Owner`s manual

Owner’s Manual

Keyboard CW keying can co-exist with an external keyer if you wire the keyer

keying output in parallel with the RIGblaster’s keying output and plug both into

a single straight key jack. This is one way that you may send CW with both a

keyboard and a paddle.

You may not use the built in keyer in your radio unless your radio has two CW key

jacks, one for a paddle and another for a straight key. This is because external

computer keying is in the form of Morse code character output, not paddle dot-

dash closures. Note: some CW software will allow you to connect your paddle to

your computer’s parallel port allowing the software to function both as a keyboard

keyer and a virtual keyer for a paddle. The RIGblaster doesn’t support direct

paddle connections.

FSK: If you would like to use the RIGblaster’s keying output for RTTY FSK keying

instead of CW keying you must make or buy a cable to connect the RIGblaster’s

key out to the FSK keying terminals on the back of your radio.

Note: you must use a real serial port that supports the low baud rate of RTTY in

order to key FSK. USB interfaces will not work at these low baud rates. There

is, however, a work-around using MMTTY with the EXTFSK add-on.

To use standard RTTY software for FSK you have to re-configure the P5 jumper

block inside the RIGblaster for PTT on RTS and FSK on TXD as shown.

FSK CHECKLIST

1) The radio is in the RTTY mode.

2) The RIGblaster keying output is connected to the radio’s FSK terminal (tip

positive, pull to ground). Check the FSK connecting cable by shorting the

mini plug end from tip to sleeve. You should hear the transmitter shift each

time you short it. Listen on another receiver or use the transmit monitor

feature of your radio if it has one.

3) The RIGblaster’s P5 jumper is set to key PTT on RTS and TXD for FSK.

4) You are using a real serial port not a USB converter.

5) You have the software set to key FSK and it is not set to only AFSK.

6) You have set the software to the correct COM port number and have it set

for PTT on RTS and FSK on TXD on RTS and FSK on TXD

7) You have the correct shift (the mark and space tones are correct and not

inverted). The only easy way to tell if you are correct is to make a contact. If

no one answers then invert the shift and try again. Software setup utilities

and radio menu or switch settings allow you invert shift. Another operator

may answer you because they realized you were backwards or both of

you are wrong.

TIP: Use the serial diagnostic LEDs inside the RIGblaster to show how the

software is controlling the serial port RTS, DTR and TXD lines. It should

correspond to what is supposed to be happening.