I bought one of these to get into digital, starting with WSPR - got all the way from the UK to the DE Antarctic Station on my first go - very happy with it especially as the company in the US made cables for all my Yaesu radios!
I've had one of these for a little while (video on my channel). It is brilliant. I now use it pretty much exclusively as an interface between my PC and the FT-8900 for APRS use with direwolf.
@@TechMindsOfficialmy experience is that I needed a USB isolator and to wrap the USB cable many times around an ft230-43 toroid. This was to stop RFI from the computer getting into the audio in. USB isolators are often used by hifi enthusiasts with USB soundcards. With my desktop PC the front panel USB cables take a longish path from the motherboard to the front panel. Maybe a direct port off the motherboard wouldn't have the problem. I also run homeplug ethernet over power so that ends up everywhere.
Vara is practically a closed-source proprietary technology at this point, it won’t be able to compete against the FT8-family of digital modes in the long run.
some great features in Vara ac and more to come, text messages small pics and files.. pass at - 14 to 19 db its very robust... its 121 chat and op, s.. ft8 is more robotic..
Hey, I was thinking about another project integrating a chip with all thr known digital modes (open source) in conjunction with a handled computer and adding a clock (Upgrade with that really small GPS disaplined temp Crystal). A pack of antenna like some normal rods, and the acrylic long V dipole your checked out m, and a plain throw it in the tree inverted dipoles. So an ARM, a Xylix FPGA, and 100 tensor cores to boot. Four Bios chips with dip switchs to firmware the device default, or load up an alternate, or xombine the space, or have FPGA blank slates to help teach the interplay with RF, FPGAs, and Arm with an ESP 32 cams for use with the FPGA snd tensors or the tensors could be used to store as it could in Aldum Pluto GUI Radio standalone woth RTOS or Linux lite already on one or two of the deadicated bios chips depending on which dip switched you set. A SD card is included with the board for plenty of storage. It would be a learning tool, off grid emergency coms, or mere RF and FPGA / Tensor cores special signal identification with neural networking, snd perhaps the guts of the digi rig built in with all the new and old digital modes availabie on one chip with its own memory snd perhaps a small yet capable co-proceseor. No need to have a seperate device. The kit worh the screen and keyboard etc comes with no MCU, CPU or FPGA, you must supply l a compatible one and there sre many choices. Well im going to have a look at the open source if rhe platform sbd then tskk to PCBWay or someone like this to see what it would cost to make a premium learning snd teaching platform with image id, FPGA, and a retro but super interesting use of an older os as a tie between micropython and python as well as a built-in FPGA programer and pytorch or tensorflow for a 100 or so small tensors (in my dreams cuda given the software support for Nvida). But all packaged in a larger sized scientific calculator.
You may be looking at the prices from private resellers. If you order directly from the website you'll have pay around $15-20 in shipping to Canada and no sales tax. There may be some small import fee on your end.
Why in [censored] are the logo, usb, and audo/serial ports labeled in different axis ? It can't be THAT hard to put everything on the same axis. This makes me question how much foresight they put into the rest of the product.
Think about how the circuit board and components are laid out and you would have your answer. There is a USB C socket and two TRRS sockets. The only way to do what you suggest is to either use a tiny font or use a stacked TRRS socket, which would drive up the cost (assuming such a component even is commercially available)
If you want to see inside then look on their website, plenty of photos of the main board. “Incomplete review”… what you want, blood? Liking your own comments also is frowned upon….
WSPR is as different to FT8 as FT8 is to Vara. They are each a different tool. To anyone else not in the know, with WSPR, you transmit a software generated signal and then check a map on the internet to see who heard you, otherwise you set up a listening station to contribute propagation data to the WSPR project's database. With FT8, you also transmit a software generated signal, but you exchange call signs, grid squares and a signal report with another operator to make a QSO.
This is a must have for digital. The cables are high quality as well.
I bought one of these to get into digital, starting with WSPR - got all the way from the UK to the DE Antarctic Station on my first go - very happy with it especially as the company in the US made cables for all my Yaesu radios!
I have 2 of these, 2 signalinks, and both versions of the mobalink tnc3/4. I really like the digirig for almost everything that the others can do.
I've had one of these for a little while (video on my channel). It is brilliant. I now use it pretty much exclusively as an interface between my PC and the FT-8900 for APRS use with direwolf.
Dude, try the M17 Tools. Possibly we can make a M17 digital contact on 2M?
About to pull the trigger on one of these useful video thanks
Very thorough. Ive been using digirig with my go kit. Great product
I have a couple of these, they are great easy to use and versatile.
Did you check out the DigiLink Nano? It offers USB isolation which the DigiRig needs an additional adaptor for.
It may not have it, but I didn’t experience any issues without it. Maybe someone running lots of power may need one, but I can’t comment on that.
@@TechMindsOfficialmy experience is that I needed a USB isolator and to wrap the USB cable many times around an ft230-43 toroid.
This was to stop RFI from the computer getting into the audio in.
USB isolators are often used by hifi enthusiasts with USB soundcards.
With my desktop PC the front panel USB cables take a longish path from the motherboard to the front panel. Maybe a direct port off the motherboard wouldn't have the problem. I also run homeplug ethernet over power so that ends up everywhere.
Vara is practically a closed-source proprietary technology at this point, it won’t be able to compete against the FT8-family of digital modes in the long run.
some great features in Vara ac and more to come, text messages small pics and files.. pass at - 14 to 19 db its very robust... its 121 chat and op, s..
ft8 is more robotic..
Ft8 is glorified WHSPR, at least with other digital modes like Vara you can actually communicate with someone…..
@@pauls8456 JS8Call is the implementation of FT8 for dialogue
An FT8 mode is JS8CALL, which is for keyboard QSO and rag chew.
Brilliant interface.
I bought one of these a while back to help my laptop talk to my Icom 706MK2G. I was startled at how small it is.
Is your USB C connection sensitive on the Digirig end? Mine disconnects at a slight bump and I am using their cable.
What radios offer this 9600 baud port ?
Did a review on my channel showing how it is NOT just data but voice options also.
Use mine for P.A.R.S. and as a Zello GW
Looking for using Winlink between 2 computers and Baofengs connected to exchange email.
Do you have a video on that??
I dont, but thats a good idea!
Am looking forward to your video about M17 🙂
Hey, I was thinking about another project integrating a chip with all thr known digital modes (open source) in conjunction with a handled computer and adding a clock (Upgrade with that really small GPS disaplined temp Crystal). A pack of antenna like some normal rods, and the acrylic long V dipole your checked out m, and a plain throw it in the tree inverted dipoles. So an ARM, a Xylix FPGA, and 100 tensor cores to boot. Four Bios chips with dip switchs to firmware the device default, or load up an alternate, or xombine the space, or have FPGA blank slates to help teach the interplay with RF, FPGAs, and Arm with an ESP 32 cams for use with the FPGA snd tensors or the tensors could be used to store as it could in Aldum Pluto GUI Radio standalone woth RTOS or Linux lite already on one or two of the deadicated bios chips depending on which dip switched you set. A SD card is included with the board for plenty of storage. It would be a learning tool, off grid emergency coms, or mere RF and FPGA / Tensor cores special signal identification with neural networking, snd perhaps the guts of the digi rig built in with all the new and old digital modes availabie on one chip with its own memory snd perhaps a small yet capable co-proceseor. No need to have a seperate device. The kit worh the screen and keyboard etc comes with no MCU, CPU or FPGA, you must supply l a compatible one and there sre many choices. Well im going to have a look at the open source if rhe platform sbd then tskk to PCBWay or someone like this to see what it would cost to make a premium learning snd teaching platform with image id, FPGA, and a retro but super interesting use of an older os as a tie between micropython and python as well as a built-in FPGA programer and pytorch or tensorflow for a 100 or so small tensors (in my dreams cuda given the software support for Nvida). But all packaged in a larger sized scientific calculator.
I would love to get one of these but the price in Canada is ridiculous, 3 time the cost of the US and that doesn't include shipping and taxes.
You may be looking at the prices from private resellers. If you order directly from the website you'll have pay around $15-20 in shipping to Canada and no sales tax. There may be some small import fee on your end.
Why in [censored] are the logo, usb, and audo/serial ports labeled in different axis ? It can't be THAT hard to put everything on the same axis. This makes me question how much foresight they put into the rest of the product.
Think about how the circuit board and components are laid out and you would have your answer. There is a USB C socket and two TRRS sockets. The only way to do what you suggest is to either use a tiny font or use a stacked TRRS socket, which would drive up the cost (assuming such a component even is commercially available)
Who cares? It works!
js8call?
Yep, all modes that use a computer
I was hoping to see the insides of the unit. A rather incomplete review without even a quick look under the cover.
If you want to see inside then look on their website, plenty of photos of the main board. “Incomplete review”… what you want, blood? Liking your own comments also is frowned upon….
@@TechMindsOfficial I didn’t like his comment, but I gave it a thumbs up so that he can remove his self thumbs up. It was a good review. Thanks!
@@TechMindsOfficialI also gave both of my sub-comments, here, the thumbs up.
@@TechMindsOfficialAnd I gave your reply to him a thumbs down even though I agree with it. Will also self-like this one.
lol Adrian, I like your sense of humour :) I must of been having a bad day! Thumbs down for sure
FT8 is glorified WSPR, at least with other digital modes like Vara you can actually communicate with someone…..
I see you care enough about this to post it twice
WSPR is as different to FT8 as FT8 is to Vara. They are each a different tool.
To anyone else not in the know, with WSPR, you transmit a software generated signal and then check a map on the internet to see who heard you, otherwise you set up a listening station to contribute propagation data to the WSPR project's database.
With FT8, you also transmit a software generated signal, but you exchange call signs, grid squares and a signal report with another operator to make a QSO.
@@MarkPentler Sad ham hate FT8. FT8 make sad ham ANGRY.
@@MarkPentler Sad ham hate FT8. FT8 make sad ham ANGRY.
@pauls8456
No one asked for your opinion. Twice.
Settle down, dummy.