I just got a Digirig Mobile with the Icom cable to try out Vara FM. I’ve got it setup and I am getting audio to the computer, but I can’t seem to get PTT to work. I have tried plugging the RJ45 into both MIC slots, but still no joy. I have tried a half dozen different settings in Vara FM to get it to work and still nothing. Anyone have any ideas? Is there another program that I can try to see if it’s something with the program? TIA
Adding some additional info after reading through the other posts.
Radio: I do have the digirig cable connected to the audio port of the digirig. On the 2730A, the RJ45 is plugged into the mic plug and the audio cable is plugged into SP-2 on the radio.
I had previously tried COM PTT and all the settings under that setting page. Ultimately I was able to get it working (with the COM PTT setting) yesterday with either a reboot of the computer or running updates on the computer. I ran updates and then rebooted and it started working. I read through many of the blogs and articles on the site and the Digirig seems very flexible. It would be helpful to start having some more radio specific documentation around. I had to wade through quite a number of articles and still ended up guessing on the settings.
For anyone that finds this in the future, here’s the setup that got me working:
Icom 2730A - Digirig ICOM cables plugged into Mic port and SP2 [Speaker output 2] (I chose SP2, so right freqency audio went to computer and left audio still comes out of the speaker on the radio)
Digirig - Digirig ICOM cable plugged into AUDIO port
VARA FM
Audio tab settings - Both Microphone and speakers set to the Digirig USB audio
PTT tab Settings - COM PTT - COM10 selected - RTS selected
Whether you use sp1 or 2 is your choice, dependent on how you configure your radio. This is the crux of the issue with providing “specific” instructions on how to connect things - each user may have their own operating style, necessitating differences.
I’m not trying to be condescending, but the reality is that it doesn’t get much simpler than plugging a Digirig cable into the audio port and the mic port. After that, to each their own.
Most of the variability comes from the PC side. Very rarely is there “one way” to do something. This of course, is very frustrating to new users. Manufacturers (radio) today have slimmed down their manuals to almost be pointless. Referring to manuals a generation or two older can shed a LOT of information on a subject, back when they actually contained useful information.
I tried to use the IC-2730 with VARA FM, bought the cable from Digirig. It works, but the signal quality of the transceiver is so bad, that it is only usable at veryl low speed.
There is a local user that uses one to connect to one of my gateways. I do know he runs VARA FM in NARROW mode and I see him reach 7000bps on both tx and rx (SL5.)
While that is less than one third of the VARA FM potential, a 2730 isn’t designed to support 9600/WIDE.
hello,
I tried a connection with the IC-2730 and our Digipeater with VARA FM. IC-2730 was in FM wide, I switched VARA FM to narrow, the drive level was set to -16dB, the S/NR was only +2.5dB. Transmission speed around 600 bps.
Same antenna, FT897, Packet Speed set to 9k6, VARA FM to wide, S/NR +28dB, transmission rate 70kB/min.
I wonder how your local user could reach 7000 bps with this radio, this is 10 times what I could achieve.