Hi all, I'm getting back into the hobby after a lengthy absence. I had to re-test for extra as my old license had lapsed and I've taken care of that and shortened my call by one letter by getting an available vanity call sign. So now I want to get my old Yaesu FT-736R operating the satellites and could use some help. First up is interfacing SATPC32 on a new windows 10 machine to the CAT interface. I've read through all the AMSAT-BB threads I could find on the topic, with one approach being to add an RS-232 interface to the PC and building a TTL to RS-232 cable with some electronics. If I can buy rather than build I'd prefer to do that for time reasons. I found a cable on the UK site radioarena.co.uk that is a "Yaesu USB Programming / CAT Cable for Radios with 6-pin DIN Connector" which sounds perfect but one learns to be suspicious when it seems too easy. Has anyone tried this USB to Yaesu CAT cable with an FT-736R, or otherwise knows why it would or would not work? Here's the link: https://radioarena.co.uk/programming-cables/yaesu/yaesu-usb-programming-/-ca...
Second, I'm planning to get an Arrow LEO antenna with a low noise figure preamp and try a fixed elevation with just an azimuth rotator, mounted in an attic. Could I get some suggestions on the rotor controllers that interface most easily/best with SATPC32? I know there's a list of all of them in the read me file but this program's been around for awhile and I'm looking for what is easily available and integrates without running into unnecessary snags. I haven't owned a rotator before, and so I'm not familiar with them. I think what I need with a small, attic antenna is probably at the small end of the rotor scale. I'll probably go through Norm's Rotor service, but it would be great to have some experienced recommendations on what to get.
thanks for any guidance you can offer
73
Jeff