I’ve had a slight interest in using CAT control with my 718. Past research from a number of years ago had shown that you needed an ICOM IC-CT17 Communications Interface to accomplish this task. The problem is that they hover around $140-$150. I decided that I didn’t need CAT interface that badly.
My interest in CAT control has been re-ignited with my recent foray into digital modes. A bit of renewed research resulted in the purchase of a CT-17 USB FTDI Chipset CI-V Cat Control Programming Cable from Valley Enterprises. The price was significantly less than the ICOM CT-17 and it’s USB.
Order processing and shipping was fast and efficient. The cable arrived in just a few days. I plugged it in, the USB device was recognized, and Windows 7 found the correct driver for it. I plugged it into my radio, downloaded DXLab Commander, set the Primary CAT Serial Port to 5 and the software instantly started working.
Nice piece of hardware, nice piece of simple software, and now I have CAT control for my 718!
