Hi,

after some time of working CW with my TS480 by Kenwood I have realized that my CAT control via FTDI USB/COM dongle could have been better. How - you might ask? Well with a little modification of the circuit of the CAT controller a logging SW can control both frequency/mode and send CW code. 

If interested read more. 

So, the idea is to control TS8

40 from N1MM (or any other log SW). N1MM should control frequency/mode and also log/transmit CW. Everyone who's using N1MM knows how to operate it and with a simple FTDI USB/COM dongle that was simply not possible no matter how I have set N1MM.

So I have decided to design a new CAT control for Kenwood radios. It's function is same as function of USB/COM dongle which uses FTDI chip. FTDI chip was used because it's very reliable. I had to add a FET transistor to key CW and that was was it.

Check circuit diagram below and a PCB, which is so small that it fits into DB9 enclosure. What user needs is only USB cable connected to Kenwood CAT control.

Kenwood CAT SCH

See below already made CAT control with a 3.5 mm socket that connects to Kenwood Key socket.

CAT Kenwood1

Connected to TS480

CAT Kenwood3

If onterested navigate to Tindie shop.