AR8000, Trunker and the Optolinx

With the help of a friend I managed to get my AOR AR-8000 receiver and Optoelectronics Optolink to Trunker and Etrunker using one serial port on the computer. Remember Bill Cheek said it had to be done with two or three ports or with two computers. Anyway, while building the two level FSK decoder, solder additional wires to the ground and transmit pins of the DB-9 connector leading to the computer and run them to a male DB-9 connector which connects to the back of the Optolink. My AOR is moded with a phono plug for the Optoelectronics Scout, so instead of using the supplied flat cable (which did not work) I connected the phono plug to the Half Duplex plug "A" on the front of the Optolink. All four dip switches on the back of the Optolink should be in the down position. Also in the AOR, the RS232 parameter has to be set to "CR" in the configuration menu. This is accessed in the "EXPERT" mode as stated on page 101 of the AOR manual. The AOR now acts as the second scanner and follows the talkgroup frequencies which appear on the computer screen.

- Mark Colburn (HOTSPOT@worldnet.att.net)