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IC-7300 Settings for PTT by CAT control?

I've not been able to get the rig to key/unkey using CAT commands. The COM port, baud rate, and other settings are correct, and are those used by FLDIGI, JTDX, WSJTX and work fine with those programs.

OmniRig works as it should too.

I have USB KEYING (CW) turned on, as required by WINLINK.

If you have been able to use CAT commands in VarAC to key/unkey the 7300, please look at your 7300 settings and tell me what your USB KEYING (CW) setting is, and also any other settings you feel might need to be changed.

73, Joe WD4KAV

11 comments

Comments (11)

Siegfried Loeffler

Apr 04, 2022

Thank you @wd4kav - I tried all these, I have the feeling that the problem might be the settings on my rig. It's strange though as all other applications (WSJT-X, Winlink w Vara-HF, JS8Call) work with these rig settings. And I don't quite understand why the PTT on / off buttons on VarAC work but then it never transmits. Something is very weird :-(

wd4kav

Apr 03, 2022

I FINALLY got the 7300 working, by copying Irad's settings. Attached is a screen shot of what works. If you have no luck with this, then there must be a "connector" setting in the 7300 that needs to be changed. Let me know how you do.

Siegfried Loeffler

Apr 03, 2022

Same here, can't get the CAT control to work with the IC7300. The buttons "PTT on" and "PTT off" in VarAC work fine, but in real operations the TX is never turned on. Tried all kinds of settings but didn't succeed - would appreciate if somebody could share the configuration of the rig to be used in order to make this work. 73 !

wd4kav

Apr 04, 2022

Replying to

Here's another thing to try. Start VarAC, then, once you're at the VarAC screen, go to VARA-HF. Click on "Settings", then "Sound Card". Make sure you have USB AUDIO CODEC (or whatever your rig sound card is called) selected in both "Device Input" and "Device Output".

After that, click on the "Test" button, and while your rig is keyed, move the slider to the right of "Test" toward the right. At some point, you should begin to hear audio (if you have our 7300 set up to monitor your transmitter) or see output.

Adjust the audio till the ALC level is about 1/3 of the way up.

Let me know how you do.

NC3Z Gary

Mar 05, 2022

Joe, we may need to talk directly as there are a few things I do not understand. WL does not require USB KEYING (CW) to be turned on. All my USB Send Keying options are off.

Here is my WL settings for the 7300

And here is my OmniRig setup:

And if for some reason you choose to use CAT PTT with VarAC (I do not feel the need with the 7300, other rigs such as Flex do gain some benefit, but not the 7300). Ignore if this setup looks different than your screen but it is the same:

wd4kav

Mar 08, 2022

Replying to

Thanks for the additional info, Gary. I've decided to put this issue on the back burner for now since, as you say, omnirig works fb. After thinking a bit, I think it's the UZ7HO packet software that requires that I have USB SEND KEYING "ON' to work properly.

The only difference (not counting baud rate and COM port) that I see in the configuration screens is that my omnirig RTS setting as "handshake". I don't remember changing that setting, so maybe that was the way it was configured originally? I tried setting it to "HIGH" and the 7300 still did not key/unkey using CAT control.

73, Joe

wd4kav

Mar 08, 2022

Replying to

UPDATE: I took time just now to turn OFF USB SEND KEYING, and then duplicated your settings, and the 7300 still won't key, using either RTS/DTR or CAT control. I'm beginning to wonder if there might be something amiss with the USB cable, or perhaps the way the Imac handles the lines. (BUT, since OmniRig works FB, I don't see how this could be the case.)

(Yes, in all my testing, I have done a "cold boot" of the radio, and made sure to exit VarAC and Log4OM (which also uses OmniRig) before doing my tests.)

At this point, I'm just glad that OmniRg works, and will leave everything alone.

73, Joe

wd4kav

Mar 05, 2022

Well, something is still amiss, as I haven't changed the default 7300 address, yet the rig does not key unless i use OmniRig.

NC3Z Gary

Mar 05, 2022

If you have not changed it anywhere and kept it default then you are OK.

NC3Z Gary

Mar 03, 2022

If OmniRig is working then simply changing VarAC to use CAT PTT (as long as port and speed and address are correct) should work seamlessly, and you can go back and forth. For CAT PTT the USB Keying setting has no consequence.

wd4kav

Mar 05, 2022

Replying to

Hi Gary. I don't see a place to enter the address for the 7300. If I missed where that is done, then it would explain why my rig won't key.