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Building your own Hotspot Cable
For the Kenwood TS-2000

The TS-2000 is a very versatile radio, covering the HF bands as well as 2 meters and 70cm.  It has two receivers. The Main Receiver (A-side) covers all bands; the Sub Receiver (B-side) covers VHF/UHF.  For this reason, if you already use a TS-2000 for HF, you may choose to use its sub-receiver for Hotspot work.  Or, you may decide to try out D-Star QSOs on HF, particularly if you already have an AMBE device like the Star*DV from MoenComm, the ThumbDV from NW Digital Radio or the DV3K or DV Dongle from Internet Labs.

This page shows the easiest way I've found to build your own cable between a GMSK Modem with DSub9 connector and the TS-2000's ACC2 connector.  The hard part -- soldering up the ACC2 13 pin connector, is made easy because BuxComm sells these already wired for a reasonable price.  All you have to do is strip the wires on the other end and solder them up to a DSub9 connector (and that is an easy connector to work with).

For Hotspot work, you may prefer to use the B-side or Sub-Receiver.  For HF D-Star, you must use the A-side or Main-Receiver.  On this page, I've added a twist by showing how to make a main cable that will work with the TS-2000's main receiver, plus an adapter cable that will let you use the sub-receiver.  

While I recommend building both the long cable and the adapter, if you will always be using the Main-Receiver, just build the long cable.

Note:  I have since built a cable for myself that has a small DPDT switch instead of the adapter cable, so it can work with either side of the TS-2000 with the flick of the switch.  If you look at the wiring diagram, you'll see how to do that.

 

GMSK Node Adapter end of the cable
Many boards use a 9-pin DSub connector, including DUTCH*Star GMSK modems or the Matrix Circuits Star*Board(tm), so I'll describe that.

TS-2000's ACC2 end of cable

  • Purchase cable “13D” from Buxcomm at www.packetradio.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=15.
  • Use the following pin numbers, looking at the ACC2 connector facing you, cable coming out the back:
    •  
  • Strip all 13 wires at end of 13D Kenwood cable to discover (using ohm meter) which wires go to which pins.
  • Wire as follows (Colors given for the 13D cables I received –- yours may have different colors). 
    Note that while the 13D cable has 13 wires, we are using only 7.
  • If you will only use the Main Receiver and don’t plan to create a Sub-Receiver adapter cable, there is no need to wire up pins 6 and 7 to the 9 pin DSub connector.


  • Pin Connections - Long Cable for using Main Receiver

    DSub9

    Function

    13D Cable

    Color

    1

    TX Audio

    K11

    Lt. Gray

    2

    Squelch-Main

    K5

    Green

    3

    Rx Audio-Main

    K3

    Orange

    4

    PTT

    K9

    White

    5

    Ground

    K4

    Yellow

    6

    RX Audio-Sub

    K1

    Dk. Red

    7

    Squelch-Sub

    K7

    Dk. Blue
  • Cut unneeded wires.

Building an adapter cable to use GMSK Modem with Sub Receiver

  • Purchase standard 9 pin DSub cable with connectors.
  • Cut DSub9 Male end to 1 foot.
  • Strip wires and used ohm meter to identify which wires went to which pins.
  • Cut unneeded wires.
  • Wire cable attached to DSub9 male to DSub9 Femail, as follows.

Pin Connections - Adapter Cable for using Sub Receiver
This cable can be short, for example 6 inches

Connect pin on

DSub9 Male

To pin on

Dsub9 Female

Function

1

1

TX Audio

2

 

 

3

 

 

4

4

PTT

5

5

Ground

6

3

RX Audio

7

2

Squelch

Radio and Modem Configuration

General Radio Settings

  • Menu 50F – 9600 bps

  • Menu 55 – Off

  • Menu 20 – Off

  • Menu 21 – Off 

To use with Main Receiver (HF, VHF, UHF)

  • Use long cable from TS-2000’s ACC2 to GMSK Modem

  •  Radio Settings

    • Menu 50E – Main

    • Receiving Mode – FMN

 To use with Sub Receiver and Adapter Cable

  • Plug adapter cable to end of long cable and to GMSK Modem

  • Radio Settings

    • Menu 50E – Sub

    • Receiving Mode – FM (K-type), FMN (All E-types)

Configuration and Adjustment

  • The same process is used, no matter which analog FM radio is used.  Get NAWinTEST to work before moving onto other software.  The idea is to ensure the TS-2000’s settings are right, and to learn how to test and set the RX Invert and TX Invert settings for the board’s firmware.

  • The required RX Invert and TX Invert settings depend on the band and whether using the Main or Sub Receiver.

  • See http://www.k6jm.com/hs-setup.htm – Step 4.

  • Also see http://www.gmskdvnode.info/ – questions 6 and 7.

  • Note that the RX Invert and TX Invert settings depend on both band and Main or Sub Receiver

  • See table for VHF and UHF settings.  For HF, make a similar table by testing with people using ICOM 9100s or 7100s.

  • Generally, once the TX trim pot (R36) is correctly adjusted, it won’t need to be readjusted when changing bands or Main/Sub Receiver.  With a table for both VHF/UHF, just switch to the band, bring up NAWinCFG and change the Invert settings, and you’ll be ready to go.

 

Band

Receiver

RX Invert

TX Invert

2 meters

Main

On

Off

“

Sub

Off

Off

70 cm

Main

Off

Off

“

Sub

On

On

  •  For D-Star on HF, make up a similar table for each HF band you plan to operate on.  That way, when you want to change bands, just do the following

    • Exit GMSKClient

    • Start NAWinCFG

    • Change RX Invert and/or TX Invert as defined in your table

    • Save, Exit NAWinCFG and start GMSKClient

D-Star® is a registered trademark used for communication equipment (repeaters and transceivers) for amateur radio communications, and owned by Icom Incorporated.

Copyright © 2009-2017 James M. Moen. All rights reserved.