Interfacing Your Computer to your TS-590 Transceiver to Work with the N3FJP Logging Software
By: Dr. Ronald E. Milliman, K8HSY
Here are the instructions on setting up your Computer to talk to your TS-590sg using a USB port which I wrote especially for those who are screen reader users, such as the JAWS Screen Reading Program. However, anyone could benefit from these instructions.
First, if you use JAWS, I would suggest you go into the JAWS menus, under sound card, and tell it not to use the “default” sound card, which will probably be checked. Instead select whatever the name of your pc’s sound card is where you get your pc audio. When the Kenwood driver loads, it will make the radio’s sound card the default. If jaws is set to use the default, you will lose speech.
You need to use the USB port on the back of the TS-590sg which connects to a USB port on your computer using an appropriate cable, e.g. USB A male to USB B male, which is commonly referred to as a standard printer cable. However, It is important to not connect this cable up until after you have downloaded and installed the Virtual Com Port driver from Kenwood to match the operating system of your computer, i.e. either Windows 7 or Windows 10. Go to this URL to download the Virtual Com Port driver:
https://www.kenwood.com/i/products/info/amateur/vcp_e.html
Carefully read the instructions, and again, do not connect the radio to your computer via USB cable until you have installed the comm port driver.
Once you have installed the software, connect pc to radio and your new comm port will show up in windows device manager. It is very important to note the com port number. In my particular case, it was Com Port #9, but yours will probably be different. This is the comm port you will choose in your N3FJP logging software.
You have to be sure to match the baud rate, and other parameters between your transceiver and the N3FJP software on your computer, making certain they are the same in both the radio’s menus and the software. I set mine up at 19.2 K, but I don’t think it is important as long as the baud rate in your rig and the computer are matched. Many people run theirs at 9.6k, which might be the default in your rig. However, you need to remember that if you change the baud rate in the radio, you need to power the radio off and back on again for the change to take effect. I changed mine from 9.6 K to 19.2 K, and it didn’t work until I turned my TS-590sg off and back on again.
You have to go into the settings of the N3FJP logging program to make the needed configuration changes. In the settings menu, you go to Rig Interface. You will see things like Kenwood 1 or Kenwood 2, Com port, Baud rate, Parity, Date Bits, etc.
I have mine set as follows:
Kenwood 2 (Note: N3FJP has 2 choices for Kenwood, if the first one doesn’t work, try the second.)
Com 9 (This is for mine; yours might be different.)
Baud rate 19.2
Parity none
Data bits 8
Stop bits none
Connection power RTS
Radio polling rate 2 sec
Mode determined by rig
Command to read frequency if
Command to read mode
Note: Some, maybe most, of these settings do not need to be changed. The last two I just totally ignored. Also, be sure to save your settings in the software program; otherwise, it will default back to the original settings again. This happened to me. I didn’t save my settings, and it didn’t work for me when I booted it up again. So, I had to go into the N3FJP software and go completely through all of the settings for rig interface again.
Good luck! It is actually easier than it sounds
Ron, K8HSY