Owner`s manual

With an FM rig you must set the audio level using a deviation meter or by

comparing the level of your transmit audio to other stations by using a second

receiver. For operation with the EchoLink System®

use their 9999 test server to check audio levels.

The sound card sliders should end up between 1/4 and 3/4 of the way up and

the RIGblaster audio level control set between 1/8 and 7/8 of the way up. You

should be able to achieve a happy balance between controls when they are all

set properly. Remember that there are multiple audio controls cascaded and

all interact. If any one of the controls is turned down too much it will give the

appearance of NO TRANSMIT SIGNAL, NO RF OUTPUT. Little or no RF output

is usually caused by setting the sound card too low, setting the RF power less

than max or the wrong speakers or headphones plugged in.

HINT: If you didn’t configure your software to control PTT as was explained in

steps 4, 5 and 6 you will not be able to transmit. Nothing will happen unless

you set up your radio for VOX operation or you manually activate PTT with a

MOX switch.

HINT: if you are using PSK software, make sure that the transmit audio frequency

is between 500 Hz and 2500 Hz otherwise you may be outside the limits of your

radio’s audio pass band and you may not be able to transmit.

HINT: While the software is in transmit check for the presence of transmit

tones by listening at the RIGblaster’s audio output jack with either headphones

or computer speakers. Do not use low impedance un-amplified speakers or

headphones, they will effectively short out your sound card output.

8. CW or FSK SETUP: The RIGblaster Plus has two optoisolator keying

circuits, one for PTT control and the other for CW or FSK keying. Both CW and

FSK may be done by injecting audio tones through any model RIGblaster into

the mic. jack, but with the Plus model you also have the option of direct keyed

CW and/or FSK. Direct keying may allow you to use special CW or FSK filters

that only work in those modes.

CW: If you would like to use software that can operate keyboard CW you must

normally set the software so it controls PTT on RTS and CW keying on DTR. If

it cannot be configured that way you may set it up in other ways by re-configuring

the RIGblaster’s serial control jumper block (P5). The default out-of-the-box setup

of the P5 jumper block is to control PTT on RTS and key on DTR, as shown.

You must determine how your software must be configured and set the serial

control jumpers as/if needed. See the serial keying jumper diagram on page 10

of this manual for serial jumper configuration diagrams.

RIGblaster plus