Introducing the CBduino

[mechanic]

Looks good so keep going! I proposed using an Arduino or DDS in a Yahoo group called CB to HAM, where the experimenters modify CBs to the HAM bands. So far this has not gone far and I am not into Arduino fully. I will keep an eye on the progress....

73 mechanic

 

[SLR_65]

Hi Mechanic, we're plodding forward...not much activity here, but I also posted on a yahoo group called "The Mod", it was a group dedicated to the Farmer Dave freq mod, but the kits are no longer being offered and Farmer Dave has disappeared. There's been a fair amount of discussion and activity there with the 'duino though so you may want to join.

As things get hashed out and we can provide instructions for specific radios I'll post them here.

I've seen the CB to Ham group but you must be a ham to join...I just passed my Tech license last week (aced it! ) and my call isn't in the database yet, so I can't join until I get it.

Things are moving along, but I'm a little tied up right now fixing up my parents house for sale (they've both passed), studying for my General license and doing some overtime at work.

I have it running on an Arduino Nano, though I had to stop doing a direct port write because the Nano serial chip inverts the rx tx lines that I use for P0 and P1. I just went to a sequential write of digital ports 2-8, works fine.

I'll be working on interfacing to the channel selector next.

I'm actually wondering if we shouldn't start a group or section on some forum for Arduino ham projects - this is a good project, but there are also many projects spread across the net that it would be nice to have in one spot. Things like automatic keyers for beacons, cw reader/writers, power/swr meters, antenna analyzers, heck even a programmable antenna rotor, etc. would be fun! Lots of applications for 'duinos!

A DDS VCO has been discussed a bit. It's a bit over my head at the moment, but it is on my to do list. I wish I could speak Spanish, there's a couple videos on YouTube where they used an AD8950 with a 'duino on a Cobra 148...that mod should be adaptable to other similar radios if we could get some specifics in English.

There's also a video from last fall where someone interfaced an Arduino to a CB like we're doing, I kinda chuckled though as his setup is kinda scary looking, just lots of wires and stuff. He's went old school and is using a parallel lcd interface and stuff, for $5 more you can just use I2C with power, ground, SCA and SCL. He also put leds for the address port. Nice for a visual, but not really necessary as you can just do a port read and display it on the lcd. His doesn't do much but go to the lowest possible frequency and jump to channel 1 when he flips a switch and there's been no updates since.

Anyway, we're moving forward, come join us on the group or keep an eye here for the more polished releases.

 

[mechanic]

It is good to keep a posting here of your finds with Arduino.... I am pretty sure there are several Yahoo groups for this now but with the controlling of other projects there should be some interest. Keep in touch and post here....
73 mechanic

 

[SLR_65]

I will, I'll put the more stable releases here along with an explanation of the what, how and why. I'm working on commenting the code too.

 

[TM86]

I also posted on a yahoo group called "The Mod"

When I decided to start playing with radios again I tried to join a Yahoo group dedicated to "The Mod". They summarily rejected my request. So I'll just follow what you're doing here and throw in my two cents when I have something useful to add.

 

[SLR_65]

Wow! I'm surprised at that, it seems like a nice group of guys and they don't seem that picky on membership....they let me in!

I would try again, if you're denied again lemme know and I'll speak to a Moderator, there are two I know of that active and very interested in the 'duino (and very nice guys).

I will continue to post here, but it'll be less frequent and will be more stable releases with some catch up notes as to what's new. The development I think will be more over on The Mod. No real reason, just more interest and activity there.

 

[DTB Radio]

Another nice application of external digital control to a PLL chip! I first used the printer port from a computer to do that: www.dtbradio.com/cbcomp.html. My first prototype used DOS-based software and had a scanner function. I later wrote Windows software that dropped the scanner and added channel memory instead.

Micro-controllers offer easier interface, and the ability to tailor-make options for specific radios, and a scanner function (with a channel memory bank) would not be hard to implement.

Nice bit of work!!

 

[SLR_65]

Thanks DTB! I've been on a break from CBduino simply because I'm using my free time to study to upgrade to a General ham ticket (just recently got my Tech license).

Why drop scan? Couldn't both memory channels and scan be implemented?

It's been a long time since I pc programmed, but I was thinking the project may lead me to that! Just a bigger, more graphical screen and stuff.

I ran across a pc control program for a President radio...your handy work?

I'll be back working on the project in a week or two.

*) It appears the level shifter for the pll interface isn't needed, if the pll pins are pulled low then the 5v from the arduino appears to be able to set the lines stabily. It seems the 8719 is actually a 5v device that's just 8v tolerant.

*) I'm using a 9555 i/o expander to read the channel selector right now, but it appears there's enough ports on the Nano to hook up to it directly as well (analog ports can be used as digital. I just used the expander as I had it and knew how to talk to it easily from another project, so it was just quicker for development).

*) I2C .96" OLED displays seem easy to program for, should fit in the program area left and fit in the window for a typical two LED channel display on most radios.

Stay tuned...some neat stuff should be upcoming once I get time to play again!

Thanks for the input...since you've got radios and are used to interfacing already, buy a Nano and start playing!

Take care,

Steve

 

[asep]

if not using the channel. will be better and the frequency is wide open