SDR tuning aid from an old mouse

[@ScatManAust]

Nice idea there Peter. I did pretty much the same a few years ago. As it turns out, I am looking to make another one for my Hermes 2, but this time I am using a double ball bearing supported encoder as I found the clicky clicky very sucky sucky. Also, the knob rocking drove me crazy and soon wore out 3 encoders and started jumping all over the place. The encoder I am using is an E38S6G5-400B-G24N and cheap enough on fleacebay. This was originally bought for my sBitx V2 and 3 because of the same failure rate and lack luster feel of the original.

[@MeineMeinung-rt5qn]

4:32 It´s so glad for me to see that Peter´s soldering connections are as bad as mine are.... ;-)

[@TheMisterNomad]

Cool little project and repurposing of an old mouse.

[@MirlitronOne]

This idea was published in PW a few years ago. A wireless (Bluetooth) mouse is even easier to use. Sometimes the LED position sensor is useful, so I have mine switched so that I can save the battery when I don't need it.

[@davidportch8837]

That's ingenious Peter... That "contact bounce" which you mention in the encoder seems to be quite common, even on the FT817 main control (I have had two 817s with that problem)

[@Hank_W6IR]

Great idea Peter. About a month too late. I bought a rotary USB knob to do just what you're doing.

[@kb65342]

I add 100n caps on the pins of these encoders as hardware bounce fix. I don't know if that will work with your mouse IC. Works excellent with microcontrollers, prefer that to the software debounce routines.

[@RobB_VK6ES]

+1

[@adrian_sp6def]

exactly, adding capacitors will remove contact bounce, but if You add too much capacitance then encoder began to skip steps

[@A_scope]

better correct it properly in the graycode.

[@barrymayson2492]

Great video and thank you for your time and work. I haved used this trick on many sdr radios and even on cat control radios it's the best thing I did for them. I used a wireless mouse no cables is another thing. Another thing I did i used the spinning head off of vcr and modified it to make a tunning head which has some weight and feel from it as it is solid aluminum and is incredible well balanced.

[@williambrooks6629]

Very ingenious Peter. Thanks for putting it up.

[@notionocean]

Very clever! Thanks, Peter.

[@Kw1161]

Thanks for this video, but I have been using an old Griffin power knob that I picked up on Amazon years ago. The knob is just a little smaller than yours but works well once I learned how to use it and installing the pain in the but drivers. Now I believe windows 11 have them installed. 73! Have a great day!

[@befeleme]

Would be nice to use with my WinRadio Excalibur.

[@domestos54]

Good job Peter !

[@MrDacorp]

How do you control eveything else? Keyboard shortcuts? Or can you connect a second mouse? I was thinking of building something like this but with the encoderbox as a plugin to connect the side of the mouse with a pinheader or some other connector so i can disconnect and connect it when i need it and still can use the mouse as it is.. Good video 👍

[@mattmiegel]

Thanks mate

[@pixeluser175]

Just buying an Icom RC-28 is way cheaper than doing all this.