Digirig, VaraFM and Yaesu FT60

1

I am pretty new at this and have not been able to get the Digirig to work with my FT60. I have read through a number of forum posts here and I have not been able to reach any good conclusions. I am using a new Digirig and cable for the FT60, a Windows 10 Business operating system on a Latitude 5510 laptop. Whenever I try and connect I see the radio transmitting something very brief, three times and then I get 'No Signal" error. I took my laptop and connected it to my friends Icom IC7100 which has a CAT connection and it worked fine. I was able to connect to Winlink via VaraFM. So I am pretty sure the computer is set up fine and configured properly. But when I try and use it with my HT it always fails. I have tried multiple gateways, multiple power levels, I have turned CTCSS off and on. Nothing. I have also removed the gromet from the input jack on the FT60 because it was causing transmit problems. That has been resolved. I will include some screenshots below of my setup. I am hoping for some good troubleshooting advice. Thanks.

audio input
audio input908×509 45 KB

ptt
ptt535×582 20.3 KB

soundcard
vara fm setup
vara setup
vara setup720×858 109 KB

2

You have done a lot of troubleshooting. Denis K0TX has written a guide, Troubleshooting Digital Modes – digirig. Maybe you are already following it. Yes, keep CTCSS off. Tone squelch off, simplex mode.

In my experience with other HTs I have sometimes missed the following:

  1. radio squelch set off or 0
  2. AGC unset in Windows
  3. ferrites on USB (reduce RFI)
  4. use a remote antenna, like a roll-up J-pole or 1/4 wave magmount (reduce RFI)
  5. connector pushed in firmly, completely to HT

Let us know how it works out.

73 Constrainted

3

A few thoughts;

unless you’re a couple miles from the gateway, an ht, especially an ht with an ht antenna won’t do the job.

fm digital modes just don’t play the same way digital modes on ssb do.
you gotta have some wattage
if your close to the gateway, then i would look at the audio levels coming out of and into the digirig.

data/acc connection on a mobile/base radio will have differing audio levels than the spk/mic jack/s of an ht.

take a look/listen to the levels.

i do winlink with the digirig just about every time i do a pota activation.
on 40m that is.

i have a bpq32 node with winlink access on 80/40m and 2m but 2m is tough to get a connection once i get away from the 90’ tower.

good luck
kb0wlf