How to FT8 with your Kenwood TS-570D Relic Radio

This is an awesome radio! Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Kenwood knew what was up, even back then!
🛒 SignaLink w/Kenwood Cables: geni.us/F6XBOL
🛒 Optional SignaLink Kenwood "Chip": geni.us/F6XBOL shop.tigertronics.com/SignaLi...
🛒 USB-Serial Adapter: geni.us/FsIbIo
🛒 Null Modem Adapter: geni.us/5CVp5
👉 My Website for an FT8 Cheat Sheet: / kenwood-ts-570d-75177882
👉 Download WSJT-X: www.physics.princeton.edu/pul...
👉 QSO Maps: www.pskreporter.info
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Kenwood TS-570D FT8 Chapters
0:00 Howdy Everybody
0:22 The Intended Audience
0:49 TO Theme
0:52 On-Radio Settings
3:34 How to connect the computer
3:52 How to connect the radio
4:23 WSJT-X Download
5:46 WSJT-X Configure General Page
6:07 Maiden Head Grid Squre Trick
8:03 WSJT-X Configure Radio Page
10:42 WSJT-X Configure Audio Page
12:05 WSJT-X Configure Reporting Page
13:20 Get your time straight
13:51 Am I being heard?
13:59 Where do I find a free spot to TX?
14:39 Can we make a contact?
14:53 Logging your QSO
15:24 GEAR!!!
16:55 Last Minute Pro Tips - Audio Levels
18:33 #1 Troubleshooting Tip
18:45 Set your ALC
19:49 That's All There is too it!
20:08 Thanks For Being Awesome!

[@LB0FI]

Now I want an old Kenwood.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Fantastic radio at a good price! Just wait until you see the rest of the series.

[@danhurley8482]

Lost n the woods trying to get this working thank you. A fully technical and detailed view of what to do.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad it helped!

[@t.j.speakman7723]

Always a wealth of knowledge. Thanks Steve. I also sent your info to a friend. He was shocked that someone was covering it.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks for the kind words and sharing TJ!

[@chipmiller1547]

Relic! I resemble that remark! My TS 570D is great.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I had to call it something... honestly that radio is still a contender today!

[@DCDura]

No, just say how to use the Kenwood XXX for FT8

[@dondonaldson1684]

Thank goodness sonebody is using WSJT-X on a Mac. New sub. VE3NAP

[@temporarilyoffline]

Everything everywhere! All The Things!

[@DK5ONV]

We all know the excellent Receive of Kenwood. The TS-570D (G) was one of the Best Radio that ever entered my Shack back then.Very simple Menu Guidance. Bombastic TX Audio. What else more can a HAM just ask for? PLS never sell this awsome Transceiver, Steve. Happy Holidays to you and the Girls...73 de YFUG 💯🙋‍♂

[@temporarilyoffline]

Happy Holidays UG!

[@Siskiyous6]

Love it Steve, the older rigs deserve a workout now and then.

[@temporarilyoffline]

This really is a fantastic rig!

[@rightpathnetworks]

Thanks again for picking me up! Glad to work you - N1JUR

[@temporarilyoffline]

Anytime! Thanks for being there!

[@tracysroberts]

The TS-570S was my first Ham radio when I got my Foundation license in 2008. It was also my only HF radio and used for digital modes until the antenna tuner relays started to fail a couple of years ago, so I had an excuse to buy a 7300. If your guide had been around several years ago it would have saved me a lot of head scratching. - Tracy VK3TTT

[@temporarilyoffline]

Great story Tracy! What happened to the Kenwood after that?

[@tracysroberts]

@@temporarilyoffline A fellow Ham fixed two dry joints but it wasn't worth replacing the relays. The tuner still works on a couple of bands and it's fine with a resonant antenna on the others. I did try giving the whole thing (signalink included) away around the radio club but got no interest so it's sitting packed away in a box somewhere after my move. I think the TS-570S was an amazing radio for its age, I got about 100 FT8 contacts with it. I'm well over 1000 now with the 7300.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@tracysroberts It will fly away for a good price on ebay and make some hams day! Glad to hear you're enjoying your 7300! That is a good radio too (although the tuner isn't as good as the Kenwood's)

[@zaicevnn]

Наверное, единственный в Мире полный обзор подключения TS-570D для работы в FT8!) Коллега, спасибо, 73!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad it helped! I enjoy making these kind of vids to help more people get on to FT8 with any kind of radio.

[@Scott_AI5EF]

Thanks for this video. I've been fighting for rig control on my TS-570D(G) forever. I ordered the needed parts.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Excellent!

[@Scott_AI5EF]

​@Temporarily Offline Ham Radio Well, no joy. I ordered the cables from your links and the null adapter. Installed the drivers on Com 3. In WSJT-X I have all the radio parameters set the same. My audio settings are correct. I get a big giant Hamlib error message and no cat control. I should just give up. 🤔

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@Scott_AI5EF Windows properly detects your USB-Serial Adapter on Com3? WSJT-X com port speed matches the speed set in the radio?

[@Scott_AI5EF]

@@temporarilyoffline Email sent. It's good news.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Good tips Steve, this will help me get my Ten Tec Omni VII working digital

[@temporarilyoffline]

Definitely! It's all relatable!

[@billbrown3414]

RELIC?!?! Try the digital modes on something like my venerable TS-850SAT… (I do!)

[@temporarilyoffline]

"Relic" is said with much love. I am a big fan of retro gear!

[@jbird4h30]

Just found this video, which is fortuitous, as I also just found an old box in the attic with my old (forgotten) TS570D. Thanks! Question: I have an old Signalink that was set up for my FT891. Can I just 'rewire' the jumpers to use it for the TS570? Or do I need a different chip altogether? Or maybe I should I just get another chip to swap the whole chip out/back depending on which radio I want to mess around with for the day?

[@temporarilyoffline]

You can just rewire the jumpers inside with some wire. Signalink has info in their we site. The harder part is getting the 13pin cable (or making it). Your Kenwood probably came with the connectors if you can get your hands on them. Good find!

[@ae4xo]

we used that radio for disaster relief communications during katrina

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'm amazed at how good this radio is!

[@wb7wbw-l2p]

Hi. JERRY, WB7WBW. I am having some trouble getting on FT8 with my TS-570SG, SIGNALINK USB and Windows 10 laptop. Are the settings for all 570s the same? Do I use the com, acc2 and remote connections on the radio? Do I need a null mode cable with USB3 and a connector for the remote connection? I have watched a lot of videos and they all seem to be different. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Yes to all of those questions! You're on the right track.

[@presenttense1493]

Excellent. Two things surprise me. Your freq stays visibly stable even after TX'ing at full power. Do you have the TCXO option installed? Also I am surprised that your TS-570D is apparently able to handle this high duty cycle mode at full power, presumedly without releasing any magic smoke. Are they really that over-engineered? I would not try that with my beloved Yaesu solid state rigs - which on digital modes I aim to operate below the AM carrier ratings and never much above it. I suspect they would deliver full SSB PEP on digital but that I would soon smell something. 73

[@temporarilyoffline]

My 570 has been rock solid, I've always been impressed by it. I did not FT8 on this radio for extended periods of time, and you're right about heat/duty/management. I'd make sure the fan was running well, check the heat levels, general compassion - I call it "Mechanical Empathy" As for "over-engineered" - I'd expect Kenwood to be a reputable MFG and design a radio that can run at its spec for extended periods of time. I have run my Icom (same expectations) at full blast for hours on end without issue... Its a challenge that needs to be managed by an empathetic operator for sure! Thanks for the comments!

[@jcritch42]

TS-570D is NOT a relic! It has no tubes!

[@temporarilyoffline]

It's an awesome radio, I'm super impressed with it.

[@thomasmiller2016]

Do you think that substituting the SignalLink with a DigiRig (and it's appropriate DB9 cables) would work?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Sure would... very minor settings changes fir the digi-rig

[@jbird4h30]

@@temporarilyoffline I'd be interested in seeing that setup as well!

[@K4NXS]

Relic? my TS-520s works wonderfully with WSJT-X and JS8Call, using the phone patch and VOX, cabled straight to an old Macbook for audio.. no USB connection.. No driver issues.. No CAT headaches. None of this needs to be complicated.

[@temporarilyoffline]

TIMTOWTDI for sure

[@temporarilyoffline]

Late production run 570s have a quirky Cat Control setup. Try running WSJT-X using OmniRig 1 for CAT control. --> Thanks to @SkeletalPiper

[@jeffreyverry8467]

Am I that Old Lol. I remember sending Slowscan TV to my local Hams Friends.. the 570 Would have been unmatched 25 years ago..

[@temporarilyoffline]

It's still a damn good radio today! I have a couple more vids on it. Great stuff!

[@ianpowell5922]

Im having an issue, the serial port is only picking up as a USB. So my issus is nothing is working due to that. Im using the Signallink USB for my soundcard. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

[@temporarilyoffline]

You have the USB to Serial Converter /and/ the Null Modem adapter?

[@ChipMiller-ni3ol]

Have you ever used an MFJ 1204 in place of the Signalink?

[@temporarilyoffline]

I have, they are very similar. I used one in my 891 how to

[@ohiostate9156]

So what is the exact part numbers for everything you have there? My apologies if you mentioned it already.

[@temporarilyoffline]

All the part numbers and links are in the description, Let me know if anything isn't working.

[@chipmiller1547]

Question: I'm new at this so bear with me. Am I correct that FT-8 requires a dedicated radio & computer?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Radio and computer are both needed, but when you're done with FT8ing, you can go about other uses with either.

[@jimconnor4649]

is there a Radio Control Program ARCP for the 570d thanks

[@temporarilyoffline]

I don't know

[@pietleroux5169]

"I prefer no AGC at all" I have heard this a lot lately and this, to me, is a sign of someone that does not understand how a radio works : you cannot have a HF receiver without any AGC because it is impossible to receive signals which fluctuates from 0.5 micro volt to 50 micro volt + without it totally overloading your receiver, without AGC, and distorting the signal, you need AGC just like you need ALC during transmission: it prevents distortion! The null modem adaptor is normally not necessarily and can give you a lot of problems, In the manual of the TS-570 it shows that it does not need it if your are connecting to a serial port only when you are connecting two radios via serial port then you need to swap RX and TX. The one thing that one should consider is the fact that the TS-570 standard 20Mhz reference oscillator is 10PPM and it could drift or be off frequency by up to 50Hz on 10 Mhz, 100Hz on 21Mhz, so you may want to upgrade your Reference oscillator with an aftermarket one.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I hope you understand that when you make statements like this, there is no way to respond politely. So I'll leave this comment here without answering you.

[@pietleroux5169]

Just keep to facts and good advice...dont need your politeness@@temporarilyoffline

[@temporarilyoffline]

Well you asked for it: You're completely wrong. When I make my videos I do my homework and I demonstrate in the video how things actually work. Take a look in the video where I connect the Serial cable using the Null Modem... and it works! If I connected TX to TX and RX to RX (without the null modem) that wouldn't work. Also, take a look in section 5 of the WSJT-X manual: "It is usually best to turn AGC off or reduce the RF gain control to minimize AGC action." This is why I prefer not to reply to people like you. You don't leave any room for a friendly conversation because you think you're right without ever doing your homework... or even just paying attention to what is clearly demonstrated in the video.

[@davejohnson2028]

Just what I was looking for...thanks....suggestion on a Signalink cable?, have a spare Signalink, so I just need a cable...and where would I find the jumper config...again thanks

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey Dave! No problems on finding the cables you can get them from tigertronics website or from amazon.

[@davejohnson2028]

@@temporarilyoffline TY...

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@davejohnson2028 Sure thing. If you didn't see them I have links in the description for you.

[@hansvissers4346]

Question. Why should you want to transmit with 100W in ft8?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Why not? FT8 is a weak signal mode, not a low power mode. Use the minimum amount of power to make the QSO as always.

[@markvincent9883]

i'm not getting one after seeing this..what happened to switch it on, use it?

[@temporarilyoffline]

FT8 not for you?

[@Dennis-tf2cs]

Did everything exactly as shown, I get an error "Rig Control Error" and that's it. Wondering if you might have any ideas.

[@temporarilyoffline]

That comes up when you do "test cat" in WSJTX? If so, com ports, permissions, speed settings?

[@Dennis-tf2cs]

@@temporarilyoffline Yes, when I do the Test Cat it gives a very long message about Rig Failure. I've tried many combinations, different cables, reset the 570 again etc., same issue. Do you have any of the internal jumpers set in the Signalink? the only one I have connected is JP3.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I used the signalink jumper "chip", but in this case, your page2 radio setup is using the null-modem cable, so you'll need matching serial settings in computer and radio, as well as the serial to USB adapter and the null modem adapter

[@Dennis-tf2cs]

@@temporarilyoffline I also use the jumper "chip" from Tigertronics and their cable that's for the 570D into the ACC2 port on the back of the rig, still Nothing... I've contacted Tigertronics just to verify I have all the right hardware and they said I'm good on that. Very frustrating problem for sure. I've even reloaded everything on another computer I have and same exact issue :( I went back through the Menu settings as well on the 570D and they are all set to what you've shown in this video (thanks for that info), about ready to throw in the towel here.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@Dennis-tf2cs what do you have plugged into the serial port on the radio?

[@Jody_VE5SAR]

A TS-570D fits nicely into a 6 gallon Behrens galvanized pail, lined with non-conductive insulative material and setup as an EMP can. Don't ask me how I know.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Very nice!

[@ve2zdx]

It's a great turorial. I sent it to a friend who has this radio in case he wants to try FT-8. I'm curious about the distances you can cover with FT-8. On CW with 5 watts: 6000 KM = neighbor 10000 KM = rare 14000 KM = extremely rare I know that when it comes to distance FT-8 goes much further than CW, but I'd like to have a reference. P.s: I know nothing about FT-8 or any digital modes. 73's

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks! Check out this video where I did a few different antenna setups and reported back the findings: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5uQnmlvi5qVY68 I've made a contact from Wisconsin, US to Hobart, Australia using FT8 and I have several contacts from Wisconsin, US to Japan. Its a great mode and you can find a lot of fun things to do with it!

[@Siskiyous6]

I never run more than 20W using FT8, and I have reached the world, though my antenna must have lobes into Europe. in fact your limitation will not be the power you use, it will be your antenna's characteristics.

[@zaicevnn]

at 5 watts I made a connection over 10,000 km +

[@KE8MWQ]

Mine never has the word CODEC it just says USB Audio Device no matter what computer I use. I've been trying for weeks to get things to work and they don't could this be my problem

[@temporarilyoffline]

If you unplug the signalink and refresh the list... then plug it in and refresh the list and note the difference... that's your device. It could say a few different things "Burr Brown" or "Texas Instruments" or "USB Audio" as you've seen. You can't break it by picking the wrong sound device, it just won't decode (well or at all depending). Just be careful that you're not using your PC's speakers and microphone to listen to the FT8 "in the room" coming from your radio's speaker. I've falling victim to that one before.

[@tomshafuks3714]

So how to turn it on? The power cable is CAT+USB?Which one is power cable??

[@temporarilyoffline]

The signalink is powered via USB, no need for external power.

[@tomshafuks3714]

@@temporarilyoffline This means that when i will conect via USB the kenwood will turn on? I got it without any cables

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@tomshafuks3714 You're asking the opposite of the question I thought you were. You'll need a power cable for the radio and a power supply. Power Supply: amzn.to/3L3qqyx Power Cable: amzn.to/42Fo4LS (should work, but I'd test out the pins when it arrived using a standard multi-meter to be sure.

[@jimconnor4649]

how do you shut off the voice when you are in menu

[@temporarilyoffline]

I don't recall - it should be one of the menu options if you scroll around for it?

[@DCDura]

Relic? Harsh word. Never heard Heathkit, Drake, Collins etc.... referred that way. These radios took skill, not just looking at a waterfall and dialing into it.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I like them all. I'm a big fan of retro gear.

[@subzero3311968]

Going so fast and just can't catch up,,, so lost.

[@temporarilyoffline]

There are chapters under the video heading. Take it one step at a time and you got this!

[@DonzLockz]

So many menu options... this video makes me feel dumb!🤡

[@temporarilyoffline]

One thing we need to do as Hams is develop our own mental game - all radios have the same functions, just have to figure out how to find those functions to do what we want - for example, when you change cars, you know that all cars have windshield wipers... and you also know that they are all in different places! So far, I think the Yaesu FT-450 is probably the hardest to find items in... good radio, just hard to use compared to this Kenwood!

[@noluck33]

STOP the Ads, as most ads have Malware and are killing computers!!! Sorry I don't watch crap with Ads!!!

[@temporarilyoffline]

If you want to remove ads and still support the cost of content creation, hosting and deployment, youtube has premium model that will show you zero ads and still support our time/efforts that go into providing this information.