Getting Started with Kenwood Transceiver Control

  1. connect your Kenwood transceiver to your PC; if you use one of your PC's USB ports, configure Windows to not automatically power down this port.

  2. run Commander, and click the Config button on its Main window to open its Configuration window

  3. in Commander's Configuration window, select the General tab and then set the Radio panel's Model selector to Kenwood

    1. if your transceiver is a TS-480, TS-590, TS-590SG, TS-890S, or TS-990, the DTS transmission using ANI input option will appear; enable this option to transmit via the ANI or ACC2/USB input instead of via the MIC input

  4. in Commander's Configuration window select the Ports tab; in the Primary CAT Serial Port panel,

    1. designate the serial port that is connected to your radio interface

    2. select the baud rate, parity, word length, and stop bits that match your radio's settings

      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-590S's com port interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 61; if the baud rate is set to 4800, 2 stop bits are required
      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-590S's USB interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 62
      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-590SG's com port interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 67; if the baud rate is set to 4800, 2 stop bits are required
      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-590SG's USB interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 68

      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-850, set the baud rate to 4800, the parity to none, the word length to 8, and the stop bits to 2

      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-890's com port interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 7-00
      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-890's USB interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 7-01
      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-990S's com port interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 7-00
      • if you're using a Kenwood TS-990S's USB interface, its baud rate is set by menu item 7-01

    3. set the RTS selector to On unless you're using a Kenwood TS-890's USB interface, in which case the RTS selector should be set of Off

    4. if an external interface is being used and it derives its power from the serial port's DTR modem control signal, set the DTR selector to On

  5. in the Radio panel on the Configuration window's General tab,

    1. check the Interrogation box

    2. set the Command interval to 200 ms (note: the microprocessors in modern Kenwood transceivers can handle command intervals much shorter than 200 ms, allowing Commander to more smoothly track frequency, mode, and meter changes; after everything is working correctly, try reducing the Command interval to 100 ms, and then to 50 ms; this is particularly important when interoperating with WSJT-X)

  6. On Commander's Main window

    1. the VFO panel should reflect changes you make to your radio's frequency via its front panel

    2. the Mode panel should reflect changes you make to your radio's mode via its front panel

    3. Modifying the VFO panel's frequency display contents and striking the Enter key will radio's primary VFO to the specified frequency; see Changing Frequency for information about the other ways you can change transceiver frequency from the VFO panel

    4. Clicking the Mode panel's buttons should change your transceiver's mode; see Changing Mode for additional information

    5. Clicking the Bandspread button will display a Bandspread window; see Bandspread Window for additional information.

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TranceiverControlKenwood (last edited 2024-10-19 22:02:55 by AA6YQ)