[chirp_users] Chirp Data transfer

[Dan Smith]

> The USB cable is a direct cable with a USB connection on one end, and
> the 3.5 mm 4 conductor plug that is normally speaker mic, but used to
> clone.  Nothing in between.  It was purchased specifically for the VX-3.

There *should* be something in between. The radio does not speak USB, 
which means you need a USB-to-serial chip in between. This is normally 
hidden inside the USB hood, since it's so small. If you didn't have 
anything, then you wouldn't see a new serial port show up when you plug 
it in.

Given the discussion below, I really think it's a combination of 
potentially one bad cable and maybe a not-fully-seated second cable. If 
you don't get the clone header in HyperTerminal, then something's just 
plain not connected.

> The "real serial cable" comes from the 9 pin D connector to a 3.5 mm
> regular stereo connector (3 conductors including ground), that then
> goes thru an adapter to the 3.5 mm 4 conductor plug used for cloning.
>    Years ago, this worked fine this way with a VX-5, so I doubt it has
> changed, unless the VX-3 and VX-5 have the TxD and RxD switched.

Yep, agreed, although I'd suspect any and all of that as being the 
problem, either preventing physical insertion, or not connecting the 
proper pins.

> At this point, I am thinking that possibly the plastic around the jack
> on the VX-3s do not permit the cable to go all of the way in.  It
> looks like it goes in all of the way, but it is really up against the
> plastic case, so it is hard to tell for sure.  And no way to really
> test that.  Of course if it was not in all of the way, the TxD and RxD
> connections would not be the right place, and it would not work.

Yep, this is why I asked about fully seating the connector. Sounds like 
there may still be some work to be done here.

> Of course one would hope that a cable bought specifically for the VX-3
> would fit the VX-3!

Where did you get it? There are tons of devices that use 3 and 4 
conductor TRS connectors for cloning and I wouldn't put it past many of 
the ebayers to have sent you the wrong cable.

If you have the ability to check that the pins are properly connected, 
that might be a good next step. The pinout is:

   http://www.kc8unj.com/pinout.jpg

-- 
Dan Smith
www.danplanet.com
KK7DS