RLC-Club Version 1.70 The following things have changed since V1.69: - fixed problem where user structure gets erased on reset - fixed where command 040 wouldn't take a tone length of 999, 998 was ok - 160 (clear ang high/low) - requires 3 digits - should require 2 on club - fixed - added option 2 both - made match windows software - changed 071 on rlc3 and club so have to enter "#99", not just "99" - make 072 (turn preaccess off) not change back to a link - leave as a repeater - got rid of 0500 "s e r variable clear message" - added voice response on 185 - small dvr erase - rlc3 - changed voice response for internal dvr delete on club to "clear" rather than "d e l" - made 188 say "clear" if noone is logged in - got the HF remote software mostly working. The reset of this version should be very stable, but the HF routines have not been tested very much. I have tested the Kenwood 870 and Yaesu FT-900, so those should work. Most of the core routines are done, but there are a lot of things to polish up. Before plugging in a serial cable, you need to tell the controller it will be connected to an hf radio with command so it won't echo data back to the radio and cause them to get into an endless loop. Command 195 - Enable/Disable HF Remote and Set Prefix Digit Format: 195 E D E = 1 to enable HF control. Should be done before connecting a cable to the radio or they may get into a loop. 0 to disable HF control. Must be done before you can use your serial port for programming the controller, as serial input is disabled when when HF is enabled D = Prefix digit (default is '1'). The digit you will have to hit before all commands in HF mode. Next, connect a cable from your HF radio to main serial port of the RLC-Club. In most cases, you will have to use an RS-232 level converter on the HF radio. Future versions will allow you to use the serial port on the radio cards and may include instructions for bypassing the level conversion on both ends. Then tell the controller what kind of radio you have with command 196... Format: 196 P B T..T P = the radio port the HF radio is connected to. This is used to automatically connect and disconnect the HF radio port the port you are controlling from when you turn the remote on and off. It will also be used to specify which card's serial port should be used for control when that is supported in the future. B and T..T are used to specify the brand and type of HF radio you are using, so the controller will know which serial commands to use. The only radios supported so far are listed below, but many more will be done soon: B T..T Radio(s) - ---- -------- 0 Icom - none supported yet 1 0 Kenwood 450, 870 and other relatively new radios. 2 0 Yaesu FT-736 2 1 Yaesu FT-767 2 2 Yaesu FT-900, FT 747GX and several others If you are using either a Kenwood or Yaesu radio, you must set the radio for 4800 baud, because the controller automatically sets itself up for that. Icoms will use 1200 when they are supported. Then all you have to do is turn on HF mode, by entering command 198. The radio should go to 14.25 MHz. From this point until you enter the prefix digit you set with 195 followed by a 3 (example 13), the controller will be in a special HF mode. Reset also causes it to exit hf mode. While you are in HF mode, none of the normal commands will work. Instead, you will enter commands for the HF radio in the same way that the HF remote works on the RLC-2 controller (very similar to the ACC RC-96 and RC-85 controllers). I will not be in the office over the weekend, so the only way to get help with this before Monday (8-9-96) is to email the listserver and see if someone else has figured it out. Since there are sure to be hundreds of comments, it will be easiest for me (and will let me get more programming done) if you send email to hf@link-comm.com rather than call me on Monday. Some of the known limitations of this beta follow. Please do not tell me I should do these things - I already know them. I also know you will want every radio under the sun to be supported - I will add them as time allows. What I would really appreciate feedback about is what things do work, so I can cross them off of my list. Known problems and limitations and a few notes follow: - timer that controls scan rate on 3 (059) and club (016) defaults to 50. Make it smaller to scan faster. - allow separate repeaters to use separate hf radios. - allow to press '#' to start scan (what if squelch too loose - any dtmf to stop it?) - kerchunk checker so don't have to hold to stop scan - automatic port connections - work for one port using hf now - note: kenwood 870 doesn't like 9600 baud - must use 4800 - working on speaking frequency while scanning - should be closest step rather than next step above? - if so, add 1/2 scan step before do mod - should always speak two frequencies when rolls over - now sometimes only speaks one - could solve first problem and simplify second one by rounding frequecy to nearest multiple of scan step before starting scan. Need to make sure doesn't make it go out of range. Maybe first step of scan should do it so can use existing rollover logic - also way to select/edit band/scan edges - init rx vfo, etc when turn on + auto set baud rate and restore when hf mode turned off + ignore all serial input when in hf mode - must do 1950 to reenable serial input. Must not connect cable to hf radio until have enabled hf with 1951X + baud rate set automatically while in hf mode. When not in hf mode, such as right after a reset, uses normal system baud rate. If you have any questions, please email, fax, or call me. Steve Strobel Link Communications, Inc. steve@link-comm.com http://www.link-comm.com/linkcomm/ (406) 482-7547 fax (406) 482-7515