Kenwood R-5000 IC10 Option

Update! It works.

Two ICs to buy and plug in to the radio so that you can control it from a PC over a serial port or with an IR remote control (through an interface box).

Another item long out of production. The ICs are sold on eBay for about $30. So, if some eBay seller can obtain them, what are they? A file on the R-5000 Group pointed to Jameco for chips. Cost? $4.40 plus shipping. Only drawback is a $10 minimum so I added a couple of PL259 connectors. Total for me was half of the eBay price. Arrived 2 in 2 days USPS First Class.

Part # 12950, IC, CD4040
Part # 52652, IC, USART, 8251A, DIP-28

Installation is straightforward from the Kenwood manual. Just note you don't have to remove the tiny screws that hold the shield on. They slot into the shield.

For a connecting cable that interfaces the radio to a computer, the best deal I found was from ZLP Electronics in the UK. They take Paypal, the shipping is reasonable and arrived fast.

I bought the Kenwood RS232 IF232 CAT Interface that uses an standard 9 pin computer serial port. Kept the price down, and I already have a USB to Serial dongle cord.