u/Blueberry_Mancakes

I am on a mission to find a mac-friendly handheld ptt mic that I can use with various SDR platforms, particularly with my Yaesu FTDX10 and Icom 705 remote software.
Does anyone make such a thing?
It just needs to be recognized as a standard usb dynamic microphone and include a PTT button that can be assigned to a keystroke (such as a spacebar, which I can assign in the SDR software already).

I bought a USB CH340 FL-PTT modded handheld mic on eBay just to play around with, but I can't seem to get it to record any device input to Keyboard Maestro (etc) even when the CH340 drivers are installed.
(I know it was made for FLEX, but I was curious if I could find a work-around)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115994824134

Surely there is some radio or datacom company who makes a traditional hand mic for software radio use....

Has anyone had any experience with this, or can I DIY one myself?

EDIT: SOLVED!
I guess I "vibe coded" a solution via Google AI (I feel super dirty about it too haha

I used this prompt to generate the code:

"i am using my spacebar as a ptt for an sdr. I would like to use a usb serial device that transmits a cts signal on /dev/tty.wchusbserial3140 to trigger that spacebar keystroke instead. When I press and hold the cts it should press and hold the spacebar as well. when I release the cts it should also release the spacebar command. I am using a macbook pro."

It spit out this code:

bash

pip install pyserial pynput

Create a file named cts_ptt.py and paste the following code:

import time

from pynput.keyboard import Controller, Key

import serial

# Configuration

PORT = "/dev/tty.wchusbserial3140"

BAUD = 9600 # Baud rate doesn't impact raw hardware line state polling

keyboard = Controller()

ser = serial.Serial(PORT, BAUD, rtscts=False)

print(f"Listening for CTS changes on {PORT}...")

space_is_pressed = False

try:

while True:

# getCTS() queries the hardware state of the Clear To Send pin

current_cts = ser.getCTS()

if current_cts and not space_is_pressed:

keyboard.press(Key.space)

space_is_pressed = True

print("CTS Active -> Spacebar Held (PTT ON)")

elif not current_cts and space_is_pressed:

keyboard.release(Key.space)

space_is_pressed = False

print("CTS Released -> Spacebar Released (PTT OFF)")

time.sleep(0.01) # Poll every 10ms to keep CPU usage low

except KeyboardInterrupt:

if space_is_pressed:

keyboard.release(Key.space)

ser.close()

print("\nExited cleanly.")

Run the script from your terminal using:

bash

python3 cts_ptt.py

(I typed python3 (and then drag and dropped my py file onto the terminal window, which automatically found the file path)

--------------------------------------------

I have since created a playlist script to run it automatically at startup but I can't quite get it to work just yet.
For now I'll just have to open a terminal and run the script manually whenever I need to use it.

Crazy that it worked though!

New coin-edge bezel, Batman gmt insert, and a double-dome sapphire crystal.

Update: We've just had an X1.07 flare from the same active region, AR 4455.

The M9.33 eruption peaked at 01:36:00 GMT on 03 Jun 2026.

Credit: NOAA/GOES-19

My buddy 3D printed the case for me and I bought the rest of the supplies via the link below.
Added a bit of silicone to the antenna mount to ensure no moisture gets in.
Works great!

https://www.printables.com/model/1612417-heltec-v4-car-node-18650-meshtastic-meshcore

I'm 43. I have always fantasized about having my own “command center” like I'd seen in the movies. Equipment everywhere, dials, buttons, blinking lights and analog meters. The sounds of radio comms flowing through speakers as important looking data flashed across multiple screens.
I have many childhood memories of stacking up tv’s, monitors, and any electronic equipment I could find and building a wall of gear, then pretending to do important stuff while loading floppy disks into my old Atari and playing rudimentary text based games.
I always wanted my own Bat Cave like in 1989’s Batman. I used to wrap aluminum foil around torn up umbrellas and wire them up to cheap walkie talkies. I had no idea what I was doing but one day I started intercepting my neighbors cordless phone calls. I felt like a spy or a hacker!
I then started playing instruments and fell inove with recording and audio engineering. I ended up going to school for that in fact, and spent most of my young adult life in the music business.
I had an uncle in another state who was a ham. One time I got to visit his house when I was maybe 10 years old and I got to see his radio room. I sat in the dark with him and listened to a numbers station. It both terrified and fascinated me. I thought about it all the time. If I ever saw a movie that featured amateur radio equipment I'd become transfixed by it.
Still though, I never considered getting into radio as a hobby.
Then, when inqas in my late 30s we had an incident that resulted in no cell phone, data, or tv service for several days. I felt totally cut off. Afterward I started looking into other ways of communicating with the outside world. I got a CB radio and played around with 11 meter sideband. Then it was GMRS. Then I buckled down and got my technician ticket and built a uhf/vhf, but I found myself wanting more. I had a itch that I couldn't scratch.
So, I got my General.
HF changed everything.
I was talking all over the country, the world.
All of a sudden, one day I looked around and thought “Im a ham now? How'd that happen?”
The signs were always there I guess.
Anyway, now I've got my Bat Cave.
My action movie command center.
My knobs, dials, lights and buttons.
I also found my imagination again in the process.
I should have my Extra by the end of the summer.
What a crazy journey its been so far.
…and what a cool community of kindred spirits.