K3ARK: To CAT or Not to CAT | FT-891 | Digirig

In this video we go over the two options for connecting the FT891 to the Digirig. The first option is to connect without CAT control. The second option is to connect with CAT control. Below are links to the Digirig, cables and KB9VBR's video on the FT 891 audio settings for digital .
KB9VBR: • Better FT8 on the FT-8...
Digirig: digirig.net/product/digirig-m...
USB-A to USB-C cable: digirig.net/product/short-usb...
Yaesu 8xx cables: digirig.net/product/yaesu-ft-...

[@thormusique]

Thanks so much for this awesome video! Explanations I've seen (or read) before have always resulted in my having more questions than answers, but your explanation was incredibly thorough. I'm so glad I've stumbled upon your channel. Cheers and 73!

[@justingrose8154]

Finally got my 891 to work! Only think different in my end was the two COMM Ports picked up were switched up from this video. On yours’ and other videos, the COMM Port labeled “Enchanced” was the lower number one. Mine on the other hand was the high sequential number. Once I selected that comm port labeled as “Enhanced” it worked without issue!

[@KeepEvery1Guessing]

BEWARE: When Windows sees the new sound device, there is a good chance that it will decide to send all computer sounds there. You don't want to be sending Windows error beeps, KZbin audio, music player audio, etc., to the transmitter. (If you listen on the FT-8 frequencies, you will occasionally hear someone who has this wrong.) You probably fix this in Stat -> Settings -> System -> Sound.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Thank you for the comment! You are absolutely right about that.

[@Subgunman]

Excellent explanation on this rig! Now I have to setup for the legacy FT857, not the D version and rock and roll!

[@alvarogaitan2529]

thanks for sharing this video 73 from kb2uew

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Thank you for your comment and for even watching my videos.

[@ICEDoTDK]

god job 73

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey thanks I appreciate that!

[@ve2zdx]

Great video! Can you make one with the n1mm cat control sending cw and cw skimmer?

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey thanks for the comment. I will try to get that done for you.

[@k6kwi]

Joseph, great video, thank you! I noticed you have WinLink loaded on your PC as well. Have you had success getting that to work using the same digirig / FT-891 configuration? I’d be curious to see a video on getting that up and running also as I’ve had some frustrations in getting mine to work. Many thanks.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey K6KWI! Thank you for your comment! Yes I have had success with that. I do use CAT controls for that operation. It did take a little time to get it working. Give me a few days and I'll get a video up for you.

[@k6kwi]

@@JosephLittleK3ARK Great, thanks, Joseph. I will look forward to that! 73, Neil

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnvQoKJmfKqjmLs

[@jaspatters1]

At the end when your cat control switched from 20 to 15 your width didn't reset. How did you do that? Thats the only thing that sucks about the 891 is constantly having to change the width every time you change bands.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey I appreciate your comment and watching my video. To be honest I don’t know. It was frustrating about the 891 always having to adjust the width and then one day it just saved the setting and didn’t question it much. I’ll look into what I may have done and let you know what I find out.

[@o2bnov0307]

I just downloaded the CP210x_Universal Window Driver file. Right click on silabser (setup info...a 2kb file), but there was no "install" option. Ideas?

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

I’d just double click and install that way. Honestly, I’m not good at reading instructions so that’s what I did the first time anyways. Hope that helps.

[@K7FBD]

I'm relatively new to FT-8. I've set up both ways using a macbook pro. I can get it to work and make contacts with my IC7300 (no DigiRig) but can't seem to get it to work with the 891 and DigiRig. I'm concerned I'm not transmitting for some reason. Will you see your own transmission on the waterfall? I noticed that I didn't see yours during the first half of the video. I looked at PSK reporter and didn't see my call until I switched to the IC7300. I'm using the 891 menu settings from KB9VBR. I can decode just fine and no issues with the antenna. Any ideas?

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey thanks for commenting. So last night actually my ft710 would transmit but there was no power going out and nothing was registering on Pskreporter. Turned out I had turned the volume down on the computer and that was the problem. As soon as I turned it back up it started transmitting with power. The first things I would check are your volumes in the sound mixer/control panel. Secondly I’d see if you had any audio mixer programs on your computer and if you did, disable any speaker/microphone controls. If none of that helps I’d be happy to do a screen share with you and see if I can figure anything out. Let me know. Look me up on QRZ and send me an email.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey thanks for commenting. So last night actually my ft710 would transmit but there was no power going out and nothing was registering on Pskreporter. Turned out I had turned the volume down on the computer and that was the problem. As soon as I turned it back up it started transmitting with power. The first things I would check are your volumes in the sound mixer/control panel. Secondly I’d see if you had any audio mixer programs on your computer and if you did, disable any speaker/microphone controls. If none of that helps I’d be happy to do a screen share with you and see if I can figure anything out. Let me know. Look me up on QRZ and send me an email.

[@K7FBD]

When you say on the computer, are you talking about the power slider in WSJT-X or some other volume? I will try and set it all up again this weekend when the weather settles down a bit. Thanks for the help! @@JosephLittleK3ARK

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

I am talking about the windows system volume. Not the pwr slider. I have used my Mac with my ft 710 but haven’t tried it with the digirig yet. Also, you won’t see any signs of transmitting on the wsjt waterfall other than it freezing while you tx.

[@alcampbell]

I thought this was about Cats. No No. Just kidding. Good Channel. KD6CFE was here. 73`s.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

LOL we'd get along.

[@juanfgonzalez2039]

What program you using on your computer screen

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

There are two programs running - WSJT-X and Grid Tracker. Left and right respectively.

[@DavidWood2]

15:03 You described USB A and B the wrong way round. USB A is the rectangular host connector that goes to the computer. USB B is the almost square device connector that goes to the radio. The cable must be USB 2.0. The USB 3.0 A plug is backwards compatible with a USB 2.0 host, but the USB 3.0 B plug is not backwards compatible with a USB 2.0 device.

[@Tommy-K4BWN]

I am done with trying to use ft8 with the ft891 i can not get anything to work just as i think i have it someone's using am on the 40 meter's.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

So what exactly is the issue you are having?

[@Tommy-K4BWN]

@@JosephLittleK3ARK the issue i having is with wsjt-x it says this is a pre-release version of wsjt-x 2.7 made available for testing purposes. By design it will be non-functional after September 30th 2024 I can not get it to work now I have uninstalled and reinstalled 3 times but I can not get in to the settings for some reason anymore to set up my radio on FT8. I give up it will not let me set any radio up at all

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Sent you an email.

[@Tommy-K4BWN]

You know have tried to update my Grid tracker but Windows 10 says it is not safe for my Dell laptop now

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey Tom! Fast forward a few days and I know from our emails that you are up , running and making contacts! Thanks for sharing all the photos with me!

[@Tommy-K4BWN]

@@JosephLittleK3ARK I just wished I knew how to get it to automatic log to my qrz.

[@anonymous_friend]

I'm not so sure its necessary to install yaesu's software. You are interfacing with the digirig and not the radio itself. I could be wrong though.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

For CAT control the computer interfaces directly with the radio via the USB cable, not the Digrig. There may be another way to go about it, but so far I am not aware of any.

[@anonymous_friend]

@@JosephLittleK3ARK I was under impression the digirig handled cat control as well. Thats how it works with my 857d, which doesnt have a usb port.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

"Unlike other transceivers in FT-8xx lineup, Yaesu FT-891 does not expose the serial interface lines and instead implements serial CAT internally via its own USB connection." forum.digirig.net/t/cables-for-yaesu-ft-891/16 Also, Check out the USB driver manual at the bottom of the list of files for the 891 www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=102&encProdID=DF4DB262968932E999EAF928B5B6A1A7&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0

[@anonymous_friend]

@@JosephLittleK3ARK Interesting. Ultimately I'm trying to see if this will work on a mac. Yaesu's software doesnt appear to work on mac, but if you can live without cat control, it just might work. Thanks

[@Tommy-K4BWN]

Do you have to go in to the settings on the FT891 I see so many videos of it but they are all different settings from every one. 73 K4BWN

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

So yes you do need to go into the main menu and adjust some setting. Check the description for KB9VBR’s video. He goes over all of that.

[@Tommy-K4BWN]

@@JosephLittleK3ARK I finally got my grid tracker to update today

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Awesome! I can’t get mine to update on my Mac for the life of me. Idk

[@seancook4317]

i dont mean to sound dumb, but what is the point of this? it's all automated and voiceless? i am totally not understanding what your supposed to do with the contacts? sorry i'm super new, i haven't taken the test yet, cuz i hate almost all human beings (you seem decent though), maybe i would like talking to people on ham without my voice though, that sounds nice

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey Sean, I appreciate your comment and question. I wondered the same exact thing when I got into ham radio a little over a year ago and it took me almost that long to explore any of the digital modes because I did/do really enjoy talking to people and digital seemed so impersonal. I have come to enjoy the digital modes/ft8/js8call because of just that reason - it is much less of a commitment and my wife can watch tv and I can play on the radio at the same time and in the same room. I also like it because ham radio is so dependent on propagation and solar conditions and sometimes the solar conditions are good and often they are bad. Because digital uses such a narrow bandwidth it is able to travel so much further and more reliably than your voice would be able to under bad conditions. So from a prepper standpoint that is very appealing. Not so much on ft8 but on the other platforms like js8call, winlink (HF email) and fldigi you can actually exchange dialogue and send text back and forth over the air waves over hundreds even thousands of miles. I hope this helps explain things and if I can do anything to help you in your interest into ham radio please let me know.

[@GoonyMclinux]

I like it because im half deaf and can't talk for very long so ssb phone seems too tedious and difficult from my perspective. Ham radio has something for everyone.

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

@alienorificeinvestigation it sure does! I like ft8 because my wife and I can be in the same room and she can watch tv while I make qsos!

[@GoonyMclinux]

@@JosephLittleK3ARK I can make qsos with absolutely zero audio coming out of a speaker, can't do that while blabbing. 🤣

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Haha

[@ekendraedrisinghe3428]

Great Video. Thank you. 4S7EF

[@JosephLittleK3ARK]

Hey I really appreciate that! 73