24 kHz CW Skimmer with the Icom 7610 | How To
CW Skimmer, Null Modem Emulator, Hi-Fi Audio Cable
See my previous article on HDSDR, you need it going first. To get started on this little project you need CW Skimmer, Null Modem Emulator, Hi-Fi Audio Cable installed and setup. There was really not much to it.
All of the download links are in the document. Page 4, near the top.
Install them and if the Null Modem Emulator created COM ports with numbers of 20 and under, it's good to go and I think this is usually the case. Nothing else needs to be done with it.
The Hi-Fi Audio cable properties need to be changed to 16 bit, 192000 Hz. That's it! (see video below)
HDSDR Minor Tweaks
In HDSDR for it to operate with CW Skimmer there are a few minor tweaks that need to be done. If you followed my previous article, Icom 7610 HDSDR and Icom I/Q Package, that's a good beginning and you won't have any trouble.
There are only 6 small steps and I won't list the changes to it here because they are nicely put together in Icoms PDF. It's under the Operating Guide section of the PDF on page 8.
CW Skimmer (CWS) 24 kHz
On page 9 of that same PDF you see some steps to get CWS going and talking to HDSDR and the radio. There are only 4 steps. Now how easy it that.
Icom really simplified things.
Things to Watch For
- After starting CWS you may hear a tone and see a line in CWS where your marker is. To eliminate it, just increase the I/O Gain in HDSDR. You'll see a slider for it. (see video).
- Frequency is flashing in CWS. Although it is not a problem, it may be annoying to some. After using it for a while I decided to setup CWS (Omni-Rig) with my CI-V cable and seperate COM port. No flashing or flickering of the frequency in CWS now. (see video).
- If you decide to keep CW Skimmer, it'll cost $75.
Videos
A big thanks to subscribers and everyone who posts questions, comments and sends emails with ideas and suggestions. I sincerely appreciate it and hope this website helps Ham operators.
If you have a question or suggestion, please comment below. I will do my best to answer it and your experience will help others as well.
73,
Rich, K0PIR
Sources:
Preparations for using the IC-7610 with the HDSDR application/IC-7610 HDSDR Operating Guide
K0PIR: Icom 7610 HDSDR and Icom I/Q Package
Hello Rich
I finally have HDSDR and CW Skimmer working with my IC-7610. My WIndows 10 Lenovo computer and HDSDR did not see the new com0com ports. Finally I removed com0com and loaded Null Modem Emulator by Eitima and no problems assigning two new ports for HDSDR. Also CW Skimmer did not have 7610 in CAT setting so I stayed with “Kenwood: and the “flicker” freq readout
Again MANY Thanks
Hi Ivars,
Nice to hear from you and thank you for commenting.
I just started using Eitima on my new laptop and I am glad you like it. I have no used it much, but it’s a nice program.
You may have an older version of OmniRig and that’s why the IC-7610 doesn’t show up. If you install the latest it should work FB.
Thank you again and CUL.
73,
Rich, K0PIR
Hi Rich,
I have set all this up and it’s working fine. However my HDSRD has no I/O gain selection available, so can’t make minor tweak to CW skimmer. Have you faced this? Is there some other setting which prevents adjusting the gain?
73,
Jarkko, OH6NEQ
Hi Jarkko,
Nice to hear from you and thank you for commenting.
Yes, it happens to me. Open HDSDR, start it, click on Options>Output Channel Mode RX and select “IF as I (Left) / Q (Right)” again. After selecting it again the slider should show up.
See if that works.
73,
Rich, K0PIR
Have you explained how to setup CWS with the IC-7300?
Hi Tom,
Nice to hear from you and thanks for the comment.
I have not. I got HDSDR going with the Inrad RX7300 and SDR dongle, but never did attempt CWS.
I hear people have done it.
You might want to check the Icom 7300 forum in Groups.io. I know they were discussing it a while back.
73,
Rich, K0PIR
Hi K0PIR,
RE: Frequency is flashing in CWS.
For me I found that instead of using Kenwood, the flashing stopped if I configured the Cat Interface to use “ZS-1”.
73 de AI4Y
Hi Richard, nice to hear from you and thank you for posting the information. That’s great! It bugged me a little bit.
This will help others as well, so thank you again.
Best 73!
Rich, K0PIR