On 7/25/2012 12:44 AM, K8RI wrote:
> On 7/25/2012 12:09 AM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 7/24/2012 8:54 PM, Frank wrote:
>>
>> Yes, this "solution" will work, but only on a desktop
>> machine.
>
> The USB to serial converter should work on a laptop.
> Depending on what OS and what version.
>
>
> Most users want to use the AIM-4170 out at
>> the antenna with a laptop.
>
> Just turn on the Wi-Fi with another application for which I forgot the
> name and you can actually look at what the desktop is seeing and run
> things from the laptop.
>
> I have a difficult time calling them desktops. Mine are nearly 3' tall,
> 2 1/2 feet deep, 8 or 10 inches wide and weight 50 to 60#
> Course the video cards take up two slots each and consume about 300
> watts. They make more noise than all the other fans combined and they
> put out one whale of a bunch of heat.
>
> OTOH the AA 230 Pro would be much handier for that.
>
> 73
>
>
Well, I'll try to do this justice.
To begin with Win 7 and particularly win 7 Ultimate you can do away with
about 90% of the BS in the driver installation at least on my systems.
For USB to serial installation:
Order of installation:
Do you have a USB port that is unused or unconfigured?
Check it in Device manager. If it has a driver, Uninstall it in device
manager Otherwise to the the next step.
Go to http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
This has a list of supported VCP drivers. For Win 7 select 2.08.24
which is the latest, but use the setup executable (over on the right
hand column.) Download and then run it from the download window. Then
hook up the USB to serial convertor. It will install automatically.
Hook up the 4170 and turn it on. (not necessary on mine)
Install the latest version of the AIM 858 from the W5BIG site.
Remember to turn on the 4170 before running the AIM 858.
Run setup, configure, and calibrate. Save the calibrate file.
NOTE: Some of the setup and configure settings they tell you to use in
the tutorial are not available in the program. Just pick something
close. Make sure the com port is the same one you see in Device Manager.
It's a little more pricey but use the USB to serial converter they list
if for nothing more than to reduce possible headaches.
So,for my system it's install the driver, hook up the 4170, turn on the
4170 and run the program.
There is no real install of the program. You just create a directory,
download the zip file to the directory and unzip. Create a shortcut to
the application and put it on the desktop and/or pin it to the taskbar.
BTW my system is a quad core AMD running at 3.7 gig with 16 GB of high
speed memory and a SSD boot drive. Most of the machines have around 6 or
8 TB of storage. The OS is 64 bit Win 7 Ultimate.
When using older computers remember that 32 bit systems are generally
limited to 2 or 3 GB of RAM. Most new motherboards have gone back to an
on board com port (serial) but you'll probably need to purchase the
backplane connector with the plug to fit the motherboard socket.
PCI serial boards are available with 1 to 4 backplane connectors and
most of them are inexpensive.
I probably forgot something, but that's pretty much it.
Roger (K8RI)
>
> I used to have an old
>> Thinkpad with a built in serial port that I could use,
>> but it died. Newer laptops, of course, don't come
>> with serial ports.
>>
>> Rick N6RK
>>
>>>>
>>> Most ham radio software (at least the stuff I use) runs just fine on
>>> Pentium IIIs and even Pentium IIs. You can get one of those old boxes
>>> for next to nothing, load it up with lots of memory if you need the
>>> capability and use the serial ports the machine came with.
>>>
>>> If you also need usb ports, add a card. Usb add-on cards don't need
>>> drivers if you use XP.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>
>
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