The TS-870 is a popular radio for amateur radio operators, and if you want to interface it with software such as Log4OM, you’ll need to use a CAT (computer-aided tuning) cable. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the steps for TS-870 CAT control using OMNI-RIG.
First, you’ll need to acquire an RS232 DB9 to USB cable with an FTDI chipset. Make sure to get a male-to-male cable, as we’ll show you how to adapt it later. You’ll also need an RS232 DB9 female-to-female gender changer.
Once you have your cables, the next step is to download and install OMNI-RIG, which is the software that will allow your radio and Log4OM to communicate. Go to dxatlas.com/omnirig/ in your browser and scroll down to the downloads section. Download and extract the folder, then run the OmniRigSetup.
Once the setup is complete, open OMNI-RIG and go to the Rig 1 tab. Select your radio from the drop-down menu and enter the appropriate settings, which can be found online or in your manual. For the TS-870, select the port in device manager, set the baud rate to 9600, and set the data bits to 8, parity to none, and stop bits to 1. Set RTS and DTR to high, and set the poll interval to 500 and the timeout to 4000. Click OK.
Next, open Log4OM and go to Settings -> Program Configuration. Under Hardware Configuration, click on CAT Interface. For the CAT Engine, select OMNI-RIG and check the box for CAT auto-start. Click save and apply.
Now, when you change the frequency on your TS-870, it will automatically update in Log4OM. You can also change frequencies in Log4OM by double-clicking on a station in the cluster.
If you have a male-to-male cable, you can still use it with your TS-870 by adding the gender changer. Simply plug one end of the cable into the radio and the other end into the gender changer. Then, plug the gender changer into the RS232 DB9 to USB cable, and plug that into your computer.