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Summary of Contents for West Mountain Radio RIGblaster pro
- Page 1 RIGblaster pro the complete computer interface for your radio OWNERS MANUAL West Mountain Radio www.westmountainradio.com 18 Sheehan Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854 tel 203-853-8080 fax 203-299-0232 Rev 8 – Dec 2006...
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Page 2: Preface
You should have the computer at your operating position with the radios. Do not attempt to run the RIGblaster pro with a computer across the room, especially if it is on a different house wiring circuit than your ham station. -
Page 3: Table Of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE .............................. 1 UNPACKING ............................3 PLEASE NOTE: ........................... 4 PANEL DESCRIPTION ........................5 ............................5 FRONT PANEL ............................7 REAR PANEL INSTALLATION & CONNECTIONS ................... 9 STEP 1 - INSTALL SOFTWARE AND START RECEIVING ............9 STEP 2 - INSTALL JUMPERS and CONNECT MIC CABLE ............. -
Page 4: Unpacking
UNPACKING Items included with the RIGblaster pro 1 Power Supply Isolated 12VDC 1 CD-ROM WMR Collection of Third Party Software 1 Microphone Cable (RJ45 to 8 pin screw on) 1 DB9M to DB9F Serial Cable 1 USB Interface Cable 6 1/8 inch (3.5mm) Stereo Mini Plug 6’ Patch Cords... -
Page 5: Please Note
PLEASE NOTE: In this manual we will refer to the sound device on a computer as “Sound Card”. We understand many computer sound devices are integrated onto the motherboard of the computer. We will stick to the more familiar wording “Sound Card”. The words “Radio”, “Transceiver”... -
Page 6: Panel Description
ADVANCED AUDIO PROCESSING CONSIDERATIONS later in this manual for more information. - “process” LED – A Yellow LED indicating that the RIGblaster pro is in Process Mode This LED will turn on only when the “process Switch” is on and PTT is pressed on the attached mic or via an attached PTT switch/foot switch or when PTT is activated by software through the serial port connection from the computer. - Page 7 - “cw” LED – This Red LED indicates when CW keying is active with appropriate software for CW keying. This LED may be on with the RIGblaster pro turned off if the serial port to the computer is connected and the DTR line of that serial port is active.
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Page 8: Rear Panel
REAR PANEL - POWER INPUT – 12 VDC Input – connects the Supplied Power Supply to the RIGblaster pro. COMPUTER: SERIAL CONTROL - SERIAL/COM RS232 IN/OUT B – DB9 - For connection to a second available computer serial port or USB Interface Cable. - Page 9 Mic Cable. (May be used as mic in for a radio with an RJ45 microphone connector.) Note: References used throughout this document, such as (R15) refer to the RIGblaster pro Switch, Connector, Knob, Jack or LED as illustrated on these PANEL DESCRIPTION pages.
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Page 10: Installation & Connections
You do not need the RIGblaster pro to receive so leave it in the box! Insert our CD in your CD ROM drive. The West Mountain Radio screen will pop up in a few seconds. From our screen click the “XMIT” button for the “West Mountain Radio RIGblaster Software Collection”. -
Page 11: Step 2 - Install Jumpers And Connect Mic Cable
Make sure the RIGblaster pro Power Switch (F14) is turned off, then plug the wire from the Power Supply into the Power Jack (R1) on the rear panel of the RIGblaster pro. Plug in the Power Supply, turn off the RIGblaster pro Process Switch (F10) then turn on the RIGblaster pro Power Switch (F14). The Green “Power”... -
Page 12: Step 4 - Connect Audio Cables
This test may or may not work if you are using the USB Interface Cable in place of a real serial port. This test confirms that the cable, the computer serial port, and the PTT circuitry in the RIGblaster pro are working properly together. - Page 13 For Desktop Computers, unplug the computer speakers from the computer and plug them into SPKR OUT (R8) on the rear of the RIGblaster pro. Then plug one end of a patch cord to the jack on the computer where the computer speakers were plugged. Plug the other end of that patch cord to LINE IN (R9) on the rear of the RIGblaster pro.
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Page 14: Step 5 - Set Audio Levels
Plug one end of a patch cord to LINE OUT (R10) on the rear panel of the RIGblaster pro and plug the other end to Line In on your computer sound. -
Page 15: Step 6 - Cw Cabling And Setup
Turn off both your radio and the RIGblaster pro before connecting cables to either unit. Plug one end of a patch cord to the CW OUT (R5) jack on the rear panel of the RIGblaster pro. Plug the other end into the CW Key jack on your radio. If the CW Key jack on your radio is a ¼” jack, it will be necessary to use the supplied 1/8”... -
Page 16: Step 7 - Fsk Cabling And Setup
RIGblaster pro and the radio. To cable an ICOM or TenTec (with CI-V) radio to a RIGblaster pro, connect one end of a patch cord to CTL IN/OUT (R4) on the rear of the RIGblaster pro. Connect the other end to the “CI-V REMOTE CONTROL JACK” on the rear of your ICOM or TenTec radio. - Page 17 If you have a Yaesu or other brand of radio with an RS232 Rig/CAT control jack you should not use our rig control output. You may use the RIGblaster pro's RXD & TXD on A passed through to B option (#9 on the P16 Jumper block).
- Page 18 radios you should use our Optional DB9M to DB9F Serial/Extension Cable or equivalent connected directly to an available serial port on your computer or to a USB jack on your computer with a USB Interface Cable or equivalent USB to Serial Port Adapter. For some radios it may be necessary to connect pins 7 and 8 on the receiver end as illustrated above.
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Page 19: Step 9 - Advanced Audio Processing Considerations
RIGblaster pro. Note that this is a different sound card setup than is used by digital mode sound card programs. You should also note that if the sound card is set incorrectly you might have feedback and/or echo conditions. -
Page 20: Station Hookup Diagram (Basic Sound Card Function)
STATION HOOKUP DIAGRAM (basic sound card function) See next page for a description of each numbered wire on this diagram. - Page 21 - This wire connects the Computer Speakers to the RIGblaster pro. One end plugs into the SPKR OUT (R8) jack on the rear of the RIGblaster pro. The other end remains as it was before, that is, connected to the Computer Speakers.
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Page 22: Station Hookup Diagram (All Features & Functions)
STATION HOOKUP DIAGRAM (all features & functions) - Page 23 PTT Control, CW Keying and FSK Keying - This is a mini plug Patch Cord that is used to interface the RIGblaster pro to the Radio for Rig Control. One end plugs into the CTL IN/OUT (R4) jack on the rear of the RIGblaster pro.
- Page 24 RIGblaster pro. The other end plugs into the Mic In jack on the Computer Sound Card. See the section “MIC MODE JUMPER – P6” later in this manual and STEP 9 - ADVANCED AUDIO PROCESSING CONSIDERATIONS, earlier in this manual, for more information on using your radio mic on your computer.
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Page 25: Microphone Jumper Diagrams
MICROPHONE JUMPER DIAGRAMS 8 PIN SCREW ON MICROPHONE JUMPERING ALINCO, KENWOOD, SGC and ELECRAFT with 8 Pin Screw on Microphone Connectors INPUT SIDE Pin # White Jumper to MIC – INPUT Side White Jumper to PTT – INPUT Side Blue Shunt Jumper to Pin 3 - OUTPUT Side Blue Shunt Jumper to Pin 4 - OUTPUT Side... - Page 26 YAESU with 8 Pin Screw on Microphone Connectors (This jumpering is for older Yaesu radios with Microphones that have common PTT & audio ground and older hand mics, desk mics and Heil mics) INPUT SIDE Pin # Blue Shunt Jumper to Pin 1 - OUTPUT Side Blue Shunt Jumper to Pin 2 - OUTPUT Side...
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Page 27: Rj45 Modular Style Microphone Jumpering
RJ45 MODULAR STYLE MICROPHONE JUMPERING Plug your RJ45 mic. in the back “mic out” (R16) jack of the RIGblaster pro. Using the supplied mic. Cable, screw the 8 pin plug in the front MICROPHONE CONNECTOR (F1) of the RIGblaster pro and plug the RJ45 end into your radio RJ45 mic jack. -
Page 28: Receive Audio Available On The Mic Connector
On some radios output audio is available on a mic connector pin and therefore can be obtained with jumpering on the P1 jumper block inside the RIGblaster pro. Consult the microphone pin assignment diagram in the Owners manual of your radio to determine which pin on the mic connector and thus which pin on the P1 jumper block to jumper to RCV AUD. -
Page 29: Mic Mode Jumper - P6
The MIC MODE JUMPER is located on the P6 jumper block and is used to optionally route the radio microphone that is connected to the RIGblaster pro on to the computer sound Mic In connection and to either provide for bias in the case of electret microphones or no bias in the case of dynamic microphones. -
Page 30: Com Port & Rig Control Jumper Diagrams (P16)
USB Interface Cable for PTT, CW & FSK and another for Rig Control. Because RIGblaster pro has the capability to facilitate both Rig Control and FSK and both may require the TXD (transmitted data) line of a serial port orUSB Interface Cable, it is necessary to have two SERIAL/COM RS232 IN/OUT ports on the rear panel of the RIGblaster pro. -
Page 32: Ptt Loop Jumper - P5
PTT LOOP JUMPER – P5 The PTT LOOP JUMPER is used to loop PTT directly inside the RIGblaster pro or, if desired, externally via a sequencer or other device. The factory default is with a Direct Blue Shunt jumper installed on the P5 jumper block. -
Page 33: Receive Audio Connection Options
In this example, fixed level audio (unaffected by the setting of the AF Gain setting) is taken from the Accessory, the phone patch or data out jack of the radio and routed to the RIGblaster pro, then onto the computer Sound Card. The advantage of this method is that the audio level is fixed requiring little if any... - Page 34 The normal RIGblaster pro microphone cable therefore gets the audio to the RIGblaster pro. Once inside the RIGblaster pro audio is routed to the circuitry that goes onto the computer Sound Card via additional jumpers on the P1 jumper block. In this illustration, we have added two additional white jumpers to the P1 jumper block to achieve this routing.
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Page 35: Troubleshooting Tips
When keying CW from your keyboard, the wrong characters are sent: Make sure you have the RIGblaster pro CW keying output, CW OUT (R5), wired to a straight key jack not a paddle jack or that you have programmed your radio for straight keying on its Key Jack. -
Page 36: Index
INDEX P1 jumper block, 13, 27 AUDIO IN Blue Shunt Jumpers, 3 , 7, 15, 29 P16 jumper block P5 jumper block, 31 c.s. LED CD-ROM, 3 P6, 18 Cover Screws, 3 P6 jumper block, 28 Patch Cord, 3 CTL. IN/OUT Patch Cord Labels, 3, 12 cw LED CW OUT... - Page 37 RIGblaster pro Warranty RIGblaster pro is warranted against failure due to defects in workmanship or materials for one year after the date of purchase from West Mountain Radio. Warranty does not cover damage caused by abuse, accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to follow instructions, improper installation, alteration, lightning, or other incidence of excessive voltage or current.
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