Digirig w/Yaesu VX-6 & Winlink Exp/Vara FM trouble

1

Please help–I’m pulling my hair out here, having become obsessed with this problem.

I’m trying to use a Digirig mobile between a Windows 10 laptop running Winlink Express/Vara FM and a Yaesu VX-6R HT.

The audio level in looks good on the Vara modem and the radio keys up (more on that in a moment), but I cannot for the life of me establish a connection.

I have a tried and true 2m gateway nearby that I can reach with 1 Watt.

Using the same antenna, I can hit this gateway with

laptop running WinlinkExpress/Vara FM → Digirig → Yaesu 2980R (using cable bought from Digirig)

iphone running RadioMail → Mobilinkd TNC 4 (packet)–> Yaesu VX-6R (using cable bought from Mobilinkd)

But no dice when I try:

laptop running WinlinkExpress/Vara FM → Digirig → Yaesu VX-6R

I began by using the Mobilink cable I got to work with the VX-6 with the Mobilinkd-to-Digirig adapter cable previously recommended to me on this forum.

The radio would not key with that cable configuration. Thanks to the troubleshooting tip I found on here about shorting the sleeve to the first ring I was able to get my PTT working by simply removing that adapter cable, which struck me as very odd. Could there be something else funky about the cable configuration?

The cable is going into the “audio” port of the Digirig.

Digirig is plugged into a USB 3.0 port of the laptop.

Vara is using FM narrow, PTT via COM port RTS.

Sound card input/output is pointed to Digirig; played with all sorts of drive levels.

Radio squelch is open, mic gain is adjusted, volume just a click above the bottom position.

What would you try next?

Thanks,

Rebecca W5TTA

2

i wish i could be more helpful but i do have these thoughts;

the adapter cable should be used, the pinouts/wiring are different from the mobilinkd and the digirig. i also have both. now my mobilinkd is a ‘2’ so maybe the pinout/wiring changed but i don’t think so.

now, ptt is Ring 2 (R2), not Ring 1
so TRRS, tip, ring1, ring2, sleeve.

so sleeve to ring 2 is ptt (maybe that’s what you meant by first ring?)

anyway, saying all that, it’s nice to see so much troubleshooting and details.
:slight_smile:

hopefully @K0TX , Denis can chime in on a vx-6 cable

i know my Icom HTs simplexed the mic/ptt and that causes issues with some setups.
(the mobilinkd has a setting for simplex and multiplex ptt. multiplex being a completely different pin for ptt)

if this IS the case, the adapter doesn’t ‘fix’ the simplex/multiplex ptt situation.
on the digirig i ‘believe’ that’s handled inside the digirig ‘brand’ cable.
on the mobilink, that’s handled via app setup and ‘onboard’ the tnc.

i have icom ht cables for my mobilinkd and they don’t ‘work’ with anything but the mobilinkd because i need a resistor and capacitor added for icom ht to ptt.
i have k2 (kenwood, UV-5r) cables for the mobilinkd as well and i must switch the PTT type between the two using the app.

sorry nothing else comes to mind, you covered all the ‘easy ones’ already :slight_smile:
kb0wlf

3

that is the digirig cable in the store
the diagram shows the resistor in between the rig_afin mic/ptt pin.

this is inside the mobilinkd and switched in/out via the app.

so i think just the digirig ‘brand’ cable will solve the problem.
:slight_smile:

good luck
kb0wlf

4

Thank you, that’s actually helpful. Yes, what sloppily called “first ring” is really “Ring 2”. My expectation was that shorting ring 2 and sleeve on the Digirig/Mobilinkd adapter cable would trigger PTT, but it’s ring 1 to sleeve that does that. Removing the adapter cable, I discovered that just the Mobilinkd VX-6 cable by itself triggered PTT with ring 2 shorted to the sleeve. So the adapter is contraindicated.

When I use the VX-6 with the Mobilinkd TNC4, I have to select "multiplex "in the TNC app as you mentioned. So yeah, you’re increasing my suspicion that the cables really aren’t equivalent. I tried to get a pinout for the Mobilinkd cable but the website is giving me grief. Guess I’ll just drop that Digirig cable in my shopping cart.

73,
Rebecca W5TTA