clock
DLY knob: 9 o’clock

WSPR Settings

The settings in the WSPR program are pretty intuitive:

Settings/Station Parameters/Call: your callsign
Settings/Station Parameters/Grid: your grid square
Settings/Station Parameters/Audio In: USB Audio Codec
Settings/Station Parameters/AUdio Out: USB Audio Codec
Settings/Station Parameters/PTT method: VOX
Settings/Station Parameters/Power: Set to dBm level corresponding to your power output

Click the Tune button and adjust the SignalLink USB’s TX knob until you can key the transmitter.

Uncheck ‘Idle’ and then sit back and enjoy. WSPR will alternate every 2 minutes between transmitting and receiving.  You can see in WSPR’s large white window who you are hearing. You can go to WSPRnet.org to see who is hearing you.

Having been successful with PSK31, I decided to try JT65. I have Keith Laaks ZS6TW’s native Mac compilation of WSJT up and running. (Thank you Keith.  I could not have done it without your help.)  At the present time however, I do not yet have my arms completely around WSJT and feel more comfortable using JT65-HF.

JT65-HF is a Windows program.  I have it running in a Windows XT virtual machine under VMWare Fusion on my MacBookPro.

Kenwood TS-590 Settings:

Speech Processor: Off
Mode: USB, Data
Menu 27: 200
Menu 28: 2500
Menu 30: oFF
Menu 31: oFF
Menu 63: USB
Menu 64: 2 (See Note Below)
Menu 65: 3 (See Note Below)
Menu 69: on
TX Mon: ONce I have everything working I usually set it OFF so I don’t have to listen to my own signal.

Menu 64 Note: Set this so the ALC meter shows nothing or just one or two dots.
Menu 65 Note: USB Audio Output.  This is best set by looking at the waterfall display. Set it for a level that shows a low about of noise and the signals still show up well

JT65-HF Settings

Sound Input Device: USB Audio Codec
Sound Output Device: USB Audio Codec
PTT Port: None

The most difficult part of JT65 is getting your arms around the protocol.  JT65 is designed for canned QSOs consisting of an exchange of call signs, grid squares, and signal reports – No long rag chews about grandma. It consists of alternating 60-second windows of transmit and receive. The documentation is brief but pretty good.

Here are the settings I use to run PSK31 using my MacBookPro and Kenwood TS-590 with nothing between them but a USB cable. (If you are interested, the story of getting to this point is here.)

I am deeply indebted to G3NRW for for putting together and curating his Kenwood TS-590 Resources Page. If you own a TS-590 you must visit his website and bookmark it.  One of the things you will find there is TS-590S HOWTO: DIgital Quick Start containing settings for the TS-590 as well as for several software programs used to operate some of the popular digital modes.

Kenwood TS-590 Settings

DId you know that the TS-590 contains two identical sets of Menu settings (Menu A and Menu B)? To simplify my life I’ve chosen to use Menu A for all my legacy operating (SSB, CW, FM) and Menu B for digital modes such as PSK31 and JT65.  As a further aid, I have the background color for Menu A (legacy) set to green and Menu B (digital) set to orange.  That way I can instantly look at the radio and see which mode it is set for.

Speech Processor: Off
Mode: USB, Data
Menu 27: 200
Menu 28: 2500
Menu 30: oFF
Menu 31: oFF
Menu 63: USB
Menu 64: 2 (See Note Below)
Menu 65: 3 (See Note Below)
Menu 69: on
TX Mon: Once I have everything working I usually set it OFF so I don’t have to listen to my own signal.
AGC: OFF

Menu 64 Note: Set this so the ALC meter shows nothing or just one or two dots.
Menu 65 Note: USB Audio Output.

Adjust the RF Gain control so that the waterfall display shows the signals well and there is not much noise.  RIght now I have the RF Gain control set at about 7.

MacBook Pro

Follow these instructions carefully.  You’ll want to get the levels set right but you do NOT want system beeps and your iTunes music transmitted on the ham bands. The TS-590 must be powered on, configured as above, and a USB cable must be connected between it and the MacBookPro before performing any of these steps.

1. Go to System Preferences and click on Sound.

2. Select Output devices.

3. Make sure USB Audio Codec is visible but NOT selected. If USB Audio Docec is not in the list try unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable.

4. Select Input devices.

5. Make sure USB Audio Codec is visible but NOT selected. If USB Audio Docec is not in the list try unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable.

FlDigi

You can download the Mac OS X version of FlDigi here.

Configure/Operator: Enter your call sign, name, and QTH.

Configure/Sound Card:

• Devices: Port/Audio: Checked
• Capture: USB Audio Codec
• Playback: USB Audio Codec
• Settings Tab/Sample Rate Capture: 12000
• Settings Tab/Sample Rate Playback: Native
• Click on Right Channel tab. The only thing checked should be ‘Reverse/Right/Left channels’

Configure/Rig Control:

• Hardware PT: Nothing checked (You would think ‘PTT tone on right channel needs to be checked but it doesn’t seem to make a difference)
• RigCat: Nothing checked

By now you should be seeing signals in the waterfall display. You’ll probably want to click on View/Signal Browser.  That will open a seperate window in which FlDIgi decodes all the signals it hears.

Have fun.

I am up and running on PSK31 with my MacBookPro and Kenwood TS-590. It it not happen without some trial-and-error though. The purpose of this post is to document my experience in the hope it will save someone else some frustration and trouble.

I’m becoming active in Ham Radio again after a fifteen year absence. Back then I played with RTTY and was even a charter member of TAPR with a very active VHF packet station.  When this Rip VanWInkle woke up several months ago he discovered that a lot had changed.

One of those changes is the advent of new digital modes such as PSK31 and JT65 that give us antenna-restricted hams a fighting chance  (All of my PSK31 contacts so far have been made with 20 watts or less and an attic dipole.) After several months of SSB and CW I decided it was time to learn about these new-fangled digital modes and dip my toe in the water.

My equipment

• Radio: Kenwood TS-590s
• Computer: MacBook Pro (though I do have a Windows XP laptop sitting on the shelf gathering dust)

My reading suggested that PSK31 is the most popular among hams. On the other hand, my Google searches didn’t reveal anyone doing PSK31 with my exact combination of equipment.  Almost everyone seemed to be using Windows XP.

If you have a Kenwood TS-590 you must spend some time on G3NRW’s TS-590 Resource page. One of the things you’ll find there is TS-590 HOWTO: Digital Quick Start that provides the settings for the TS-590 and software settings for getting the TS-590 up in digital modes using several popular software programs.

First Try: DigiPan, TS-590, USB, Windows XP

To maximize my chances of success, I decided to begin with Windows XP instead of my MacBookPro. I had read that DigiPan was a good piece of software for starting out with PSK31.  I dusted off the Windows XP laptop and downloaded DigiPan.  I downloaded the Virtual Comm Port Driver from the Kenwood website and installed it. (The Virtual Comm Port Driver makes the USB device look like a serial port to Windows XP programs.)

I connected a standard ordinary USB cable between the TS-590 and the laptop. I set everything up according to G3NRW’s TS-590 HowTo: Digital Quick Start. I tuned to 14070 and much to my surprise I was receiving and decoding PSK31 right away.  That’s as good as this First Try got however.

When I tried to transmit, I could hear the TS-590’s transmit relay click on and then almost immediately click off. And DigiPan would freeze. I would often get a Windows error message saying that the sound card was already in use. And the WIndows XP Device Manager showed that the virtual comm port had disappeared. I also noticed that the same thing would happen when I clicked on DigiPan’s ‘Waterfall Driver’ menu option.

Second Try: DigiPan, TS-590, SignalLink USB, Windows XP

I speculated that that perhaps the problem was the TS-590’s USB connection.  Ham Radio Outlet is about 10 minutes from my house and so a few minutes later I returned home with a Tigertronics SignalLink USB. I conected it to the ACC2 port on the back of my TS-590 and plugged it’s USB cable into my WIndows XP laptop. And I did remember to change the TS-590 Menu Item 63 from USB to ACC2.

Unfortunately, the results were the same: DigiPan would lock up each time I tried to transmit.

Third Try: Replace DigiPan with FlDigi

The CD accompanying the SignalLink USB contained several programs for digital modes, including FlDigi.  I decided to try it instead of DigiPan.  Instant success. Just as with DigiPan, I was successfully receiving PSK31 immediately.  Better yet, Transmit also worked! It was not long before I got brave enough to transmit CQ and N1AB came back to me and we had a nice little chat.  I hadn’t been this excited about ham radio in a long time.

Fourth Try: Could I get it working on my MacBookPro?

I noticed that FlDigi’s website has a Mac version.  I downloaded it, configured it identically to the version I had running under Windows. I moved the SIgnalLink USB cable from the Windows XP laptop to the Mac and much to my delight everyting worked.

Fifth Try: TS-590, USB Cable, MacBookPro

It was time to take the final leap: try to connect my TS-590 to my MacBookPro using the TS-590’s native USB port. I disconnected the SignalLink USB and instead connected a standard USB cable between the TS-590’s USB port and my MacBookPro. I changed the TS-590’s Menu Item 63 from ACC2 to USB. I took a deep breath and fired everything up. It took a little fiddling with some settings but it worked!

So here I sit writing this blog post while monitoring PSK31 on a second monitor.  Life.Is.Good.