[UK-CONTEST] TS930 PIEXX uP board

Wed Aug 28 02:00:19 EDT 2002

Hi Chris

I just bought my PIEXX board so assume it is the "up to the minute" version.
I quite like the idea of deductive mode reporting based on frequency that
would work 99% of the time for me too.  This board doesn't do that though.
What it does do is return the last mode command received and always defaults
on power up to SSB  GGrrrrrr!

What I have to do, is pick up a CW spot in DX4WIN to force the PIEXX to
start returning CW as the current mode.  It works but I have to confess it's
a bit of a niggle.  Now if it defaulted to CW, that would be sheer
sophistication.

The mod sheet Dave Leeson W6NL has produced is worth a read.  I'm sure
you'll find it with a Google search on "W6NL TS930".  A good idea to get rid
of some of that heat and use modern regulators.  Of course if you want to
mount DB9s for serial and band data you have some filing to do!  I used an
Abra file to make the holes.  It wasn't too painful and took about 1/2 an
hour in my extensive workshop on the back step.

For the strange faults you have, I would recommend cleaning all the plug in
connectors.  That is the most likely cause of the problems.  Again this is
referred to by Dave Leeson.  He refurbed and PIEXXed half a dozen 930s for
HC8N.

Good luck.

See you at Windsor.

Bob 5B4AGN, P3F, ZC4ZM

----- Original Message -----
From: "G3SJJ" <g3sjj at btinternet.com>
To: "UK-Contest" <uk-contest at contesting.com>; "Bob at Cytanet.Com.Cy"
<bob at cytanet.com.cy>
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 9:48 PM
Subject: RE: [UK-CONTEST] TS930 PIEXX uP board

> Bob, I have one of the original Beta trial boards, although it has been
back
> to Piexx for upgrade. Not sure if yours does this but mine reads the
> frequency and decides that it is either in the CW or SSB portion of the
band
> and changes the logging program accordingly. That is a reasonable
> enhancement on the original firmware and I think would be acceptable for
> 99.9% of my QSOs.
>
> By coincidence I have been using the 930 recently whilst my FT1kMP is away
> for repair. As regards the emulations, I think that it will work with
either
> TS570 or TS850 settings on your logging program. I have set Turbolog to
> TS850 but see that NA lists 930-Piexx which is neat. Either way the serial
> interface works well. I am hoping to hook the band data socket up but
> haven't so far. It would be good to be able to use the Topten /Dunestar
> combo as per my FT1kMP.
>
> With some grateful assistance from Robert MM0ANT I have been experimenting
> with sending commands to the 930 using Procomm. I don't have Hyperterm on
> this machine. It will retain the frequencies written into the new 1 - 99
> memory locations but doesn't seem to like writing into the old switched
1 -
> 8 memories, band default or VFO A and B start-up frequencies. Also I tried
> the IF: command but didn't get anything back. The comms protocol appears
to
> be 4800 N82 but I wonder if I am still missing something.
>
> I have a couple of odd faults on the 930 which I suspect are more to do
with
> re-assembly than the new board. RX sensitivity is well done, at least
10dB,
> coupled with occasionally what sounds like oscillation of the received
> spectrum. The other fault is that whilst receiving, if I switch the tx
> speech processor on, the received frequency moves 2.1KHz. This is not so
> daft as it sounds since the speech processor is in the rf (IF freq) path.
It
> also could have some connection with the rx sensitivity in that oscillator
> injection levels may then be incorrect. I need to get it on a test bench
and
> have sight of the various rf levels!
>
> On rx CW I now find the carrier oscillator feed through level obtrusive,
but
> again, if the sensitivity was at its normal level I suspect this would not
> be so much of a problem.
>
> I haven't heard of the mods you have done, certainly would cut the fan
noise
> out.
>
> Given all that, this 930 is coming up to 19 years old, I still have the
> original receipt!  73 Chris G3SJJ
> -----Original Message-----
> From: uk-contest-admin at contesting.com
> [mailto:uk-contest-admin at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Bob Henderson
> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 5:33 AM
> To: uk-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] TS930 PIEXX uP board
>
>
> There are probably several of you dedicated contest types back in the UK
who
> have long since revitalised your old faithful TS930S with the PIEXX uP
> board.  Whereas, I am just a "Jonny-come-lately" in this regard and no
doubt
> missing a trick or two!
>
> What I have done so far is to (per W6NL suggestion) remove most of that
heat
> generating trash from the psu fan housing and then restore the 15V and 8V
> supply lines using 7815 and 7808 regulators mounted on the heatsink.  In
the
> space this created in the fan housing I have installed a DB9(M) connector
to
> which I have wired the computer interface cable from the PIEXX, and a
DB9(F)
> connector to which I have taken the 4-bit parallel band data (Yaesu
format)
> from the PIEXX, to use in driving a band decoder and hence antenna and
> filter switching.
>
> So far, I have only used the computer interface with DX4WIN but it seems
to
> work well configured as a standard Kenwood radio.  I have seen references
to
> programming the PIEXX to provide different emulations but I cannot
> immediately comprehend the benefit of this.  Am I missing something?
>
> It's a real pity the old TS930S uses a rotary switch to select mode as
that
> precludes computer selection of mode without significant re-engineering of
> the radio.  It's a greater pity though that PIEXX didn't incorporate the
> means to sense the mode switch.  I would have thought the sensed
information
> could have easily been encoded as two bit binary and used to report
current
> mode to the computer.  One way mode communication wouldn't have been as
good
> as full two way comms but it would have been a lot better than the current
> none, I think.  Anyway, that aside I am highly delighted with the PIEXX
> board which seems to have banished in one swoop all my reliability
problems
> and given the old radio a host of new functionality too.  Phew, I must be
> brave to say all that.....I've only had it installed for two days!
>
> Any tips or tricks you early adopters can pass on to help Jonny get more
out
> of the PIEXX would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Best 73 from sunny Cyprus
>
> Bob 5B4AGN, P3F, ZC4ZM (G3ZEM)
>
>
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