Baofeng (Kenwood) APRS-K1, connect radio to laptop audio in and out - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2023, 06:00:13 pm
content: Idea is this. Take this radio station, Baofeng UV-5R and make it so that I can record communication on my laptop either in Audacity or Sound Forge. I record certain communication on 433.920 and then play it back on air.It should be simple, right?I mean, you connect output of radio to microphone input of laptop headphones, and then you connect output of laptop headphones into the microphone of radio.Anyway, here is the goide I've used. No luck. When connecting this contraption to laptop Audacity does not record anything. I'm doing something wrong. I need to take a step back, ask for advice, and repeat.https://tonyblews.co.uk/simple-pc-to-baofeng-audio-cables/I wonder if laptop (one single 3.5 mm) requires some other type of connection. I'm using 4 pin jack. Left right mic ground. I wonder if it should be Left right ground mic.

author: wasedadoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2023, 06:14:35 pm
content: Why don't you just try the left, right, ground, microphone configuration?

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 01:34:04 pm
content: Okay. I found the problem. When I connect audio output from radio into mic input of my laptop, laptop does not detect microphone. I've tried connecting in parallel with an actual mic I had laying around, and then it detects microphone, and when you speak into it it can record. But when I turn on radio, mic is suddenly again not plugged in. You turn off radio and mic is again plugged in. So it must be resistance based detection.What to do?

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 03:13:11 pm
content: Quotechuck a resistor between signal and ground,your more than likely going to need one any way to get your line level down to something more mic input friendly.

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 03:14:09 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on September 30, 2023, 03:13:11 pm1k good?

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 08:23:44 pm
content: This is an official baofeng cable that connects radio to pc audio. Now looking at it. I wonder what are values of those caps.

author: Vovk_Z
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 05:14:46 pm
content: Quote from: u666sa on September 29, 2023, 06:00:13 pmI'm just curious if it supposed to be a military application device?

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2023, 10:35:38 am
content: Quote from: u666sa on September 30, 2023, 08:23:44 pmPut together a cable dongle, now baofeng connects nicely to laptop audio. To transmit I either press PTT on radio or use VOX. On picture the golden cable is not connected to anything, it is the PTT cable, it just hanging in the air, can connect it through switch to ground to activate PTT. Cable to connect to radio is the cheap headphone with mic thingy that everyone has and no one ever uses because it's el-cheap-o.Caps are 10 nF 10 nF on top. 100 nF on bottom. 470 nF far right vertical.Resistors 10 kOhm, 2.2 kOhm, 1.8 kOhm.One can buy such a cable ready made on aliexpress, price is about $6, it's called APRS-K1, but the quality of the thing, I mean the thinness is probably out there on par with stock headset.

author: p.larner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2023, 07:04:42 am
content: why is kenwood being metioned in the same context as chinese junk here?.

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2023, 07:15:39 am
content: Same speaker/mic connector as Kenwood. It has become a de facto standard for cheap radios.

author: u666sa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2023, 07:17:49 am
content: UV-5R is copy of TK-F8