2014-12-27
Headset interface for the FT-857 radio
Attention: this item is more than 5 years old, links can be broken and information can have been updated.
I was looking for something else on AliExpres and found this interesting gem: 1PC FT-897 /FT817/857 / PTT/headset/CAT adapter. On the original manufacturer website: FT-8x7 Headset/PTT/CAT Adapter - Windcamp Creative Technology. Although I am not that busy with voice communications, it did look to me like this might enable me to hook up a cheaper PC headset to the radio. I was wondering why it includes a CAT (computer assisted tuning) interface. A browse of the FT-857 manual for the pinout of the 8-pin microphone connector did not give any information. The menu setting 059 'MIC SEL' has the options NOR for the normal hand microphone, RMT for the MH-59a8j remote microphone which I have and CAT for a CAT connector. The missing clue was found after some searching in Using the FT-857 Microphone Jack for Serial Control (CAT) by Bob Wolbert K6XX which lists the pinout of the 8-pin RJ45 microphone connector of the FT-857(D) in different menu 059 modes. I created a short RJ45 cable to connect the interface to the radio. I still need to create a footswitch to act as transmit switch.