CatTouch for Yaesu transceivers

Chris Day, ZL1CVD, from New Zealand manufactures a series of accessories for Yaesu transceivers under the CatMeters brand. The flagship product of the line is the CatTouch – a standalone 4″ color touch screen connected via the CAT interface of the transceiver, which displays measurement, status and adjustable parameters of the device in real time. No computer, no logging software, no dependence on external SW – the CatTouch works as an autonomous operator console right on the workbench.

Compatibility: for which transceivers is CatTouch available?

CatTouch exists in two basic hardware variants differing in the type of CAT connection, each variant covering a different group of Yaesu transceivers and military radios.

RS-232C version

Designed for transceivers with CAT port to RJ45 connector (Cisco console cable compatible): FT-991, FT-991A, FTdx10, FTdx101D, FTdx101MP, FTdx1200, FTdx3000. S alternatívnym firmware also for military radios PRC-1099a and PRC-138. Power supply possible via 2.1 mm DC jack (7–30 V DC), screw terminals, Micro-B USB, USB-C alebo cez Power Over Serial (POS) z CatKnobz. Maximálny odber pri Wi-Fi obrazovke je 150 mA, na všetkých ostatných obrazovkách pod 100 mA.

TTL version

Designed for older Yaesu with Mini DIN 8 CAT port: FT-710, FT-817, FT-817ND, FT-818ND, FT-857, FT-857D, FT-897, FT-897D. Power is supplied directly from the TUNER/LINEAR port – external power supply not required. Important note: enabling CAT on the TUNER/LINEAR port will disable the ABCD band data on that port, meaning tuners like the FC-40 that use ABCD band data will not work. Power Over Serial is not supported in this version.

For FT-710 operators, a CatAdapt adapter is also available that converts TTL CAT-3 to RS-232 compatible output – allowing parallel operation of USB-CAT for PC (WSJT-X, logging SW) and RS-232 CatTouch without rewiring cables.

Technical parameters

Overview of screens and display modes

CatTouch offers multiple screens switchable by tabs along the bottom edge of the display. The default screen after power-on is MTR; the user can preselect another.

MTR – analog meters

Hlavná pracovná obrazovka. V hornej časti je zobrazená frekvencia, čas (lokálny aj svetový/UTC) a model transceivera. Pod tým VFO/MEM, mód a napájacie napätie. S-meter s indikátorom RX/TX, IF Chart zobrazujúci contour, shift, width, notch a APF (obzvlášť užitočné pri FT-991A), SWR meter s tlačidlom zapínania ATU, CMP meter so stavom PROC, Watt meter s nastaveným maximálnym TX výkonom a ALC meter with microphone gain. The continuous histogram of the S-meter stores the last 7 minutes of activity on the frequency. On the right side are touch buttons for instant switching: Roofing filter, ATT, AMP1/2/IPO, AGC, Contour, NB, Notch, DNF, DNR, TX Monitor, MEQ, PROC a Keylock.

BAR – barometers

Veľké farebné stĺpcové metriky ideálne pre DIGIMODES FT8, FT4 a podobné, kde je potrebný rýchly vizuálny prehľad o S-metri, výkone, SWR, ALC a CMP súčasne. Rovnaký stĺpec touch tlačidiel pre nastavenia ako na MTR obrazovke.

MIC – graphic parametric microphone equalizer

Displays the microphone parametric equalizer (PARA or PPARA) according to the current transceiver settings. Touch adjustment changes the frequency and level for individual bands directly on the display without entering the menu. TX bandwidth for the selected mode is highlighted in red. Settings can be saved or loaded from EEPROM or SD card and transferred between compatible transceivers.

SPK – Speaker Equalizer

Dragging the curve changes the bass, mid and treble levels. The red lines show the LCUT and HCUT frequencies and slopes, if active. The speaker equalizer is only supported by the FTdx10 and FT-710.

SWR – SWR measurement across the entire band

CatTouch automatically scans the entire currently tuned band and measures 40 SWR points. The result is displayed as a color-coded graph. If an SD card is inserted, the measurement history can be compared with each other by date and time (UTC). The measurement is performed in FM mode without modulation, because FM generates a stable carrier oscillation of constant amplitude without the need for additional configuration - unlike CW (where the CAT TX can be set so that the carrier does not arise) or AM (slow ALC stabilization). CatTouch does not control any external or internal tuner - the operator must set it manually before starting the test.

CLK, WiFi, JPG, CFG

CLK displays clock in both world and local time (offset ±14 hours in 15-minute steps adjustable on the CFG screen) – suitable for SOTA, POTA and Field Day recordings. WiFi includes a 2.4 GHz channel scanner to find the least occupied channel. JPG displays a slideshow of 480×320 px images from an SD card (diplomas, QSL cards). CFG is used to calibrate and customize the device.

Videos

The following video from K6UDA Radio (YouTube) is a review of CatTouch in practical use on new generation Yaesu transceivers:

Official introduction of CatTouch for old Yaesu (FT-817, FT-818, FT-857, FT-897) by author ZL1CVD:

Introducing CatTouch for new Yaesu (FT-991A, FTdx10, FTdx101, FT-710 and more) by author ZL1CVD:

User ratings and experiences

In his review, 2E0BAF describes the CatTouch as a nicely crafted, compact and functional device that does exactly what it promises: it displays multiple gauges at the same time and allows switching settings without entering the menu. He appreciates the speed and ease of switching screens using tabs. He is critical of the situation when operating simultaneously with WSJT-X on the FT-710, where a conflict of CAT requests occurs, which causes WSJT-X to crash. According to the author ZL1CVD, this is a bug on the Yaesu firmware of the FT-710 and Hamlib - specifically, the FT-710 responds to the CAT command with a question mark (?), which is not correctly processed by the HAMLIB library. This problem does not occur on the FT-991, FT-991A, FTdx10, FTdx101D and FTdx101MP. As a working alternative to WSJT-X, MSHV from LZ2HV is recommended.

Author ZL1CVD deserves credit for his customer support – 2E0BAF mistakenly ordered the wrong version and Chris shipped the correct one before the returned unit was received, eliminating the wait time.

"It looks good, it's well made and hooked up to my FT-710 in isolation it works exactly how it should do. All the displays work and it's quick and easy to switch from one display to another using the on screen buttons along the bottom." – 2E0BAF

On eHam.net, CatTouch has its own product page with user reviews available at eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=15561.

Practical note: FT-710 and CAT conflicts

Using the CatTouch TTL version on the FT-710 simultaneously with WSJT-X requires either setting the CAT polling interval in WSJT-X to 10 seconds and a higher CAT speed (115200 baud), or switching to MSHV. Alternatively, use the CatAdapt adapter and the RS-232C version of the CatTouch, which separates CAT-3 from the USB-CAT ports CAT-1 and CAT-2 on which WSJT-X runs. The other models (FT-991A, FTdx10, FTdx101) have no problems with parallel operation.

Where to buy

CatTouch is available exclusively directly from the author via the website catmeters.com and catknobz.com, or via eBay seller c_day-nz. Scams and fake sellers (e.g. on Facebook) are a documented threat – the manufacturer explicitly warns against them. Payment is via PayPal. Delivery is via NZ Post Air Mail with insurance and tracking to all countries, delivery time 10 to 25 working days. Shipping from US.75. For customers in the USA, a 15% import duty applies since the de minimis exemption was abolished, which is paid by the buyer.