Digirig VOX PTT & iphone 12 with RadioMail

1

I have been using the RadioMail app on my iPhone 12 mini successfully with a Mobilinkd TNC4 and an ICOM IC-92AD. Instead of the Mobilinkd, I’d like to try the connecting the iphone to the radio with a DigiRig VOX PTT cable. Has anyone tried this? Any pointers on set up would be appreciated.
73
Greg
VA7BC
Vancouver

2

the only advice i can give is remember:

soundcard interfaces, like the digirig, are NOT TNCs.
so you need to change the settings in the software you’re running to reflect the different device.

change from TNC to AFSK (plain old audio being sent to a soundcard).

while i don’t want to ‘run you off’, i would be remiss if i didn’t remind that packet is all you can do with a phone and a radio. so the wireless TNC you have doesn’t hold you back any. (packet including aprs ‘style’ packet)

you’d have to add PC capable of running a windows binary in order to use VARA-FM.

:slight_smile:
good luck
kb0wlf

3

Many thanks for your tips. I will give it a try.
73
Greg

4

This is a follow up to my previous message above. Here is my cheat sheet. Hope it can help others. If the cut and paste looks a bit messy, just send me a message and I will email a PDF to you
73
Greg
VA7BC

Digirig VOX PTT and Radiomail on the iphone 12 mini

  1. Connect the handheld VHF / UHF radio (eg ICOM ID-52A) to the iPhone:
    • Plug in cables as follows:
    o From radio’s audio/mic jacks plug in Digirig Cable for that radio ( eg for ICOM HT cable from Digirig shielded with ferrites). To this plug in …
    o DIGIRIG VOX PTT cable’s TRRS female. To this plug in…
    o an adapter (purchased on Amazon for example)…this adapter is a TRRS female to Lightning male
    o Plug in lightning plug into iPhone 12 mini.
    • Turn on radio (in my example, the ICOM ID-52A)
    • Set frequency of radio to local packet node. For me, try:
    o VE7LAN-10 on 145.07 (+) split , or
    o VA7EOC-10 on 441.025 simplex
    • Turn radio’s squelch OFF ! (That is, set squelch =0).
  2. Go to iphone and open Radiomail app.
    • Go to page with mailboxes (inbox, drafts, sent, trash, archive) and click on “Stations” in top right. Click the nearby “PACKET” stations and “add to favorites. Then click “Done” in top right. For my set up I will be adding VE7LAN-10 and VA7EOC-10 as above to favourite.
    • To access favorites, click the blue envelope in bottom left corner. Click on the blue star (favorites) then tap one of the 1200 baud packet stations in your favourites list. Now click cancel to return the page with mailboxes. In the top left corner click on Settings:
    o Settings>account
     Make sure your callsign etc is set up in your ACCOUNT
    o Settings > Devices>Packet KISS TNC >
    o Click Default TNC>select INTERNAL “Packet Modem”.
     Now you should see the page that shows:
    Default TNC
    Packet Modem > Internal
    Audio Input Monitor >
    Audio Output Diagnositc>

o So these 2 new audio options (Audio Input and Audio output) that have popped up with let you check the incoming and outgoing audio of your radio.
 First click on Audio Input Monitor. On HT turn squelch off (ie to zero). Adjust volume on HT to try to get the line on the phone to green.
 Now click Audio Output Diagnostic and set speaker volume on your phone on zero. As you click START, increase the speaker volume on your phone until the radio transmits then hit STOP. (You have only 10 seconds to do this procedure so don’t waste time)
 Now back out one page.
 Note on some radios you may have to fiddle, under HDLC Parameters, TX DELAY may have to be increased. 600mS works well with my ID-52 but I could not find a setting to work with my ICOM IC-32AT.
 Click DONE. Then click BACK until you are on the page that shows INBOX, DRAFTS, SENT, TRASH & ARCHIVE.

  1. To send/receive, click on the blue envelope in the bottom left >>>>favorites>packet>click on a station (make sure radio is set to that frequency with correct offset) > send and receive > connect.
    THAT’s it. Hopefully this works for you
    73
    Greg
    VA7BC
2 Likes
5

I’m trying to use a VOX PTT cable with an iPhone 13 and RadioMail, and am having trouble. I have tried using it with two different radios: a Baofeng UV-III HT, and an Icom IC-2730.

I think the issue is the RadioMail app isn’t hearing the audio from the radio, and instead is using the mic on the front of the phone. When I check the Audio Input Monitor in RadioMail, with the cable hooked up to the radio with the radio squelch open, it doesn’t show any audio input and instead the audio level responds to noise in the room. I made sure that Microphone is enabled for RadioMail in the iPhone settings (app has microphone permissions enabled in Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone); and I have tried to forget the audio device in the iPhone settings (Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety > Lightning Adapters, and selected “Forget All USB Audio Accessories”) and reattach the cable in case there were weird iPhone automatic audio settings the first time. I mention the cable settings, because the first time I tried attaching the VOX PTT through the lightning cable, the iPhone produced a popup that asked me what type of device it was, and I think I was supposed to select “other”, and I don’t recall if I did or not. But that option hasn’t come up again, and now I’m wondering if I imagined it.

I initially used an old lightning-to-3.5mm jack cable, and when I ran into the problems above, I bought a new cable just in case the old cable was bad, but I get the same results. Both lightning-to-3.5mm jack cables also work for listening to phone audio and recording voice audio.

Thanks so much!

Christian K7XTN