Checklist using the Digirig Mobile with the Yaesu connection kit # YSU10CATMOBILE.
Connect only the “Sound” cable ton the Digirig mobile
Follow the YouTube video from Denis, on setting up the sound card. If you use Windows 11, in the search bar search for “Sound” > “More Settings” (you will see the small pop-up windows like on the YouTube go-by video.)
Set your data speed to 9600 baud (data only - leave APRS at 1200 baud). On the Yaesu, make your settings #69 Com Port and #71 Data Speed to 9600 baud rate
On the VARA-FM Setup > FM System = NARROW, enter you call sign and do not select any other settings
On the VARA-FM SoundCard setup > select your Digirig audio device for both “Device Input” and “Device Output” and click on “Test Tune” by pinging a local VARA-FM station - If no signal is received, continue with the next step and try later
On the VARA-FM PTT settings, select “COM” radio button, the correct “COM Port” and the correct PTT Pin option of “RTS”.
Try pinging a nearby VARA-FM station - this should get you on the air with VARA-FM and WinLink using VARA-FM to send and receive WinLink messages.
Thank you very much for this information. I have the same/similar setup:
FTM-500DR (202408 firmware package)
Digirig Mobile (RS-232 CAT Config variant)
Digirig cable for Yaesu FTM MiniDin10 (9600 baud audio +PTT + serial variant)
VARA FM (4.3.8)
Winlink (1.7.19.0)
I have a couple of questions:
Step #1 - Is there any benefit to not plugging the Sound cable into the Digirig Mobile?
Step #3 - Should the COM PORT (69) OUTPUT be left OFF or set to PACKET?
Step #4 - Is NARROW needed or can you also use WIDE? Most of my local Winlink RMS nodes operate in WIDE.
On the FTM-500DR, should the default DATA SQL (72) settings (DATA = RX BAND & TX = ON) be changed?
And I have two tips:
On the FTM-500DR, ensure the APRS MODEM (76) is OFF.
(Optional) On the FTM-500DR, set the DATA BAND (70) to OTHER BAND for DATA (and APRS). This way, swapping the main and sub bands does not change the frequency used by DATA (or APRS).
so with the yaesu, you have do NOT have full access to the onboard tnc.
so you cant send/rx serial data to the tnc and have it operated like a full packet tnc setup.
you use the audio in/out (soundcard interface, in this case digirig mobile) and software to modulate and demodulate the ‘tones’.
so you’re setting up the yaesu radio almost like a remote headset setup rather than trying to pass serial data back and forth.
so you don’t really put an fm radio into ‘data’ mode when using vara.
vara is all soundcard
vara-fm narrow vs wide.
unless you’re close to a wide gateway, it’s hard to reach the wide speeds.
narrow is pretty fast compared to 1200 ax.25 packet.
winlink, unless you’re sending big files, won’t benefit from vara-fm wide.
(you never get ‘up to speed’ with just connecting and getting a txt email)
now, i’m not saying to abandon wide, just that ‘getting connected’ is much easier using narrow first. then move on to wide.
i’m not familiar with that radio or the cable offerings but usually there is a pin for 1200 and a pin for 9600 so you do want to match the radio menu setting with whichever cable/pinout you have.
bands/data band
i have a couple handhelds with aprs built in.
a band is aprs and stays there
b band is everything else. voice and vara-fm.
that way i can still aprs beacon/rx msg and use something else like vara-fm on the b band and the a band stays muted to aprs ‘noises’.
good luck
kb0wlf
