Rear Panel to the Front |
The IC-735 is a good radio. It seems to do everything that I need. But I get annoyed when I want to connect a new key, or try out a different audio filter, because all of the connections are on the rear panel. For me, that means pulling the radio off of a shelf to access the rear panel. I don't want to change all the wires but they are all in the way.
So I thought that, it would be nice if I could bring all, or some, of rear panel connections to the front. Possibly just a box, the same width and depth as the IC-735, so that it could fit under the radio. It doesn't have to be very tall. Just tall enough to include the panel connections. So below is a list of panel connections I want readily available.
Key Jacks - Split out for Key/Keyer and Paddles
It would be nice if the keying jack was more accessible. To switch keys I have to either reach blindly around the back or slide the radio off of the shelf. Plus, it would be nice to have 1/8" jacks as well as 1/4" jacks.
The IC-735 has a single, three terminal (Stereo), phone jack for CW keying. The same jack is used for straight keys, bugs, keyers, or paddles (if the optional keyer is installed). For a Straight Key, only the Tip (+) and Sleeve (-) of the phone plug is used. It is the same when using a keyer and bug. Paddles use all three connections, the Tip (Dot), Ring (Dash), and Sleeve (Common). You can use a two terminal phone plug, if you are using a straight key or keyer, but you need to make sure you set the Elec-Key/Manual to Manual (Out Position).
The small drawing on the right shows the key jack extension. The two 1/4" jacks (J1-Stereo and J2-Mono) and two 1/8" jacks (J3-Stereo and J4-Mono) are mounted in the front panel with the cable being routed to the back of the IC-735. P1 (1/4" Stereo Phono Plug) is then plugged into the KEY jack. Now, a key or paddle can be quickly switched out, without pulling the radio off of the shelf.
QRP Adjustment
The IC-735 has a slider control for setting the maximum power level. All the way up, the IC-735 will transmit maximum power, based on the operating mode. If the slider is set all the way down, the IC-735 will transmit a maximum of 10 watts. But QRP operation is generally considered to be 5 watts or less. This can be handled two ways on the IC-735. There is a control on the IC-735's Main circuit board that controlls the minimum output power. This can be adjusted so that when the slider is all the way down, the minimum power is 5 watts. Another way is to use a small external circuit to vary the voltage on the IC-735's ALC input.
CIV Interface to Remote Jack
Include a circuit board that can contain several interfaces. The initial interface would be a RS232 to ICOM CI-V converter.
Isolated PTT input
Isolated CW Keying
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