Bluetooth Dongle

I really like the repeater book app. I really applaud the authors for releasing it for free. It looks AWESOME on the nexus 7 screen. The author also sells a bluetooth dongle for FT817/FT857 that allows the app to tune the radio for you to the repeater! The 49 euro is a bit steep for a bluetooth dongle but considering a hardcopy of the repeater directory is $22 every year nd the app is free it palatable.

Until I get around to ordering the bluecoat I got myself a different bluetooth dongle.

After reading some forums I settled on one made a HAM (IK1ZYW) in Italy (http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?338952-Yaesu-FT-817-857-897-Bluetooth-CAT-dongle-adapter). Few emails back and forth with Paolo and I was confident in that he knew what he was doing and that I could get it to work in linux. He was even kind enough to test it for me before sending it. Here are the instructions he sent me.

This is the Android Software that works with the dongle http://www.yo3ggx.ro/bt8x7/doc/bt8x7.html

"First thing was to test the CAT-to-BT, and I am currently decoding psk31 over the shack air, including CAT control with Bluetooth.

I issued the following commands:

sdptool add SP

hcitool scan   # then took note of the adapter MAC address

sudo rfcomm bind /dev/rfcomm0 00:12:08:21:08:98 1

# replace the mac address iwth the one from your dongle, "channel" stays 1 I think.

Then fire up fldigi through sudo and configure on HAMLIB the FT817 with 9600 baud, two stop bits, 1000 ms of retry interval, using /dev/rfcomm0 . Don't forget to "turn on" hamlib option in fldigi.

That's about it. There must be a way to make it happen without sudo'ing too much, but I've ran out of time now ;-)"

Now that's what I call customer service.

Few days ago I got a stance looking envelope - looks like the cheap chinese envelope I get random parts and RF connectors in but it held a stance little device with black electrical tape covering most of it except for the pins and LED. Took me a minute of staring at it to realize what it was. Ship time from Italy to the door in PA was under 2 weeks.

If anybody has the BueCat dongle and can provide me the MAC address and the name it advertises itself with etc that would be greatly appreciated :) .