[RSM] Serial Port Testing Question

[Jack Parker]

Wow, Jessy, thanks very much! I will give this a try and report back.

The best to you in the New Year.

On 1/25/2026 1:17 PM, Jessy Blanchette wrote:
>
> Hi Jack, Happy New Year!
>
> I would try using a free program like Putty 
> https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ and manually talk 
> with the rig directly via the serial port.   Double check the rig 
> settings that the baud rate, stop bits and parity are all correct.
>
> In the session if you type "IF;"<enter> the rig should respond with a 
> long message with the encoded state of the rig, "FA;"<enter> should 
> return the VFO A information (FA00014250000;).  Elecraft copied uses 
> the same plain command style (so this also works for the K3 folks)
>
> Not sure if the Kenwood can do it, but on the K3 you can set up the 
> rig to auto report the state of the rig (IF;) every second from the 
> config menus.   Using putty you would see this like a heartbeat,  and 
> if the output is all garbage looking it's likely a mismatch of baud 
> rate etc.
>
> Hope that might help with your diagnosis.
>
> 73 Jessy :)
>
>
>
> On Sun, 25 Jan 2026 at 12:59, Jack Parker <vhfplus at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>     I hope this is not too far off topic but Shelley and I would like
>     to get
>     back on for some contests (RTTY/CW focus) so thought we would ask.
>
>     Can anyone suggest a means of testing whether a serial comm port on a
>     rig is functional? In my case it is a Kenwood TS-570D with a male DB9
>     connector on the rear panel. I have a USB/RS232 adapter (no, not an
>     FTDI) that is recognized by all our computers but will not talk to
>     the
>     rig with either N1MM Logger+ or N3FJP's ACLog. My test bench is
>     non-existent, save for a hand held DMM.
>
>     Unless a command string can be generate manually, I am pessimistic
>     any
>     solution is possible. Any suggestions are appreciated, even if
>     they lead
>     to a negative result.
>
>     -- 
>     73, Jack, VA4JP/K0JP
>     Steinbach, MB
>
>
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-- 
Jack, VA4JP/K0JP
Steinbach, MB
EN19pm