Connecting a computer to a D-Star radio in the vehicle

[Dean AE7Q]

OK, I want to connect my computer to a D-Star radio in my vehicle in order to set or save settings (eg, lots of memory slots).  I have the following choices:

1. Remove the radio from the vehicle (ugh) and connect it to a power supply next to the computer.  This is a really ugly choice!

2. Move the computer to the vehicle.  This is ugly if you don't have a laptop.  With a laptop it's OK but inconvenient, and it's what I'll bet a lot of you (as well as I) do.

3. Run a really, really long serial cable from the computer to the car.  This can have signal reliability problems.

4. Use a device like this: http://www.digi.com/products/serialservers/digiconnectwisp.jsp -- they also have wired Ethernet solutions.  Very nice, but both are horribly expensive.

Anyone have any good alternatives?

[w9awx]

I use a old laptop of mine along with the expensive Icon programing cable that goes through the speaker cable port.

[KB3MHB]

W9AWX,

Great choice,however, I would like to know if you can run "dchat" and other keyboard -to- keyboard programs with your clone cable and would it read a "gps" hockey puck? I was told by an ICOM tech rep. that I would need to build another cable ,schematic on page 5, to connect between my IC2200H ,data jack,and my "netbook" serial port.
I can not understand why there are two serial ports on the IC2200H a serial port is a serial port. I paid good money for the clone cable. Which is not documented, and has buffering circuitry in the serial connector shell. It does not make sense to me. I'm sure ICOM has it's reasons. One would be if the owner installs a non-ICOM cable and somehow screws up his rig it would generate field repair!! Love the radio ,however, using the digital modes can be a pain in the ___!

Bert M. Thompson KB3MHB/0 ps: baby sitting the grand kids in Denver with to much spare time.