[TimeWave-AEA] Help

Mon, 29 Jul 2002 05:21:56 +0000

Hi all,

Randy:  I believe you mis-spoke (typed?) below.  A PK-232 can not be 
connected to a computer via the printer port. 

Jim:  You absolutely should use the cable supplied with the PK-232.  The 
reason for this is that in an effort to control manufacturing costs and 
provide printing capability, AEA used a DB-25 connector for serial data 
connection to the computer, and used the "left over" pins to implement a 
parallel port.  If the pins used to implement the parallel port are connected 
to anything but a printer, the PK-232 can be damaged, but even without that, 
since the circuitry for the parallel port is shared with the front-panel 
LEDs, the front-panel LED display can be made inaccurate.  To prevent damage 
to your PK-232MBX, you need to use the suppied cable, or you need to insure 
that on the DB-25 end of the cable you use, that only pins 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, 
and 20 are connected.  Any others can damage the PK-232MBX.  Many 
prefabricated DB-25 to DB-9 cables connect an additional pin to the DB-25 
connector.  So you're better off with a DB-25/DB-9 adapter (or short cable) 
connected to the cable supplied with your PK-232MBX.  

The original PK-232's were provided with a "Y" cable, with a cable and 
connector to go to the computer or terminal, and an additional cable and 
connector that could be connected to a parallel printer.  This allowed a 
means of printing information without requiring a computer, and until FAX 
display software became available, was the only way for FAX transmissions to 
be displayed with the PK-232.

Yes, you're right - the PK-232 manual is big and imposing, from the outside.  
A fair amount of effort and numerous revisions have been done to it over the 
years, with the manual (When AEA was still in existence) provided in a 
three-ring binder being the result of a major organizational review and 
re-write.  I don't know if Timewave has stuck with the basic format we 
developed at AEA or not.  I worked at AEA in the customer service department 
at that time, and my biggest contribution to the manual update was the radio 
connection information appendix at the back of the manual.  It definitely has 
connection information for your TS-430.  I don't happen to recall offhand if 
there are several options for that radio, as there definitly are for later 
Kenwoods, like the TS-850.  If it happens that the manual you received with 
your PK-232 was printed by AEA (vs. Timewave) and is of the "perfect-bound" 
variety, you may want to consider contacting Timewave about a new manual - 
the later manual was a huge improvement in organization.  Also, a large part 
of the manual is devoted to explanatory text for each and every command in 
the unit.  If you elect to acquire software specificly designed for the 
PK-232, you're going to be using the documentation or help files in that 
software for information on how to operate on the air with the PK-232, rather 
than making extensive use of the PK-232 manual.  You do still need to use the 
PK-232 manual if you intend to complete your own radio connection cables.   
As for radio connection cables, there are also alternatives.  I believe MFJ 
and Buck Rogers sell cables to connect the PK-232 to many models of radios.  
See their web sites (www.mfjenterprises.com and www.packetradio.com)

As for software, at a very minimum, you can use the Hyperterminal software 
that's supplied with Win98 to get you started.  The PK-232 manual details 
getting started this way, allowing you to perform initial functional 
verification and providing you with some training in this capability.  There 
are a very few hams that prefer to use this method for all their use of the 
PK-232.  See the Timewave site for their software offerings that are specific 
to the PK-232.  There's also a product known as PK-Gold that's specificly 
designed for use with the PK-232.  You'll generally find these programs to 
give you the best, most seamless user interface for interacting with the 
PK-232.

The mini-phone cables are provided as a separate means of getting receive 
audio from your radio to the PK-232.  Many radios do not make provision for 
receive audio on the same connector as the transmit audio and PTT are on.  
Most VHF/UHF mobiles used to be like this.  So by providing a receive audio 
jack and a cable, you didn't have to try to splice into the gray radio cable 
to accomplish the receive connection.  Again, I don't recall the details for 
the TS-430, but since we did have one of those on hand at AEA, I know 
absolutely that the connections in the manual work!

I hope that helps, and 73.

Also, feel free to contact me directly if there are questions I can answer.

73, Bob, KD7NM ([email protected])

On Monday 29 July 2002 01:07, [email protected] wrote:
> Jim,
> PK-232 help
> As for Comm port most of us use the parallel port but the printer port
> can be configured to do the job. (9 pin to 25)(computer to pk-232)radio
> shack "NOT NULL MODUM" cord.
> On the back of the pk-232 you will find the 2 radio ports with the
> special plug you mentioned- that usually goes to the ACC on the rig.
> The audio cord many of the older rigs didn't have the audio available as
> they were connected to the microphone plug as opposed to the ACC. If you
> don't have audio to the ACC connected that cord will be needed.
> NEXT QUESTION
> The pk-232 can do many things what software and configuration can be
> dependant on what you want to do with it.
> My email address direct [email protected]
>
> Randy
> AC7NJ
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jim Lindberg
> Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 7:56 PM
> To: [email protected]; [email protected]
> Subject: [TimeWave-AEA] Help
>
> Hi,
> I'm brand new at this and I need a lot of help.
> I just got a AEA PK-232MBX And I'm trying to figure it out.
> It came in good shape with a intimidating thick manual. First I'd like
> to get some soft ware I can use with Windows 98. Next I was sent a cable
> with RS 232 (25 pins) on each end and the only place I could use that is
> my printer port. It also came with a cable that has a weird ( 5 pin )
> that connects to the PK232 and the other end to the rcvr ( I'm using my
> Kenwood TS 430S ) and a mini stereo plug that goes some where. I have a
> RS 232 to a (9 pin) that I can put to my COM PORT if that will help.
> I guess that will do it for now.
> Please be gentle--I'm old.
> de
> Jim