My Quadra amplifier now comes on whenever I turn on my ICOM IC-756PRO,
follows it from band to band from 160 meters to 6 meters (all WARC bands
included), and selects the appropriate antenna port and ATU presets just as
if it was connected to a Yaesu transceiver.
This can also be done with most other modern transceivers.
See http://www.qsl.net/ab4oj/quadra/w4uk.html for full details and cable
wiring instructions.
No mods to the transceiver or the amp are required.
FL-7000 users can apply the same information, but actual wiring
instructions are only provided for the Quadra. (FL-7000 uses a different
plug).
More:
Yaesu's method of band changing uses a TTL level 4-bit code. When the code
is generated inside compatible Yaesu transceivers and fed to the amp by the
Yaesu "band data" cable, the amplifier follows the transceiver from band to
band and also enables antenna tuner presets . Any method of generating a
similar code will cause the amp to switch just as if the transceiver were a
Yaesu.
Ham logging program developers followed the Yaesu code to implement what
they typically call "antenna relay" switching on a LPT port. Most current
logging programs provide antenna relay signals, so those logging programs
emulate the band-data signals of a genuine Yaesu-compatible transceiver.
The LPT port provides TTL level signals, the Yaesu amp uses them directly -
only a cable is required to connect the LPT to the amp. I used my Yaesu
band-data cable by adding a $3 plug from radio Shack.
Jerry Flanders, W4UK
|