I can't configure CAT on the FT897.

[Sergej Beresteckij]

I can't configure CAT on the FT897. Is this even possible? CAT ports are emulated by Microham hardware https://www.microham.com/ I don't understand the general logic of how to proceed.

[Alex VE3NEA]

Start by reading this section in User's Guide:

https://ve3nea.github.io/SkyRoof/users_guide/setting_up_cat_control.html

FT-897 is not yet supported by SkyCAT, the default CAT control engine, so you have to use  rigctld.exe as described in this section. If you cannot make it work, let me know which step fails, and provide the details, such as log files and screenshots.

[Sergej Beresteckij]

-r, --rig-file=device

Use device as the file name of the port connected to the radio.

Often a serial port, but could be a USB to serial adapter. Typically /dev/ttyS0, /dev/ttyS1, /dev/ttyUSB0, etc. on Linux, COM1, COM2, etc. on MS Windows. The BSD flavors and Mac OS/X have their own designations. See your system’s documentation.

The special string “uh-rig” may be given to enable micro-ham device support??? 

"C:\Program Files\hamlib-w64-4.5.5\bin\rigctld.exe" -m 1023  --rig-file=COM6  -s 9600

I tried different lines with micro-ham

But nothing happens

четверг, 30 октября 2025 г. в 14:42:18 UTC+3, Alex VE3NEA:

[Alex VE3NEA]

find out the correct port number using Device Manager in Windows. Disconnect and re-connect Microham and see which port disappears and appears in the device list. On Windows the only valid port names are COMxxx where xxx is a number. Once you find the correct port number, enable logging in rigctld.exe using the -vvvvv command line parameter and see what happens there

[Sergej Beresteckij]

ft897_open: called
rig.c(1308) trace
rig_open: vfo_curr=currVFO, tx_vfo=TX
vfo_fixup:(from rig_open:1340) vfo=VFOA, vfo_curr=currVFO, split=0
rig_open: No set_vfo function rig so default vfo = VFOA
rig_get_freq(2034) called vfo=VFOA
vfo_fixup:(from rig_get_freq:2040) vfo=VFOA, vfo_curr=VFOA, split=0
rig.c(2043) vfo=VFOA, curr_vfo=VFOA
rig_get_freq: cache miss age=1000000ms, cached_vfo=VFOA, asked_vfo=VFOA, use_cached_freq=0
rig_get_freq(2130): vfo_opt=0, model=1023
ft897_get_freq: called
check_cache_timeout: cache invalid
ft897_get_status: called
rig_flush: called for serial device
read_string_generic called, rxmax=4095 direct=1, expected_len=1
tcflush
write_block(): TX 5 bytes, method=1
0000    00 00 00 00 03                                      .....
read_block_generic called, direct=1
read_block_generic(): Timed out 0.328809 seconds after 0 chars, direct=1
 1:rig_get_freq: elapsed=454ms
 1:rig.c(1403):rig_open returning(0)
Opened rig model 1023, 'FT-897'
Backend version: 20220404.0, Status: Stable
main: Using IPV6
 1:network.c(977):network_multicast_publisher_start entered
network.c(981):multicast address=0.0.0.0, port=4532
network.c(986): not starting multicast publisher
main: rigctld listening on port 4532

четверг, 30 октября 2025 г. в 20:11:22 UTC+3, Alex VE3NEA:

[Alex VE3NEA]

reading from the COM port times out. Maybe you are using a wrong Baud rate. Check the rate selected in radio's menu

[Sergej Beresteckij]

rigctl_parse: return#1 RPRT -11
mutex_rigctld: client lock disengaged
handle_socket: rigctl_parse retcode=-11
mutex_rigctld: client lock engaged
mutex_rigctld: client lock disengaged
handle_socket: doing rigctl_parse vfo_mode=0, secure=0
rigctl_parse: called, interactive=1
scanfc: ret=-1
rigctl_parse: nothing to scan#1? retcode=-1, last_cmd=
handle_socket: rigctl_parse retcode=2
Connection closed from ::ffff:127.0.0.1:58862

четверг, 30 октября 2025 г. в 20:41:59 UTC+3, Alex VE3NEA:

[Alex VE3NEA]

Is there anything else in the log?

[Sergej Beresteckij]

Hi Alex 

This same *.bat file works well in the gpredict program.

четверг, 30 октября 2025 г. в 22:13:47 UTC+3, Alex VE3NEA:

[Gert de Haan]

Hi all, 

SkyRoof 1.22 final is not working with Yaesu 897 in combination with skycat. 

SkyRoof 1.20b works ok with Yaesu 897 in combination with rigctld. 

I'm still finding out where things go wrong with SkyRoof icw Yaesu 897/818 and Skycat. 

Regards 

Gert 

Verzonden vanaf Outlook voor Android

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Subject: Re: I can't configure CAT on the FT897.

 

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[Alex VE3NEA]

It looks like FT-897 does not understand the "U DUAL_WATCH 0" command that disables the dual watch mode during the initialization, This is not surprising since this radio does not have the dual watch mode. I will see if I can fix this.

[Alex VE3NEA]

Have you tried v.1.23 yet? I removed the  DUAL_WATCH  command from the rigctld.exe initialization, now it should work with your radio.

[Sergej Beresteckij]

Of course, I tried. But unfortunately, it doesn't work. Can we speak Russian? 73 de UA6ATG

понедельник, 3 ноября 2025 г. в 05:55:45 UTC+3, Alex VE3NEA:

[Sergej Beresteckij]

attach

понедельник, 3 ноября 2025 г. в 12:07:57 UTC+3, Sergej Beresteckij:

[Alex VE3NEA]

According to your log, rigctld.exe rejects the "set VFO A" command. I am not sure why it behaves this way, please ask the HamLib developers about that. Here are the log entries that you can send them:

rigctl(d): V 'currVFO' 'VFOA' '' ''
...
0:rig.c(2840):rig_set_vfo returning(-11) Feature not available

However, a better approach is to create a .json file for your radio and use SkyCAT instead of rigctld, since  SkyCAT  is specifically designed for the satellite work. FT-897 is very similar to FT-817 in terms of CAT commands. If you use the existing FT-817.json file as a starting point, you can make the new json with little effort. The format of the json files is described here: https://ve3nea.github.io/SkyCAT/commandset-format.html

[Sergej Beresteckij]

It worked! With this *.bat file cd \Program Files\skysat\ cmd /k "skycatd -m FT-817 -r COM6 -s 9600 -t 4532 -vvv -f" It turns out ft897 matches ft817. Maybe not everything, I'll test it. But it does match the frequency! Thanks! P.S. I was listening to AO-7 today. I received my CW signal. There was no interference. But you need to install a filter on RS-44. As described here: http://dl2kq.de/ant/3-134.htm

понедельник, 3 ноября 2025 г. в 05:55:45 UTC+3, Alex VE3NEA:

Have you tried v.1.23 yet? I removed the  DUAL_WATCH  command from the rigctld.exe initialization, now it should work with your radio.

[Alex VE3NEA]

Awesome! Thank you for testing the 817 file with the 897 radio. I have created two new files, FT-897.json and FT-818.json, these radios have the same CAT commands and differ only in the radio ID. The files are here:

https://github.com/VE3NEA/SkyCAT/tree/master/Rigs