Baofeng PC / Remote Setup
, by Joseph Leone, 3 min reading time
Baofeng UV-5RM connected to a PC with PTT capabilities and USB mic for TX via the PC. Also has remote location ability for RX/TX. No remote channel access.
Back Story
I currently do not have a "base" radio, but I do have several Baofeng radios. I decided to use my Baofeng UV-5RM as a base with an external antenna. The problem I encountered was holding the radio for communications, the quality of sound from the radio, and the antenna cable hanging from the radio. I thought if I could connect the radio to my PC so I could listen using my PC speakers, that would work a lot better for me. The only issue was that now I needed a way to key up and talk. I connected an AIOC adapter to the radio, but that eliminated me speaking directly into the radio. I was trying to figure out a way to accomplish this and with a cheap radio such as the Baofeng which is not mean for that kind of setup, I couldn't find a way to accomplish what I wanted.
I later purchased a Digirig, to setup my laptop with Winlink and VARA FM. After learning how to use Winlink, I realized the Digirig had the capabilities I was looking for to connect my Baofeng to my PC. I just had to figure out how to access the resources. The Baofeng was already connected to the PC for Winlink via the Digirig, and Winlink listens and transmits on the Baofeng, so how can I access this for what I want?
Description
Baofeng UV-5RM connected to a PC with PTT capabilities and USB mic for TX via the PC. Also has remote location ability for RX/TX. No remote channel access.
Hardware
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Baofeng UV-5RM - https://amzn.to/3EXKcef
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Digirig Mobile - https://amzn.to/4bmTHQx
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Digirig Cables for Baofeng - https://amzn.to/3F1DRPf
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Digirig USB-A to USB-C Cable - https://amzn.to/3EXKcef
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USB Mic (Any)
Software
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Voice Meeter (Banana) Virtual Audio Mixer - https://vb-audio.com/Voicemeeter/banana.htm
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PTT Serial App - https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Wa8ijt-68m46fyVzcZtzs8ZkXt-oTC-/view?usp=sharing
Instructions (Control PC)
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Connect the Digirig Audio port to the Baofeng K1 TX/RX port using the Black Digirig Baofeng cable (fig. 1 below)
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Connect the other end of the Digirig to the PC using the USB-C to USB-A cable
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Install the PTT Serial application (link above)
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Install Voice Meeter on PC (link above)
Voice Meeter Setup (fig. 2 below)
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Set HARDWARE OUR A1 out to PC speakers
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Set HARDWARE OUT A2 out to Digirig
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Set STEREO INPUT 1 to USB Mic
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Set STEREO INPUT 2 to Digirig
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On HARDWARE INPUT 1 (mic), map to A2 - This will send mic audio to the Digirig
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On HARDWARE INPUT 2 (Digirig), map to A1 - This will send the Digirig incoming audio to your speakers
PTT Serial Application
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In PTT Serial application, select the com port for the Digirig (you can get the port number via the Device Manager in Windows)
Additional Software Needed
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Serial Port Redirector (Remote Operation) - https://www.serial-over-ethernet.com/com-port-redirector/remote-com-port/
For remote, I mapped my audio in from Digirig to stream to remote PC, and Mic on remote PC to stream to control PC using the VBAN feature in Voice Meeter Banana.
