Stay at Home Special: Install Icom IC-7300 Driver and FT8 on New Computer--Works! (
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- A previous video, #267, describes menu settings on the IC-7300 to prepare it for digital modes. This video covers in great detail downloading the Icom driver for the USB connection between my new Win 10 computer and the IC-7300. Then we download and install WSJT-X, then set it up to work with the radio. After a couple sample FT8 QSOs, we download the WSJT-X user manual.
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Thank you Dave, new guy here ....but your simple step by step explanation is what some of us need who have not found a Elmer. 73 steve in VA
Thanks Dave. You can also click on the waterfall with LEFT mouse to select an empty spot to receive (green cursor) . Or left mouse & left SHIFT to move TX cursor. Clicking Right MOUSE on waterfall will bring up "set RX & TX offset" this places the RX /TX cursor together. Using LEFT mouse & left shift (TX) moves TX frequency or LEFT mouse & Left ALT moves RX frequency. Hope this assists someone
Dave, you never discussed the critically of setting your PC time. I had to go from Windows 10 time/date to installing a different time program to keep the time in sync. Great video. Looking forward to more videos.
Definitely helpful to open a browser and go to time.is/ to check your system time! I was running WSJT-X on a new computer last week and forgot to check. Wasn't decoding much traffic until I remembered to sync the time. My clock was off by 2 seconds. Dave, a video showing how to use pskreporter.info would be a good follow up to this video. 73
I found this a very interesting video. This mode is new to me, in the 70's I use receive RTTY and a decoder to receive and print the news for my junior high school. So FT8 and all the other modes used today by hams are Greek to me, but I'm learning because of Elmers like you. Thanks.
I know this video is old but I’m just now getting into FT8 and I have a new computer that I’m setting up. This video really helped me! Thanks Dave!! 🤠👋🏻
I'm getting this new-fangled stuff, but slowly. Your videos are really helping! And FYI, the device you are calling a horn is a whistle. Whistles have no moving parts, horns do (the diaphragm that vibrates to create the sound).
Just dropped by to get a refresher on loading the USB Driver from Icom for FT8. Was up and running quickly. I despise Win10 and all its upgrades, which cannot be defeated and ruin the FT8 set up. Going to move OS to Mint 20.1 as I have had it with Microsoft. Thanks, Dave, love your videos!
Thanks so much for running through the setup from start to finish! Digital modes have been largely a mystery to me, and I kind of like to know what I'm doing when I'm doing it. So I might be one of the few people who need it, but I very much appreciate the handholding.
Thanks Dave! You are a great resource! How the flying is going well! 73.
Well, I'll be watching this again later this week! Guess but I'll try FT8 with the 7300! Thanks for an informative video!
Excellent video. All ready for my IC-7300 arriving tomorrow :)
Thanks again David, after a quick read of the manual I made my first tentative QSO (answering a CQ) and got 870 miles on 5W, I think I might get to like digital modes
Thanks Dave. Always good information. Your teaching this old dog new tricks! 73 de W6NOB DM14ei Wrightwood, CA.
Chris I'm with you on a great video and even with over 4000 QSO since the end of January with WSJT-X working FT8 and FT4 I learned a couple of new things about WSJT-X from Dave and one other commenter here. I love the digital modes however the devil is far more in the detail compared to working CW or phone.
Great video on the set up of the radio and the installation of the necessary IC7300 driver and setting up WSJT-X...I actually did all those steps just the day before this video came out and other than going a bit deeper into the set up menus, I did pretty much the same thing you did....but...what totally lost me was your demonstration of the QSOs! You were talking and telling us what was going on, but I'll be damned if I could see anything on the screen that showed how to read what was going on. The quick crossing "wipes" between screens/scenes certainly didn't help and only confused me more. If it's based on the colors selected, then I'll just give up and call it done because I am color blind as a bat. Other than that, I really enjoy your videos and have recommended many new and upcoming Hams to go to your channel to watch and learn! Cheers!
Chip, I'll try to walk you through Dave's QSO with KC1MBX. If you go to 18:34 in the video you'll notice in the left hand pain of WSJT-X about halfway down at 210200 KC1MBX calls CQ. Dave double clicked on that row which moved the CQ to the right hand pain. Now if you continue to 19:25 after Dave clicks "OK" to log the QSO we'll look at the right hand pain. Go a little over half way down to 210200 and you'll see where KC1MBX's CQ was copied from the left hand pain to the right hand pain. At 210217 Dave replied to KC1MBX with his call sign (KE0OG) and Maidenhead Grid Square "DM68". At 210230 KC1MBX replies with a signal report indicating that he heard Dave with a signal level of -15 db. At 210245 Dave replies to KC1BMX with a "Roger", that's what the single "R" is and a signal report that he heard KC1BMX with a signal level of -02 db. At 210300 KC1BMX replies with a "Report Received", that's what the "RR" is and a "73". At 210315 Dave sends KC1BMX a "73" to complete the QSO. I hope that makes sense, if not feel free to ask more questions.
@@rogerp5816 Roger, thank you very much for your response! Now I can see what is going on and how the QSOs work! I will admit that I had to watch and read a couple times to get it to sink in. Now I understand. Again, thank you very much for stepping up and providing the clarification! Cheers and 73 KL7CA
May I suggest you do a video shortly showing the process of setting up the ARRL Logbook of the World so new hams get used to logging there QSOs there? Once hams have LotW setup they can use GridTracker by Tag Loomis, N0TTL to automatically log all of their WSJT-X contacts to LotW. I've found using GridTracker with WSJT-X makes chasing CQ Zones, ITU Zones, DXCC entities, states, US counties and the like a lot more fun as you watch the maps get filled in in real time.
Very cool, Dave. Thanks for making the video
Thanks, I'd already watched this and your previous video, but couldn't connect to my 7300. Missed one setting which fixed it. Need to read the manual before playing though!! 73's G6MWQ
Thanks ! This video was a great help.
Great video Dave. I always re-check the computer clock to make sure I'm within a half second of actual time before I go on the air.
p.s. I prefer JT65 or JT9. FT8 too fast for this old brain to keep up with (hi hi).
Curt WA2JSG NJ
Curt, you might want to try installing something like NetTime from timesynctool.com. It will automatically sync you computer clock with an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server parodically. I have my configured to do a re-sync once per hour. I'm hoping Dave will create a category call "Reference Software" and add something like NetTime to it. I've tried to work JT65 and JT9 and couldn't seem to find anyone else on the bands to work so I've had to stick with FT8 and FT4.
Hi Dave, please think about helping us that have a Windows 11 computer, and the Icom 7300. I got wsjt-x to work with my Windows 10 computer and 7300, but for the life of me I am unable to get a new Windows 11 computer to play nicely and work with wsjt-x. Help!
I am new ham. I hear about FT8 and JS8. What is the difference and can someone using one of them work with someone using the other.
How long before Icom replace this model ? I am tempted to buy one but knowing my luck a day after i buy one they will announce a new model.
Great stuff Dave, THANK YOU!
Kinda understand but on your signal report why is it minus. This is what I don't know
Been off the air about 12 years.
tnxs KQ4CD Paul
I am glad to hear WSJT supports Linux. I have an insane disdain for Microsoft products. Do you have any recommendations concerning the use of the IC-7300 with Linux operating systems?
Thank you for doing these!
Thanks Dave!
Hi Dave ~ love your Vids ..Ive been learning this week !! all thanks to you and a few others . .Question .. If I take the Dipole 1/4 wave legs and coil them around something, the legs are now alot shorter but are they electrically correct and still work for their resonant length ?
Coiling adds inductance and will change the resonant frequency.
@@davecasler I've been wondering what would happen if you let the end of the full length 40 meter dipole hang down, say for the last ten feet at each end. This is assuming you're using twenty foot end masts so the end of the antenna ends are well out of reach since the ends are where the highest voltage is. If I remembering antenna theory correctly the center of a dipole has the highest current and that's what radiates the most. I'm thinking this setup would give you the bandwidth of a full size 40 meter dipole while taking up a similar amount of space as the loaded 40 meter dipole.
@@rogerp5816 What you suggest is a standard technique. I'll have to try it.
Uh, OK. The biggest problem I had was when you were using the software, I couldn't see what you were noticing on the screen. You were talking about the other person replying but what was the screen element that showed that. It would take me an hour or two trying to find any of the flags that you were honing in on. Will try to find someone else who has a video on this and see if they do a better job of explaining,
John, Chip Andrews had the same question and I provided a detailed reply. If my response to Chip isn't clear I'll try to provide more detail. I've searched the internet in the past and have never found a really good detailed explanation of exactly how FT8/FT4 work. To easily find Chip's comment sort the comments by "Newest first" and go about nine hours before your comment. Let me know if you'd like to here more detail beyond what I've already provided.
Thank you very much for your help. 73 KP4KB
Hi Dave - little question about Amateur Extra 12th Edition when this will be ready? Thx 73 de HB9GNK and KB9GNK
I have the book on order but haven't received it yet, so any video updates have to wait until it arrives. It'll take a couple months at least until I update the videos.
what am i doing wrong, when i push test ptt on the settings on wsjt-x it turns red...
A red Test PTT button means "working".
One possibility is the colour of the red Test PTT button matches the red pointer for the TX frequency on the Wide Graph window.
Why did you build a pc as opposed to buying a laptop-anything specific to amateur radio, just wondering?
I wanted a computer that works well for video editing. My last laptop was slow and I spend a lot of time waiting for the computer. Plus, it blue-screened on me too frequently. With the new computer I spend my time editing, and not so much waiting on the computer. Plus, it runs X plane 11 flight sim well.
My 7300 is 5 months old. Do i need to download those drivers?
If you've never install the Icom IC-7300 drivers on your PC then you'll need to install them as Dave showed for WSJT-X to work. Make sure you download and install the IC-7300 driver BEFORE you connect the USB cable between the IC-7300 and your PC.
@@rogerp5816 When I went to install the files it said the Driver wizard was unable to find any drivers for my machine. I downloaded and ran everything according to the video. Help!
@@Richard2003 What version of Windows are you running? Are you running a 32 or 64 bit version of Windows? You need to use the CP210xVCPInstaller_x64.exe file for 64 bit versions and CP210xVCPInstaller_x86.exe for 32 bit versions. On Windows 10 if you type "Version" without the quotes in the search box in the lower left corner you can start the system information utility and that will tell you the version of Windows you're running if you're not sure. I wouldn't normally have expected the driver wizard to start unless you connected the IC-7300 before you successfully installed either the 32 or 64 bit driver file. Check you versions and if that's all good try running the installer you downloaded from Icom again. I was able to recreate the error message if you don't follow Dave's video to the letter. Go to 4:01 on the video and note that Dave has just extracted all of the files from the .zip file and that has created a new folder labeled "CD-301501-004". Double click on the new folder to expose the "Driver" folder to show the "Win7_81_10" and "Win10" folders. Double click on the Win10 folder and you will see the 32 and 64 bit installer files. If by chance you're running a third party .zip extraction tool then the top level folder may have a name other then "CD-301501-004". The key here is the installer will not run correctly from within the .zip file. Please let me know if that helps. 73, de Roger, NK1I, FN43tt
@@rogerp5816 Thanks for the help. I did all that correctly. I will connect the radio this time and see. I did not because I read that it should not be connected first. Ok it said i already had the drivers. Not sure when I did that!
@@rogerp5816 I wrote that I did it correctly but now no sound on the PC . What should I do next?
OMG, Microsoft Windows has totally jumped the shark. 8 minutes in and I remembered why I left Windows. There is a better way, it’s called Mac. They just work.
Dave, I don't think I could ever give a thumbs down, but this video had my hair up the entire time. Giving the benefit of the doubt that this wasn't a Reference series video - since you said you'd be covering this type of activity on the Reference System. But you didn't use (or yet show installation) of the Reference antenna. And COM port? I haven't used a COM port in going on 20 years. Neither my high end gaming PC, nor my micro PC I recently bought for my shack has a COM port. So my concern by not using the standard USB install would be that you left behind everyone in some settings by not using a USB port - especially if this video is intended to be linked to the Reference Series web page links. Your video series on the Reference Station is too needed, too important, so I'm going to have to hold your feet to the fire. I know you're trying to get out a video a day, but that isn't as vitally needed as the Reference Station series, to maintain that series' integrity and value. Thanks!
Tom, if you go to 6:05 in the video Dave shows Windows Device Manager > Ports (Com & LPT) and under there he has COM1 which is a serial port on his mother board and COM3 which is the virtual com port that belongs to the IC-7300. You're correct that the day of PCs having physical DB9 com ports and further back DB25 LPT ports is a thing of the past. There's still a lot of legacy equipment out there that has a physical serial port for communications (like my 20+ year old Kenwood TS-140) that still need to be supported by newer programs like WSJT-X. The solution is virtual com ports which create a USB to UART (serial) bridge so the software like WSTJ-X can talk to newer devices like the IC-7300 and have it logically appear the same is my older Kenwood TS-140. Part of the software package that Dave downloaded and installed from the Icom Website is what's called a Virtual Com Port Driver. From ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm it's described this way "Virtual COM port (VCP) drivers cause the USB device to appear as an additional COM port available to the PC. Application software can access the USB device in the same way as it would access a standard COM port." I hope that helps explain how the connection between the PC and IC-7300 works and why Dave selected COM3 in the WSJT-X setup. Now for anyone reading this that have and older radio like the Kenwood TS-140 that has a physical serial port on it you'll need a USB to serial adapter and preferably one that used the FTDI chipset and not some Chinese knockoff which I've seen provide less then stellar performance.