Stepping back into digital modes after a 20 year hiatus - used to be big into vhf ax.25, and later tcp/ip over ax.25. I’ll be operating for the duration of a multi-week blue water sailing trip off the US pacific coast.
Radio in the boat is the venerable IC-718. After some research, I believe it does /not/ support PTT via CI-V (cat).
If the radio doesn’t support PTT-via-CAT, is there any major reason not to get a digirig lite instead of a digirig mobile? I guess changing frequencies could conceivably be useful, but doesn’t seem critical. On a boat the simpler setup seems like it might have merit. But I don’t know what I don’t know, so looking for thoughts from those more knowledgable than me.
ICOM calls their version of CAT, CI-V. Checking the specs of the IC-718 it appears to me you have a CI-V jack, and an Accessory jack which together will give you CAT control including PTT and audio with the DR Mobile with the correct radio to DR Mobile cable package.
I have the same cable and DR Mobile set-up on my IC-7000, which I’ve written about elsewhere in the forums if you’re interested, you can search for them. The factory DR cables are listed here, and I find them to be of excellent quality vs the time/effort to make my own:
If you’re not ordering direct from Digirig, the Mobile version from the likes of Amazon etc. will only be available in Logic Level voltages, not compatible with CI-V.
Have no fear, the signaling levels can be easily changed with a solder bridge/break and is described here: