After the completing of the rig control portion of a remote station you will need to setup the ability to pass audio to and from the remote station. If you are only working the digital modes like PSK31 you will not need to worry about this. CW was discussed previously in this chapter.
Skype has been a traditional method of passing audio in both directions. A great new option has been added to DM-780 in Ham Radio Deluxe Version 6.2. This new option brings us one step closer to being able to provide fully integrated audio within the Ham Radio Deluxe suite of programs for remote operation, without having to rely on 3rd party software such as Skype.
HRD has added an option which allows you can operate voice communications using a standard, inexpensive computer headset.
Voice
Before you begin...
NOTE: This option will not work on all radios.
This option will not work on some radios due to the following conditions.
This failure to work is not a defect in Ham Radio Deluxe, but rather caused by variations in the implementation of PTT on different radios. VOX will not work on some radios. PTT won't work via rig control on some radios. There may be no audio out if an external PTT foot switch is used with a back-panel ACC connection. Some radios have at least six different methods of PTT and each PTT input has it own foibles. This makes it almost impossible for Ham Radio Deluxe to cover ALL the different ways in which PTT is handled. Some radios will have to be programmed via their menus and there are a variety of other possibilities. Therefore, this option is available only for those radios that can handle it.
Configuration
The Ham Radio Deluxe Voice option is easily activated from within the DM‐780 module.
- 1. Open DM-780.
- 2. Click on Program Options and open the sound card dialog as indicated below.
- 3. You will notice on the right side of the dialog a new section has been added.
- You will also notice the note that states the enable function will be "GRAYED OUT IF UNAVAILABLE". To activate this function, place a check-mark in the enable box.
- 4. Next, select the Microphone you intend to use, which is normally the default microphone for the computer sound card.
- 5. Next, select the Headphone, again normally the default. Once these are set your almost ready to go.
- 6. The next step is to select the VOICE mode from the modes listing as shown to the right.
- 7. Once this step is complete you will notice a change n the Transmit Toolbar.
- Instead of seeing the normal "SEND (F4)" you will see instead "PTT (F4)" This is your PTT button for the microphone. Just click the PTT button and start talking and click the "STOP" button to return the radio to the Receive mode.
This new function has been tested with the FT-857D using the Timewave Navigator interface. It seems to work great on Upper Side Band, however, on this particular radio, if you plan on using the function to communicate on any 2-meter FM repeaters, you MUST put the radio into the PKT mode. The reason for this is the FT-857D can only accept audio through the DATA plug on the back of the radio with the rig set to USB or PKT and not set to any other mode.
Good audio reports can be obtained using an inexpensive computer headset.