Laptops and Hamcomm

[Guest]

My new laptop has no serial port, only USB, parallel, firewire and modem. Hamcomm, JVFAX and MScan programmes for weather reception via SSB radio all interrogate the serial port. What can I do?

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[ccscott49]

I think you can get a little box and sioftware to allow you to use the USB port, but i'm sure theres much better advice available form the confuser types on here.

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[Gunfleet]

JVComm works perfectly well with a simple mono jackplug cable from the 'phones' socket on the radio to the 'mic' socket or 'line in' (either - it works as good) on my computer. Couple of quid for a lead and plugs might save you a fortune in clever bits of kit to simulate serial ports!

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[PLEK]

You can get a usb to serial converter which plugs into the usb port and is supported by software loaded on the laptop.I use one distributed by Targus which works well.

You can also get parallel to serial converters which plug into your parallel port and which require no software load

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[mdrifter]

Try www.easysync.co.uk for usb to serial adaptor, c.£24. HamComm can be a bit choosy about its serial port especially if using the hamcomm dos software - shouldn't be run in a windows dos box....There is lots of windoze wx software which uses soundcard as previously mentioned...

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[mdrifter]

OOops! Of course usb can only be used through windoze or is there a clever dos fix to install and configure them under dos?

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[Robin]

JVComm and Mscan both will work fine via a simple jack plug audio lead from ext speaker of radio to microphone input of laptop.

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