I have an old Kenwood 570 that I’ve had for many years and that’s all I use it works pretty well I’m 85 I’ll probably last as long as I do I’ll keep watching for you God bless

Well done! Excellent tutorial and good to watch. Thanks for sharing.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

I have added a waterfall display to my Kenwood ts590sg through the DRV port. Performance equal to all new yaesu and icom black boxes🎉.

How freaking convenient that there is a header already available to tap into the IF. Cool cool mate, Very cool. Thanks for the up load.

There is an excellent no-effort way to route the cable to the outside of the receiver... If you are not using an external auto-tuner, you can push the connector from the back of the radio back inside and use that. All you have to do is route the cable from the TX-RX board behind the fan, to the upper part of the radio.

Great info Jim and it's well worth the trouble doing this mod. But for anyone who has a radio that doesn't have an IF tap you can use something like the mfj-1708 b sdr switch. I've used that method with a yaesu ft-991a and a sdrplay rx. More expensive but saves screwing up the radio trying to tap the circuit board. You still need to set up omnirig for cat control and there is a small loss of signal strength doing it this way ( about 3db or half and s point ) but it's worth it for the bandscope and waterfall. Have a look on KZread there's lots of vidios about this. Omnirig has a long list of transeviers its supports but be careful about the version you use. I found the version 2 and later would not work and had to use an old version ( I can't remember the version number but something like 1.79 ) Do your homework and have a go, it turns a good radio into a great radio. Steve.. G0BTV

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Funny you mention that, I actually have one of those - I'll be doing a video on it within the next few days. I used to use it with my 7300. Thanks for watching!

I wish i knew that when I was the owner of a ts-570d. Great video!

This is great! I had no idea such a thing existed. I'll definitely have to check it out when I pick up an older rig

Some double stick tape on the inside. Make a "u" shape with tape in the vertical, and one horizontal. The "u" should allow the drill bit to come through the plate about 1/4". Then again a good shop vac does wonders while drilling.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

RIght - I'm just not sure I need this mod enough to make it permanent. I think I probably will, just want to be careful when I do it. I was thinking about nipping off a small corner at the back of the case to pass the wire thru.

Brilliant Jim! I always thought it would be good to do that but I never knew it was actually possible. This could be an affordable option for me.🤔👍

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

You bet! What radio are you using?

@DonzLockz

Жыл бұрын

@@FEPLabsRadio no HF yet. I want a 7300 for 100w and a waterfall but it's not possible atm. I have seen a few older radios like that but no waterfall... I will now keep an eye out for something good that can be modded like you showed. Thanks Jim.👍

I will try this on my Yaesu FT-990. Thanks for information and great video. 🤝

This is AWESOME! I've been looking for a 570. I had no idea you could do this with this model. I've been running an RTL-SDR also and didn't know these could be married up. Thanks for sharing this. Can't wait to pick one up and do this mod. 73 N4WJL

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I like the 570, it's a great radio. I bought it used from @temporarilyoffline. At this point, I don't think I'm going to keep it, as I got a deal on a used Flex, so I've got more radios than I can use at this point. You can do this with pretty much any radio (all radios have an IF), the issue is just finding where and how to tap the IF. Kenwood made it super easy on this radio.

Very cool Jim, Exactly what I want to do and why I got the FT 950 and Rsp1A, just waiting on the cables! Thanks for posting 73 de W1BUS

Fabulous job as 570d owner I love my rig and I love using my SDR to listen and see nearby stations and now I can have both one question on your 2 pin cable from the tap which pin goes to center of the SMA? I will be doing this mod definitely thanks and 73 de WX5GC

@FEPLabsRadio

9 ай бұрын

I do not remember! There's only 2 wires, and it won't blow anything up either way, so don't be afraid to just go for it. Worst you'll get is no signal on the SDR.

Great video, loved seeing this on this older Kenwood. Would like to get my hands on one of these for my shack. Thanks for sharing.

Nice job Jim, the screen looks good!

WELL DONE! Almost too EZ! Now I can bug you about a transverter! LOL! 73, Mike

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I have pondered that kind of thing before, but I really don't have a use case for it. Maybe when the channel is bigger and supporting itself more, i can take a look at one.

Yes, I am planning to do this for my Yeasu 450D, but what I have seen I need a small extra pcb to tap the IF. Also I would like to make an stand alone pan adapter, without PC.

@FEPLabsRadio

4 ай бұрын

I have an FTDX-1200, it's possible on there, but it's a bit more brain surgery than the Kenwood was. It would be great if manufactures would have that built-in as a feature on the back!

@ernestb.2377

4 ай бұрын

@@FEPLabsRadio some radios have the IF output on the back. That would make it much more easy indeed. I am thinking now that is probably more convenient to use Tx/Rx switch (to decouple the SDR when transmitting) in combination with Omnirig and CAT software to simultaneously (back and forth) control both the SDR and the transceiver.

Awesome stuff 👍

Cool, I’ll have to look at the schematics on my Kenwood R5000. Thanks much…

I think you touched on it, but I just wanted to be sure I understand. You mentioned the Waterfall follows what you tune on the radio, but will the radio follow what you tune via the SDR? The latter is something I’m looking for to effectively add a remote head unit to a couple radios for a clean and discrete mobile setup.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Yes it will. You need something like Omnirig installed, it does the actual cat control. In my testing, I used HDSDR, which interfaces with Omnirig. That means that moving the SDR around on the computer tunes the radio and vice versa. You can also get tricky, and interface some sort of mic connected to the computer as your mic for the radio.

I have my Kenwood TS-930S open for a power supply upgrade. Beautiful radios.

I wish you'd explained what the result would be before you started doing things. Made it rather confusing when, for instance, you started talking about rig-control. I was so busy trying to why you needed rig-control and wondering if that meant I'd misunderstood what you'd done so far that it spoilt it. This mod does work pretty well without any rig-control. You just make the waterfall display be marked in kHz offset from tuned frequency with zero at the centre.

Hi good day sir love your videos would this work on my kenwood ts 430s thanks 73s from Trinidad.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

It can work, the key is how hard it is to find the IF of your radio. All radios have an IF, you just need to identify it, and connect up to it. In the 570, it's a convenient little connector on the board. I'd bet that the 430S has the same thing on it's board.

Hey Jim. Liked your idea. I own a Yaesu FT891. It has a waterfall but it's not live. Every time you have to refresh it. Could you please help me figure out the IF output in this radio?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I don't have an 891, so I can't help you. Google the manual, there will be a schematic usually, and it should note the IF connection (if they make it available) Some radios are not as convenient as Kenwood.

Hi Jim , Great video, a suggestion for the cable access. Why not drill the access panel which can be done well away from the radio. One hole and a grommet and it is job done! I have a TS140S which I am going to try and do this. I also have an early Yaesu/Sommerkind for the treatment! Could be fun if I can find the IF point! 73 Jim M7BXT

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

That's pretty much what I had figured out, seems kinda obvious now. When I did the video, I just had it coming out the access hatch, and had left the hatch off.

Great! I thought one needed a Clifton Buffer board to go in between the radio and SDR. I have a Kenwood TS 2000 and I would like very much to do this. Will my TS 2000 work without the buffer board? After watching your video I think it should. Thanks Herman WD0ARQ

@FEPLabsRadio

7 ай бұрын

All of the SDR's I've seen can do this directly. With the 570 (I'm betting all the Kenwoods) the IF is a 2 pin header on the motherboard - no soldering required, just a cable with SMA on one side, and the corresponding 2 pin female connector on the other. Set the SDR it use the radio's IF (and you need the oscillator frequency - in the manual), and your good to gol

Thank you. I imagine there is something similar for my YAESU FT-897-D.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Possibly, I just couldn't tell you. Well, I can tell you all the radios have an IF, it's just a matter of how complicated it is to connect to.

My Elmer gave me a super clean 570D. I have done the mod with the SMA to IF tap. Waiting on a Cat control cable. Already have 2 RTL SDR dongles. I wonder if I can get everything working with my raspberry Pi 4.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Very nice! The PI4 will absolutely handle all of it. I've messed with an RPI and wsjtx, a few other apps. My primary ham pc is a windows box now, or a mac.

Awesome stuff Jim.

Jim, you forgot to calibrate the signal meter! The RTL stick cannot have a noise floor under 125 dB. Just a tip, SDR-console offers more functionality and a way better and more detailed waterfall. 73' Ron

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Right. I really wasn't going after all the deets, it really was about the IF connection to drive an SDR radio and see the signals. If I was using it full time, I would have done the calibration.

My 570 is the only radio that has never crapped out on me even after 20 plus years.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Ouch! I'll probably be selling mine at Hamcation.

This is super cool!

I have a Kenwood TS-940S I wanna do this to but have no idea what I need or how to do it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

@FEPLabsRadio

10 ай бұрын

You will need the manual for your radio - in there it should show you an IF connector somewhere. I can't tell you specifically, I don't have that radio. Since they had it with a connector in the 570, I can't imagine they don't do it on all their radios. It's only 2 wires, you just will either need to buy or make a little cable that goes from that 2 pin connector out to SMA for your SDR.

Thanks for a great video! Tapping the IF is something I had not considered trying with my 7200. I am looking at splitting the signal before it goes into the radio so I can monitor different bands and not be tied to the tuning of the transceiver. Tapping the feedline decreases the available signal to the transceiver, so the splitter that I bought (RX-Audite from CZ) has an optional pre-amp to compensate. Since it taps the feedline, it also must detect PTT in order to shut off the SDR port and not blow out the SDR front-end during transmit. That same PTT circuit can also drive an amp, and it also acts as an buffer/isolator for rig+amp combinations that need that extra protection. I also have a 590SG that can be configured to provide an RF output via a port on the back of the rig to drive an SDR or other transceiver. I don't believe it taps the IF so I don't think it has the option of following the transceiver tuning like your example, but that rig is new to me so I could be mistaken.

Wonder if this would be just as easy on a Kenwood 450sat?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

It's a matter of finding the IF in the radio. The 570 had it marked in the service manual, with the header pins for it. I would bet that 450 has the same thing.

Cool guide. I had no idea it is possible. 73

Can you explain the cable you used? Was it a connector you had laying around? Was that just RG-174? Could you do a video showing the actual connector and cable. As my best friend has this rig and would greatly appreciate this mod.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Any 2 wires will do, as it doesn't have any serious power going thru it, so tiny wires are acceptable. The connector is something I bought a little box of from Amazon (amz.run/6LgI). The cable is an antenna cable that came with an SDR kit, I used it because it's long enough to reach the SDR from the radio. I just cut one end off and put on the JST connector. Just a matter of putting it together. A couple of DuPont wires would work as well.

Yeeaaaah.... I don't think mine is new enough for this.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

It just depends on if you can find a point to tap the IF of the radio. Your radio has an IF. They all do. Kenwood just made it very easy on this model.

Could you do this wil a SDR like a G90 that has an IQ tap rather than a direct tap to IF?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I think you can, same as on the X6100. Different setup in the SDR software, but yes, should work. I've never tested it, so YMMV

Excuse the off-topic question. At 9:16 what is the signal racing up the spectrum?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Some random thing around here. Honestly, there might have been storms within 40-50 miles of me when I recorded. I've seen that signal before on other radios. It just zooms thru the band like you saw (and on other bands). If I had to guess, I'd say distant lightning.

@richardcallihan9746

Жыл бұрын

@@FEPLabsRadio I Appreciate the reply, Once, was in process of making a fast tune on my SW. As the strange signal came. I just happen to rapidly tune at that point. I thought I could catch the moving signal. But it left me in the dust. 🥱😰 A squiggly swirling sound.

Hi I'm a newbie and would like to know if my kenwood 430s could do such a thing thanks 9z4apa 73s.

@FEPLabsRadio

6 ай бұрын

I can't speak to your specific radio, you need to look in the manual at the diagrams in the back. However, EVERY ham radio has an IF - the question is how easy is it to connect to. Kenwood on the 570 had a convenient two pin header. I don't know, but I'd suspect all the Kenwood HF rigs have the same setup.

I wanted to ask if the TS-570 has a DRV output on the rear panel? I ask because I think I am going to try that on my TS-590SG. If the 570 doesn't have that - that would explain why you did this using the IF tap method. Thank you for a very good video too! 73//KK0DJ

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I don't know if there is a DRIVE output on the back, off the top of my head. I knew that any SDR will take the IF of the radio and can use it as input. Kenwood conveniently made a connector for that, and it's easily accessible. Also, no power on transmit from the IF.

Hi, how I can see, we mounting the hardware in the Tranciver?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I didn't mount it, as I'm not making any permanent mods to the radio. I just ran the cable (the only hardware involved) out the bottom of the radio. If I was going to keep this permanently, I'd drill a hole thru the access hatch at the bottom and run the cable out there.

Can this be done with an Icom IC-7200? How?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

It can be done with any radio; however, you have to be able to tap the IF. I don't know about the 7200, or how easy it is to access the IF connection. I've got another video coming out in a few days, that is another way to do pretty much the same thing.

Don't drill a hole in the back of the chassis. Use a metal punch set leaving a clean hole with no burrs or shavings.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Right now, I just have the access panel from the bottom off (not the bottom itself), and wire coming out of that.

@scotty3114

Жыл бұрын

You still have to drill a pilot hole for the punch. Shield well and use a vacuum to grab the metal bits.

Are you after the “waterfall” or is it really the spectral scope? They are not the same. The waterfall is actually just a feature of the spectral scope.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I'm after "it gives you a panadapter on a radio that doesn't have one".

Very nice!

This was great- I have this rig but I my VHO knob wobbles as I turn it making tuning problematic. Do you repair rigs or have suggestions? Thanks George K 7FIR

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I don't repair, or have any ideas for repair sites. If you hook up the SDR to the radio, you can tune with whatever SDR program you use. I used HDSDR in this video, and it does tune the radio all day. If you have all the connections, you can even enable PTT thru HDSDR and it will key the radio.

I’d like to do that to an old Icom R-71 receiver. It has a 10.7 IF out. If I hook the SDR to that 10.7 IF out, will the display work?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Yes, it should. You just have to set up your sdr software to take it's input, and you'll need to set the frequency for your IF

Since the 1st IF on this radio is 7.305 does that mean you can only display and monitor that frequency or range?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

No - the IF is the frequency you're going to set in your SDR software. The range you can hear will match the range of the radio.

@missiontech1555

Жыл бұрын

@@FEPLabsRadio Thanks for that information, but...where would I find that setting using SDR Sharp? Obviously, I need more hand-holding.

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

@@missiontech1555 I can't tell you, I don't use SDR Sharp. Somewhere in the program, you can modify settings that directly affect the hardware, and that is where you set the IF for the dongle. There should be a spot in SDRSharp to adjust those hardware settings. It may be that SDRSharp won't let you set the IF for the dongle input.

@missiontech1555

Жыл бұрын

@@FEPLabsRadio Thanks and 73.

too cool its magic.

I have a 570 AES I presume I could do it with that but I don’t have the capabilities I’m 85 years old so if you would wanna come over to my house I would love to have you set my route 570 up I’m only kidding you thank you God bless K 1 Emw

How would you hook up to a Pixie? LOL

Don't go chasing waterfalls Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all But I think you're moving too fast

😮mount an interface 😊

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I would have if I had kept that radio. The Kenwoods are just freakin made for that kind of mod.

Is it the same config with TS-480 ?

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

I don't know, I would assume it is there. All radios have an IF interface somewhere, it's part of every radio. They neat thing about the kenwood is that they made it obvious, and simple to tap it. Other radios might require surgery for the end user to tap the IF.

Это с каких пор Кенвуд стал винтажным? Прикрученный в ПЧ сдр-свисток не делает его барахлом. Тоже самое и про АР5000. Автору :-P

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

Винтаж означает старый, снятый с производства. Поскольку на радио нет водопада, это позволит вам добавить эту функцию, а также управление буровой установкой.

Is my TS 830s gold too old??

@radioaustralia5070

Жыл бұрын

No

@FEPLabsRadio

Жыл бұрын

You'll have an IF, it's just a matter of how to access it. Some radios are easy, some require a little work.