[Boatanchors] AEA PK 232 MBX Question

[John Lawson]

    VanDyke Software make a nice program called "CRT" which I have used for 
years... and what I am using to type this.

   You will also need a USB-to-Serial port converter unless your machine still 
has physical serial ports.



   Timewave LLC bought out AEA when they went out of business.

   http://www.timewave.com/

       and more specifically:

   http://www.timewave.com/support/PK-232/Upgrades/PK232UgradeGuide.html




   FWIW, I had PK232 serial number 74 that I bought from Henry Radio  when they 
first came out...  I've had four or five over the years.  They were really 
amazing when they were new, but in my opinion the software-based packages 
available now are much more 'efficient'.

    Fun box to play with though, as were the Kantronics systems. The PK232 had a 
"Signal Identifier" (SI) that I always found handy back in the day.

   Beware of Hyperterminal that used to come bundled with windows - I have never 
had a good experience with it in several applications.

   Lots of good terminal emulators are out there as 'freeware' - but again 
you'll need to adapt the DB-25-based serial port of the PK232 to (most likely) 
USB in order to physically talk to it.  I'm assuming you didn't get the cable 
set with the unit - it had what looks like a "Y" cable - one connector for the 
RS232 serial data and another for the Centronics Parallel printer port, used 
for printing out WEFAX, etc.


   Cheers

John KB6SCO