[aprssig] D710 standalone control head!

[Greg D.]

Interesting...  So, if the link between the control head and the radio itself used something like Yeasu's CAT or ICOM's CI-Bus, or (what does Kenwood use??), then the head could control a number of rigs.  Come to think of it, it should be possible to build a little converter box to translate whatever protocol it does use into the rig control protocol for other rigs.  Anybody know what the head-to-rig chit-chat looks like?

Greg  KO6TH   (wishing my Alinco DR610 would die so I could justify one of these...)



Re: [aprssig] D710 standalone control head!‏
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org on behalf of Bob Bruninga (bruninga at usna.edu)
Sent: Sun 9/30/07 8:33 AM
Reply-to: TAPR APRS Mailing List (aprssig at lists.tapr.org)
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List (aprssig at lists.tapr.org)
	

>> kenwood announced that the new D710 control head 
>> will be sold separately too, since it can be used 
>> for APRS with any radio, not just the D710. 
>
> How do you mean it can be used separate TX and RX 
> audio of any other rig?  Does this mean... this 
> 710 head can be used to put [a d700 w/o control head]
> back in service? 
 
No, the stand-alone D710 control head used in -this mode- is not really a "control head" but a box with built in TNC and APRS display.  It only has audio input and GPS input and audio/PTT output.
 
Notice, this is why the GPS input is on the contorl head in the D710 and not on the radio (as it was on the D700)...
 
> How can this D710 control head be used for a 
> "stand alone APRS unit"?... do you mean this could 
> serve as a TNC with another radio/GPS system? 
 
Yes, in this stand-alone mode, it is a tnc with the same  APRS display as the D710 system.  But I guess you also lose the Mic as a keypad entry device too. So lets hope that John Hanson comes out with a keyboard interface some how too like he did for the D700.
 
Bob, WB4APR
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