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The other day I modified my Arduino-TNC, which was already a modified version
of the Mobilinkd Arduino-TNC. You can find their version here:
http://www.mobilinkd.com/2014/09/11/arduino-kiss-tnc/
And you can read my modifications post here:
https://alaskalinuxuser3.ddns.net/2022/10/27/arduino-tnc-part-1-hardware/
Essentially, what I modded the other day, was I disconnected the hardwired
connections that I had put on, because it lead to a cable that was only
appropriate for my Boafeng hand held radio. Instead, I soldered the leads to an
Ethernet connector, so I could build multiple cables for each radio that I
owned. While I don’t own many, I like having the option to use the home-brewed
TNC with anything I have.
I used the following scheme:
Ethernet connection:\n2 - Ground\n4 - Audio into the TNC / Speaker out of
radio\n5 - Audio out of the TNC / Microphone input of radio\n6 - Push To Talk
(PTT) circuit
Since my old Boafeng doesn’t work very well, I built a cable for the HTX-212
transceiver in the truck. I have an entire spool of ethernet cable, and the
tools and connectors for the ends, so I was able to make the cable in no time.
Unfortunately, the first cable I made was backwards! 1 was 8, 2 was 7, and so
on. I based my scheme on the hand held microphone diagram for the HTX-212, so I
could use a straight through cable, but I should have looked at the cable
first, since I did mine opposite of what the 212 needed.
The HTX does not have an audio out to the microphone, but rather a 3.5 mm
speaker jack in the back of the unit. This wasn’t a problem, as I just spliced
in a plug I cut off of an old pair of headphones.
After getting everything fixed up, I decided to drive around and do some tests.
I can’t reach the station from my mobile in my truck while parked in my own
driveway. To reach them from my home station, I had to get a 20 watt amplifier,
and put up an antenna atop an eight foot PVC pipe that is mounted on my roof.
So while the HTX does have 45 watts, I didn’t expect it to work from home due
to the lack of elevation.
Driving around though, I found several spots on my daily commute where I could
connect to the other station. If you can see the pictures, then you will see
the screenshot of the real time logs, where KL7EDK-10 and I (KL4TH-0) are
exchanging packets. While I could establish a connection, and exchange some
packets, I could not download my Winlink email.
It may be that I just need to continue adjusting settings and timing on the
TNC, as it never worked well with the Boafeng either, and it took numerous
tries to get the volume adjusted properly so it would work at all. It may be
that the volume is just a little to loud and getting cut off during the peaks,
or just a little too quiet and not standing out above the noise floor well.
Another option is my antenna has an issue. During the testing, my TNC would key
the radio, but sometimes get no response from the other station. Yet often I
would hear the other station and also other stations having a session while I
was waiting to test it. So it seems like my rig can hear well enough, but can’t
speak well enough. That could be an antenna issue. It could also be a settings
issue on the TNC itself, such as output volume or gain.
It could also be a settings issue, such as the push to talk (PTT) circuit
cutting in too late, or cutting off to soon. So, more experimentation is
required, but I’m pleased that I can at least connect so far.
Linux – keep it simple.