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Serial Port Access Denied with OmniRig and DTR/RTS

I have an IC-718 with a DigiRig. I've been pretty successful using this with WSJT-X with it set to use OmniRig. Since this radio doesn't have PTT through CAT, the DigiRig will do it through RTS being brought high. So in WSJT-X I set PTT Method to RTS and for port, they give you an option of CAT, which is supposed to use the same port as OmniRig (I'm not sure what happens internally in code for this setting).

Anyway, if I try to use the same setup in Varac, I get a Access Denied on the port when trying to test PTT. I can't seem to get VOX to work, both in Varac and in WSJT-X, so is there something I need to do to get this working like wsjt-x does?

7 comments

Comments (7)

NC3Z Gary

Jan 16, 2023

Please confirm that WSJT is working as it should? Let me see your OmniRig settings since you are using that.

Aaron Smith

Jan 16, 2023

Replying to

Yep, it's working. Here are my Omni-Rig settings.

Also, as a test, in WSJT-X, I selected COM8 instead of CAT for port, and that does not work. If I click Test PTT, nothing happens. So I suspect that this CAT setting is actually something that tells Omni-Rig to do this instead of opening that port up and doing it.

NC3Z Gary

Jan 16, 2023

Replying to

That is the reason for the conflict, you are using OmniRig for CAT on Com 8 BUT you are also telling VarAC to also use Com 8 for PTT, that will conflict. What happens if in VarAC you select OmniRig for PTT?

Aaron Smith

Jan 16, 2023

Replying to

Selecting Omni-Rig for PTT doesn't work. I assume that doesn't work because the IC-718 doesn't support PTT through the CI-V control. It doesn't work in WSJT-X either.

I was able to just get everything working by not using Omni-Rig and setting everything up direct:

I don't necessarily need Omni-Rig. I can manually log everything in Log4OM. I will just need to be careful with making sure everything is turned off before opening VarAC.

I appreciate you trying to work through this with me.

Aaron Smith

Jan 16, 2023

I was just in js8call, which has the same setup as wsjt-x, and I hovered over that drop down for PTT method port and noticed the message that CAT may be a special value that might need to be used instead of serial port...

NC3Z Gary

Jan 15, 2023

Nope, it is pretty straight forward. But you can help us help you by showing us your settings for VarAC and also for WSJT that you say is working. Otherwise we are just in the dark.

Aaron Smith

Jan 16, 2023

Replying to

Here are the settings for WSJT-X that work. If I click on Test PTT, it keys up the rig.

In VarAC, here is what I have set up. For DTR/RTS port, there is just my COM1, COM5, and COM8, COM8 is what the rig is connected to. If I click TEST PTT ON, I get the error shown in the CAT Test Error Log area.