IC 705 HF and VHF

[Dustin Green]

Good day,

Is there any possibility of using the IC 705 directly with WoAD both on HF and VHF.  I have great success using WoAD with by Kenwood D74 on VHF with the internal TNC.  I hoping to find the same success with only the 705 and my Android.

Thank you!

Dustin

[Thomas KF7RSF]

Dustin,

To do ax.25 (Packet), there must be a TNC. TH-D74 works because it has a built-in TNC as you say. I have the same combo and it works very well.

There are software TNCs that can replace the hardware TNC, but I am not aware of any that run on Android. ARDOP VARA-HF, and VARA-FM are all also software TNCs. Again, not available to run on Android OS.

WoAD can connect by tcp/ip to a second computer running any of these software TNCs, . If, for instance, you have a working Windows installation running Winlink Express and connected to your IC-705, you can sit in your living room with your Android device running WoAD and operate Packet, ARDOP, or VARA modes. In each case you would set WoAD to connect to the proper tcp port of a running copy of Soundmodem, Dire Wolf, ARDOP, VARA HF, OR VARA-FM. The soundcard in the IC-705 would do the rest.

I would be happy to settle for just VARA, HF and FM, but the author has made it clear he does not intend to write versions for other OSs.

Thomas   /WDT

KF7RSF

[Andrew Walker]

Hi Dustin,

WoAD has a built-in software TNC for AX.25 packet at 1200bps for VHF/UHF. To use it with the IC-705 you'd need to use some kind of audio interface (such as VoxBox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK-GlYgBmg8, easy-digi, etc.) between the phone and radio. Set the session protocol to "Packet", and under "TNC type" select "Audio (AFSK, 1200bps)".

On a more speculative note it may be possible to interface the two through bluetooth and have the Android phone essentially acting as a remote headset for the radio. Never tried it, but I suspect it would depend on the functionality provided by the phone.

Hope that help,

Andrew

VA7YAA

On Sunday, January 9, 2022 at 12:08:04 PM UTC-8 dustin...@gmail.com wrote:

[Dustin Green]

Thank you for the response.  You guys know more about the technology behind this than I do.  Yea, what I was hoping was to push audio directly between the Android (I have a Samsung Note 10+) and the 705 via bluetooth (I would still be happy if I had to use a cable).  I figured that since the 705 had a soundcard built in I would be able to used the AFSK, 1200bps.  I'm assuming the hardware between my two devices is sufficient to make this happen.  I guess we'll just patiently wait until the software allows this.  That VoxBox is pretty neat, but given the technology in the 705 (and in the Android) that I own, I feel like that would be a step back.  

Dustin

KB7DLG 

[Dustin Green]

Perhaps, connecting the Android and 705 via Wifi (Access Point Connection) would do the trick?

[Andrew Walker]

Hi Dustin,

You can indeed push audio between the Android device running WoAD and the radio, using AFSK, 1200bps. 

At its most primitive you could place the phone close to the radio handset, adjust the audio levels on both sides, and you'd be good to go. The reason not to do that would be background noise, having to enable VOX on the radio,  etc. Its not an elegant solution and very prone to all kinds of problems. 

Better than that would be to use an audio cable between the phone and radio. This isn't recommended either as again you'd have to use VOX and are likely to have problems with ground loops and hum and noise on the cables. My electronic knowledge doesn't extend to the potential risk you're putting your equipment in when you directly connect them in this way.

The proper solution is to use a couple of audio isolation transformers and additional circuitry to trigger the PTT so you don't have to use VOX on the radio. This is what the VoxBox and easy-digi do. The circuitry used is simple and can easily be built by an electronic hobbyist.

I don't have an IC-705 but a quick look at the manual doesn't suggest that you could use the WiFi for what you're trying to do. The bluetooth may be able to achieve what you're after, and would involve making the phone think the radio is a bluetooth headset, or vice versa. This would likely involve some extensive reading of the manual of both devices, but may be possible. WoAD would still be running in AFSK, 1200bps mode but would now be sending and receiving the audio signal over a bluetooth connection.

Hope that helps,

Andrew

VA7YAA