A short script to read S Meter values aloud using Text to Speach for tuning a Mag Loop remotely.
By default it is set up for a Yaesu FT-450D connected to /dev/ttyUSB0 at 38400 baud
A second version of this script maglooptunerset.sh allows you to set the frequency on the radio and then start speaking S Meter readings
CC0 https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/cc0/
Jeff Luszcz
https://github.com/jeff-luszcz/MagLoopTuner
hamlib https://hamlib.github.io
espeak https://espeak.sourceforge.net
Install hamlib either through downloading the source and compiling / installing or use the apt-get or yum command to install
espeak is usually best installed using apt-get or yum
e.g. sudo yum install espeak
Make the script executable: chmod +x maglooptuner.sh
To run:
cd into the directory containing the maglooptuner.sh script and then start the script using this command;
./maglooptuner.sh
You can also put the script in a directory someowhere in your PATH
Turn on your radio and turn the radio's volume up so you can hear it
Set your radio to your desired frequency
Make sure your computer's volume is loud enough so you can hear the text to speech voice
No other hamlib enabled applications (or others reading the same serial port) should be running so this script can control the radio
Start the script to hear the current S Meter value read aloud to you
The script will connect to your radio, grab the current S Meter value and read it aloud once a second
Tune your Mag Loop for Maximum noise, This will get you to the general area of best tuning
The S Meter value you hear should get larger
Tune the loop slowly, wait a second, hear the value and tune up or down depending on what value you hear
You want to tune to MAXIMUM S Meter reading
When you get a maximum value, your loop should be tuned correctly. My Ft-450D's auto tuner can tune between 120 - 150, though higher is best
Hit the Tune button on your radio to do any final matching if needed
This allows you to tune your mag loop slowly from a different room or across the room.
If needed, using Facetime or a phone call between two phones can allow you to tune even if you can't be in the same room as the computer.
To stop, hit Control-C in the shell window to stop the script
If errors occur you may hear the script read the error message or giberish. If this happens make sure no other applications are using the same serial port, or that the hamlib connection values are correct
Using the optional maglooptunerset.sh to set frquency on radio and then read aloud the S Meter readings
You can edit the script to set a desired frequency, to prevent haivng to launch js8call or similar app to change to a new frequency.
To use, call the maglooptunerset.sh file, and supply the frequency to your desired frequency on the command line.
./maglooptunerset.sh 7078000
The frequency is set in Hz, so 7078Mhz would 7078000
You could create multiple named files with hardcoded values to make it easy to set different frequencies.