The new TH-F6A is a really nifty little rig. It transmits on three bands, receives almost from DC to visible light, and is tiny enough to fit in your shirt pocket, if you don't mind being poked in the face by that antenna. A friend loaned me his new TH-F6, so I could add support for it in link700. There was one little problem. The computer interface cable, the PG-4P, was on back order, and as of 12/01/01, it still is.
So putting my brain in "McGiver" mode, I sought a solution. One day it hit me. The same friend who loaned me the 'F6 had a PG-4S cable for his TH-G707A. I have known for some time now that the only difference between the PG-4P and S are the connectors on the radio end. It should be possible to make an adapter to plug into the end of the PG-4S and connect to the TH-F6. It was. Those who already have a PG-4S may want to consider going this route, rather than buying two cables.
The Parts
Obviously there are three basic parts needed:
1 - 6 Pin Mini- DIN connector ( female )
1 - 3.5 mm phone plug ( miniature )
1 - 2.5 mm phone plug ( sub miniature )
Misc.:
Heat shrink tubing, solder.
I wanted to get the stuff locally, although if I were not in a hurry, I would probably order the parts from Mouser Electronics . They have some very nice cable assemblies with molded miniature and sub miniature plugs, like the ones we need, and also Mini DIN connectors. But I was in a hurry to get started on the 'F6 project. Here is what I came up with:
The adapter need only be a few inches long, since it will connect to the end of the PG-4S cable, and a much longer length would not be needed. The 6 Pin Mini DIN connector had me stumped until I realized that the standard PC mouse connectors are 6 pin Mini Din's and a mouse extension cable had one male and one female connector. I found a mouse extension cable at a local discount store for $4.95. Some work with an ohmmeter showed it was a 1 to 1 connected cable, i.e. each pin on the socket end was connected to the corresponding pin on the plug end. This was good, since I would be able to connect to any pin after I cut the socket end off ( leaving about 4 in. to strip the wires, and make connections ).
The Catch
I put together a temporary adapter, and tried it out. Nothing. I couldn't get the thing to work, no matter how I tried. It took me several hours to figure out what was wrong. I was using phone plugs I got at Radio Shack. These plugs have screw-on barrels and as such, they have a wide base at the bottom of the plug. The jacks on the side of the TH-F6 are recessed slightly, enough to prevent the plugs from seating properly. A trip to the Dollar Store turned up two phone plugs, a miniature one connected to a pair of earphones, and a sub mini connected to a "hands free" phone adapter. For a buck apiece, they were cheaper than the other connectors I tried, and their bases were much smaller, enough to seat in the 'F6's jacks.
Wiring
There are only three connections, but of course they have to go to
the proper places. Note that neither phone plug tip is used,
and on the 3.5 mm plug, only the sleeve is used. The view of the
DIN connector is the side you plug into, not the side you solder to.
Operation
It would be advisable to turn the radio ( and probably even the computer
) off before connecting, but I doubt that many will do that. In any
case, it is therefore prudent to plug the 2.5 mm jack in first, since it
has the common connection. Select the PC mode in the radio menu,
which internally connects the data lines to the jacks. Run your program
of choice, that thing that Kenwood gives out for free or the really slick
link700 . OK, I'm prejudiced,
but I tested it on both, and it works. The next version of link700 will
have TH-F6 support and will be released soon ( today is 12/8/2001 ).
| Conclusion
So there you have it. For less than $10 and some homebrewing, you have an adapter that will save you the cost of buying a PG-4P. With the $35 dollars you save, you can buy link700 . What a deal! |
 |
| Completed Adapter |
Disclaimer
I assume no liability for any damage done to your radio by this circuit, your use of it, or any abuse of it. You build and use this circuit at your own risk. This works for me, and will probably be used on a permanent basis by the owner of the TH-F6 I have, but if you really try, you can mess up anything. Some people can mess up anything without trying. I don't know if this will void your warrantee, since I can find no place where Kenwood specifically says that in their manual. Actually, Kenwood gives connection diagrams for connecting different type of equipment to these same jacks, so there seems to be an implication that it does not void the warrantee, but you would have to ask them to be sure.
I dislike having to write statements like this, but my lawyer makes
me.