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Tigertronics offers a wide range of fully assembled radio cables and jumper modules for various Handheld radios (HTs) from Anytone, Baofeng, BTech, Bridgecom, Icom, Kenwood, Puxing, Radioddity, Retevis, Wouxun, Yaesu and others. Please see our SignaLink USB Product Guide to find the part numbers that are needed for your radio. If your radio is not listed, then please email us or give our Sales Staff a call at (800) 822-9722 (Mon - Fri, 9AM - 5PM PST).
The information below can be used to build your own HT radio cable using our un-terminated radio cable p/n SLCABNC. Before you begin, it is important that you read through all of the information that is presented here. We suggest that you complete the following steps in the order shown:
NOTE: We strongly suggest purchasing our fully assembled HT radio cables as they are insert-molded on the radio side for durability. Home-made cables for HTs are generally difficult to build and not very durable due to the small connectors that are used.
Mic/Speaker Connector Type
- Most
hand-held radios use STEREO jacks for the external Mic and Speaker
connections, but some use MONO jacks, and others use a combination of the
two. Some newer hand-held radios also use a special 4-conductor jack (see below). Before you build your radio cable, it is critical that you
consult your radio manual to determine what type of connectors your radio
requires. If you use the wrong type of plug with your radio, then you
might short-out your radio's Accessory Voltage (or other signal) and damage
it. You might also damage the SignaLink.
Connector Size
-
Handheld radios use two standard size connectors; 3.5mm (1/8") and 2.5mm (1/16"). Your radio will use
one size or the other, or a combination of the two. Before you build
your radio cable, you will need to consult your radio manual to determine what size
plugs your HT requires.
Special 4-Conductor Jacks - Some newer HTs (Yaesu VX-1R, VX-5R, VX-7R, etc.) use a special 4-conductor jack for the external Mic and Speaker connections. The mating 4-conductor plug can be difficult to obtain, and even more difficult to solder. If your HT uses this type of plug, then we suggest that you purchase the appropriate adapter (from your radio manufacturer) to convert from the 4-conductor jack to two standard 3.5mm jacks. This will make installation of the SignaLink much easier.
Combination Mic / PTT Line - This is the most common configuration for hand-helds. Virtually every HT except for Kenwood models uses this configuration. With this setup, an external resistor and capacitor must be used to separate the Mic audio and PTT signals. These parts can be installed inside the SignaLink, in place of the normal PTT and Mic jumper wires. Click here to view jumper settings and a typical cable wiring diagram for this type of HT.
Separate Mic and PTT Lines - This configuration is usually found only on Kenwood hand-helds. If your HT has separate Mic and PTT lines, then it can be connected to the SignaLink just like any base or mobile radio. No external capacitor or resistor is needed. Click here to view jumper settings and a typical cable wiring diagram for this type of HT.