Mac OSX + VMware + VX-7R Commander
If you’re into Amateur Radio and a *nix nerd, you probably know firsthand how little support there is *nix/*bsd/OSX. There’s a really great freeware program for managing a VX-7R, but it’s only on wintel.
Turns out that isn’t a problem if you have VMware and XP Pro. I wouldn’t have bought those just to support a radio, but the only PC app I “need” is SolidWorks. Everything else I do in darwin/bsd or linux. I really can’t justify carrying around two laptops all the time, and I’d have bought XP and SolidWorks if I did have a PC…
Here’s what I did to get VX-7R Commander working on my MacBook:
1) Use an IOGear QUC-232A cable as a USB<->serial adapter to the VX-7R adapter cable.
3) In XPPro under VMWare, download the drivers from IOGear’s site and install them. They installed as COM3 on my system by default.
4) Launch Commander, set it to use COM3, and I was able to download/upload with no problems.
[tags]OSX, VX-7R[/tags]
I second the recommendation on the IOGear serial adapter. I tried a Keyspan and had no end of trouble with it. The IOGear just works. FWIW I run my rig (Kenwood TS-480SAT) using Ham Radio Deluxe in a XP virtual machine on my MacBook Pro. I also built a DC power converter box so I could power the Mac, along with my radio, from a marine battery. Worked great for last year’s Field Day.
Comment by Josh Carter — 2009/01/12 @ 11:20
I’ve attempted to program my VX7R using the IOGear serial adapter per the instructions above. I also had issues w/ the Keyspan, but the IOGear serial adapter is giving me the same problem. Would you be able to make any further recommendations?
I have verified that the programming cable that I am using does work, as I was successfully able program the VX7R using a computer with a serial port; that computer is at the university I attend, and it would be great to be able to program it at home, on my MBP. Also, I did verify that the IOGear serial adapter is installed correctly, as I was able to program my Yaesu FT8900 without issue.
Thanks in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide.
Comment by Richard — 2012/02/14 @ 18:11
The only way I’ve gotten around this sort of problem in the past is messing around with the speed of the programming connection on both the radio and the CPU. On the CPU, I think I modified both VMWare and the windows os.
Comment by jet — 2012/02/14 @ 20:01