In late 2012, I bought an iMac. I really like the iMac except for one
glaring "feature" - it is quite limited in the number of ports available
for communication to various rigs. Several months ago, I read about a
GearMo 4-port USB-to-serial adapter. Last week I purchased one and it
arrived Tuesday.
My first question was answered as I looked at the DB9 connectors -
they're labeled 1, 2, 3, 4.
I just plugged it into the back of my iMac and connected to my K3, my
FT-847 (VHF/UHF/satellite rig), and the serial cable for my KX3 (with
one port left over that I coiled up and put behind my desk. Using the
latest KX3 Utility, I was able to upgrade the F/W from 1.61 (I think?)
to the latest available. I have been using RUMlog with both the K3 and
the KX3 with no issues. I was also able to create a symbolic link when
using CrossOver and SatPC32 (a satellite tracking package written for
Windows) for the FT-847.
I didn't have to install any drivers - it worked right out of the box.
Doing an "ls" under /dev from the terminal, I have four new serial ports:
tty.usbserial-FTWU1P3UA
tty.usbserial-FTWU1P3UB
tty.usbserial-FTWU1P3UC
tty.usbserial-FTWU1P3UD
The GearMo adapter uses an FTDI chipset. Doing a little searching, I
found one for just under $50.
On my VM (Win7 x64), I had to uninstall the old FTDI and install the
new. I did this by unplugging the GearMo and plugging it back in while
in my VM. The only problem I have with the VM is that it is not "turning
on" upon VM boot. That's a settings issue that I'll fix later.
The usual disclaimer holds - I have no affiliation with GearMo or any of
its suppliers, subsidies, or vendors. After 12 hours, I'm just a happy
customer.
73,
Joel - W4JBB
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