Written by Chad Taylor (with thanks) - KI4MVE

FT-60 Programming Adaptor

If you are like me then you probably have at least one good factory programming cable lying around for some radio and I was quite
intrigued to find out that they are pretty universal in the way that they are built. So here is what I did, I didn’t want to purchase
another cable for my FT-60 when I already had one for my FT-7800. It was pretty easy in my mind find out where I could get a 6pin
mini Din female plug for the end of a wire and then get the 4 position 3.5mm plug for the radio and make a patch cable. So this is
what I ended up with.



At the bottom of this page I will provide links to where you can get these parts and the wire was just cheap speaker wire I
had laying around it doesn’t need to be anything special just so long as it is two conductor!

Step by Step:

1. Take your female 6pin DIN connector apart and a piece of two conductor wire and solder each of the two
conductors to pins 2 and 3 on the connector and write down which is which. (pin 2 is ground and pin 3 is data)
Then reassemble the housing and slip cover.

2. Next cut which ever wire is the ground wire a slight bit shorter than the other one just by like a centimeter or so.
Then slide the screw on sheath over the wire so that you can screw it back on to the connector when the wires are
attached. Then solder the ground wire into the ground coming out of the connector. I cut the ground short
because now that the other is a slight bit longer it will not have any pressure being pulled on it and the ground
wire solder joint can handle this perfectly.

3. Next, this is the real tedious part, strip just enough to barely see the wire sticking out of the casing and tin the tip
with some solder just a little make sure you get good flow. Then gently hold the wire onto the connection point
for the 3rd ring this is the ring just above the tip. And apply heat making sure you don’t use too much solder or
you will cross a connection between the tip or the other rings.

4. Now reassemble the plug and test it out. This worked flawlessly for me and if you are interested in free software
for programming that radio then check out the link at the bottom of this article.
Thanks for reading this and I hope you have saved money as I have!

• Kobiconn Connector from Mouser - http://www.mouser.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=171-
7435-EXvirtualkey11180000
• 6 pin MiniDIN connector from Action Electronics #MD6S - http://www.actionelectronics.
com/ppdin.htm#Minicable
• Free software – www.kc8unj.com and then just click on your radio. I would seriously consider
trying to get a hold of this guy and sending him a few bucks for his time! Excellent software it
really is.