Signalink USB and WINMOR as a mode

[KC9TNH]

I will tone it down for my next try. I am located in northeastern MA and there is a station 38K from me the operates 0-23. My antenna is a homebrew dipole oriented N to S.

23 miles might be too close unless you've got a good 80m signal; you could be blowing right over the top of him.

Try a station, using 40w, that is west of you (broadside to your dipole) something in the area of 150-300 miles away, even 4-500 if you've got your dipole up at least 30ft or so.

[madball13]

I tried a couple fo stations but no dice. I did notice when my radio tries to connect it doesn't put out any power.

[KC9TNH]

I tried a couple fo stations but no dice. I did notice when my radio tries to connect it doesn't put out any power.

Ok, that's another matter. If you're running a data mode (whatever your 857 manual indicates to run) in USB, and you're connected correctly you should see your radio keying up to send a connection attempt string as soon as you click the Start button in the session window. You may want to take a fine-toothed comb over the instructions for the West Mountain PnP to make sure you are connected in such a way that it's keying the transmit of your radio. If nothing jumps out, honestly I'd call West Mountain.

Upside:  It's probably something simple.  :)

BTW, how long is your dipole anyway?

[KC9TNH]

BTW, is your mode set to User Defined USB?
In the 'D' model of the 857 it's on page 64 of the manual, Menu 038.

[madball13]

Dipole is a single wire with jumpers cut in at 10-20-40 and full length 80.

I will have to take a look at the USB mode, I thought you just had to change the mode to USB

[KC9TNH]

I will have to take a look at the USB mode, I thought you just had to change the mode to USB

Yep, needs to be in a data mode.  Most common one encountered as a default is RTTY, then PSK or some such, and the Yaesu's let you also select User Defined data mode with either Upper or Lower Sideband injection. You'll find it.
:)

[madball13]

I will have to take a look at the USB mode, I thought you just had to change the mode to USB

Yep, needs to be in a data mode.  Most common one encountered as a default is RTTY, then PSK or some such, and the Yaesu's let you also select User Defined data mode with either Upper or Lower Sideband injection. You'll find it.
:)

I think i figured it out and would explain why my radio didn't put out any power or key the receiving station cause i had it set to SSB USB, no voice no output, but if it was in digital it would have keyed.

Edit: When my radio transmits a off and on is that a handshake process for the receiving radio?

[KC9TNH]

Edit: When my radio transmits a off and on is that a handshake process for the receiving radio?

If everything normal your radio will key up for a few seconds, literally calling the other station. It will try this several times until it timesout and you'll get a fail in your terminal node controller window. If it answers, you're going to hear it (kind of a screeching) and you'll see a brief 'ACK' packet notice display in the session window that shows where your receive strength is, etc.

(NOTE: If you now have your radio keying and your RMS Express software is setup failure to connect to a selected station does NOT mean a failure on your part. Lots of reasons they might not answer.)

Do you have one of the primers available for setting up RMS Express from the winlink.org website?
(Also, if your RMS Express software is setup, did you already send your first message to get a WINLINK account?)

(Edited 2312Z)
You can go here:
http://www.winlink.org/webfm

Click on the Software-Utilities folder and download one of the WINMOR primers.

[KC9TNH]

Interested to see how madball's FT-857 experience comes out. I've been giving some thought to making my #2 setup something larger than QRP but "Pelican-able". At it's price-point it beats an IC-7000, 2 antenna outputs, full-featured and would even take the old Collins CW filter in my 817. (The old ones make modern digital effects sound like krap, just my opinion.) The -857 seems to have the same capabilities (largely software-based) as my 817 or the 450. 'Bout the only thing it doesn't do that my 817 does is route any band to either antenna output I choose but a small consideration that really only shows up on hugely reducing the 817's consumption.

Decent IC-706MkIIg's seem to be going used for about the price of a new 857.

So, madball, how's it going?
:)

[madball13]

Ruff dude, Ruff

Got the mode right last night and the radio was able to show power going out. Was not able to make a connection but i think it was due to the time of night and band. I started reading that primer you sent and will try uninstalling RMS i have and re-installing following the directions.

[KC9TNH]

OK, good deal. You're probably 95% there. Some screenshots in RMS Express may have changed with versions. You might just need to go back & make sure the few things you do have to configure are correct.  And having that WINLINK account by doing that first message, which you can do via a RMS Telnet session over your internet connection, is key.

Also, the bands are flaky off/on, although 40m is finally coming around as the solar effects recede.

Also, some of the stations I've noticed that seem to float to the top of the list I have NEVER been able to get in contact with. Some stations have really robust setups and are "go-to" types for me in my RMS Express client favorites.  Others, I don't even bother with.

Also, one thing to be careful with:  A couple of the Canadian relays have their 80m frequency in what amounts to the Extra slice of the spectrum, so if you're a General take note.  VA3LKI comes to mind.

Anyway, keep plugging. PM your email address if you wanna go back & forth or need a different primer.
Which one did you get?  If you don't have Phil Sherrod's "Getting Started with WINLINK" shoot me a PM with your email address and I'll send it along.

He's easy to follow, covers several clients, RMS Express as well & you'll end up sending him your first test.  He's neck-deep in WINLINK.ORG
Good guy.

[madball13]

I just joined the WINMOR yahoo group and i see lots of files i need to read. Hopefully i can bang this out this weekend.

[madball13]

I give up. Everything I read uses the Signalink as the interface and not the West Mountian PNP or something like it. I may end up picking up the Signalink and ditching the PNP

[KC9TNH]

I give up. Everything I read uses the Signalink as the interface and not the West Mountian PNP or something like it. I may end up picking up the Signalink and ditching the PNP

That's sad to hear; some people even make this work with home-brew modems. I'm pretty sure it's not the West Mountain device but something simple you're missing in the config, audio in/out levels in Windows or telling Windows to do something else with default Windows sounds, or..... (think functions, versus what a particular manufacturer calls it). Even the WINMOR primer by Fred Hambrecht uses a very rudimentary sound-card that is neither West Mountain nor Signalink.

Not to be captain of the obvious, but have you called West Mountain on the off-chance that you got a bad one?
They hawk that card citing specific mention of supporting "the new" mode of WINMOR.

[madball13]

I'm back on this thing! I just snagged a used signalink and will be giving this another shot.