═══ 1. About Radioctl ═══ The Radioctl program is a Presentation Manager application for controlling various radios using the RS232 port. This program is being distributed as ShareWare. A donation of $25.00 U.S. funds is requested for registration. Registrations should be sent to: Lydia Rosa P.O. Box 414 Marlboro, N.Y. 12542 The author (and the latest versions of RADIOCTL) can also be contacted on the following Bulletin Board System: Rosa's Folly BBS (914) 236-7607 300/1200/2400/9600/14400 baud Thank you for your support. ═══ 2. Introduction to Radioctl ═══ The RADIO REMOTE CONTROL PROGRAM for OS/2 will allow you to control your ICOM-R7000, KENWOOD R-5000, AOR8000, AOR2500 or AOR3000 radio from any computer with a serial port running OS/2. With the standard interface adapters provided by the manufactures of these radios, you can store and recall multiple radio configurations. The program expands the capabilities of your radio to 10000 channels and 100 programmable scan or search banks. Using a special interface circuit, you can scan, search, and log active channels. This circuit diagram is provided free of charge to all registered users. The program allows you to select various baud rates, COM ports, and other parameters associated with individual radios. Up to 5 different radio configurations can be defined for easy switching. A LOCAL mode is also provided to run the program without the need for a radio connection. Frequency information can be loaded or saved from a text file. An interface to a DBASE type file is also provided for frequency to service lookup. Most setup information is saved in a .INI file for ease in restarting the program. Although it has not been tested, this program may work with other radio models produced by the manufactures of the supported radios. ═══ 2.1. Radioctl overview ═══ RADIOCTL provides the user with a flexible way of controlling a radio. It also provides a uniform interface for different types of radios. This is a high-level block diagram of the program: ┌────────┐ |search |─┐ |banks | │ └────────┘ │ │ ┌───┐ ┌────────┐ └───>| | serial ┌─────┐ |memory |<─────|VFO|────────>|radio| |channels|─────>| |<────────| | └────────┘ └───┘ ┌──────>| | ^ ^ │ port └─────┘ │ │ ┌─────────┐ │ │ └──|channel #|─┘ ┌──────┐ └─────────┘ |scan | |banks | └──────┘ Memory channels store information on frequency, modulation, squelch count, duration, and other important parameters. The program provides for a maximum of 10000 memory channels. Information can be directly entered from the control panel, loaded from a text file, loaded from the radio's memory, or transferred from the program's VFO. The VFO represents a single frequency and modulation. This setting can be sent to the radio, or stored in a memory channel. The VFO can be set from the control panel direct input, loaded from a memory channel, loaded from a search bank, or set from the radio. Scan banks provide the ability to group blocks of channels for scanning. Scan banks allow the user to define up to 100 different blocks of memory channels for selection. Search banks provide groups of frequencies to search. Up to 100 different ranges of frequency, modulation and step value can be defined. The Channel # provides selection of the memory channels. It can also be used to address the memory channels of the current radio. Radio control information is sent to and received from the radio by way of the serial port. The program provides for selection of up to 5 different radios, each with a unique set of operation characteristics. The program can also provide simulation of a radio. The actual commands to the radio are defined by a protocol setting. The program current supports protocols for KENWOOD, ICOM AOR8000 and AOR3000 radios. A LOCAL protocol is also provided which does not require a radio to be attached. ═══ 3. Program Requirements ═══ In order to run this program you will need an IBM compatible computer running OS/2 2.1 or higher. A mouse is also required. It is also recommended that the COM driver included with OS/2 be replaced with the SIO driver by Ray Guinn. This driver has proved to be more reliable than the default COM.SYS driver. This driver package is available in shareware, and can be found on most bulletin boards. ═══ 3.1. Interface ═══ If you are controlling the R7000, you will need either the ICOM CI-V interface adapter, or the modified RS232 interface. If you wish to use the signal detection feature of this program, you will need to use the modified interface. For the R-5000, you will need the IC-10 option kit. A modification must be made to the R-5000 if you wish to use the signal detection feature of this program. The AOR3000 radio already has a RS232 interface. No modification is needed for these radios, as signal detection is done in software. However, the modification instructions include a change to the AOR3000 to allow 9600 baud operation. It is highly recommended that the modified interface be used for ICOM and KENWOOD radios. Most of the features of this program make use of the detection of an available signal (SQUELCH). These radios do NOT currently have squelch detection as part of the standard interface. Although this program will work fine without this signal detection, operations such as SCAN and SEARCH will have no usability. The interface circuit is a inexpensive, easy to build project. All the parts are readily available at any electronic store. Estimated cost for each interface is $15. Plans and instructions for these interfaces are provided to you when you become a registered user. ═══ 4. Display Fields ═══ The control panel shows you the status of your radio, as well as the status of the program. There are several status fields that provide visual indication of both the program and the connected radio. Status fields are updated by the program, and cannot be changed directly by user input. ═══ 4.1. VFO Frequency ═══ This display shows the current frequency of the program. This frequency may or may not reflect the VFO state of the attached radio. Any frequency information sent to the radio is displayed in this field. The value of this field can be changed by pressing the UP/DOWN mouse buttons, or the VFO SCROLL BAR to the left of the frequency display. A frequency value can also be entered in the entry field under the UP/DN buttons. If a value is entered, changed with UP/DN buttons, or scrolled with the VFO SCROLL BAR, it is also sent to the radio. ═══ 4.2. VFO Modulation ═══ This is a combination display and selection box. It shows the current modulation used by the program. This may or may not reflect the state of the radio. A modulation can be set by pressing the drop-down control on the right of the box, and double-clicking on the desired modulation. When selected, the radio's modulation will be set. ═══ 4.3. Channel Number ═══ This display shows the current channel number being used by the program. Depending on the state of the COMPUTER/RADIO button , it will represent the internal memory channels in the program, or the radio's memory channels. The memory channel can be changed using the MEMORY SCROLL BAR to the left of the memory display, the UP/DOWN mouse buttons, or entering a memory channel number in the entry field under the display. When a memory channel number is changed, and the COMPUTER/RADIO button is set to COMPUTER, the corresponding computer memory channel information is set to the VFO, and to the radio. If the COMPUTER/RADIO button is in the RADIO setting, the radio's memory channel is changed. ═══ 4.4. VFO Step Value ═══ This display shows the current step value that is used for Search mode. This value will be added to or subtracted from the VFO frequency to obtain the next VFO frequency. This value can be set using the UP/DOWN mouse buttons, or direct entry in the field under the display. During a bank search, this field will be loaded from the selected bank. ═══ 4.5. Priority Indicator ═══ When the unit is SCANning, and the PRIORITY button is selected, a specific channel is defined as the priority channel. When this channel is being scanned, the Priority Indicator is lit. This is a red "P" situated next to the Channel # display. ═══ 4.6. Status Line ═══ The status line displays messages from the program. This may be error messages, or normal operation messages. The time and date are included with all messages as an indication of when the error occurred. ═══ 4.7. Spectrum Display ═══ The spectrum display shows a graph of frequency vs. signal strength. An active channel will be shown as a red line (if the graph is in the range of the active frequency). Frequencies representing past activity will be displayed in green. In the lower left hand corner, the starting frequency will be displayed. The lower right hand corner will display the end of the spectrum range. The range and center frequency displayed are changed by moving the horizontal and vertical scroll bars by the spectrum display. The horizontal scroll bar changes the center frequency. The spectrum can display frequencies from 0 to 9999.9mhz. The vertical scroll bar changes the resolution of the display. Resolution goes from 100khz per pixel to 1khz per pixel in 1khz steps. Tic marks are displayed for reference. Tic marks are displayed every 10 mhz when the resolution is above 10khz/pixel. When the resolution is 10khz or below, the tic marks are displayed every 1mhz. ═══ 5. Controls ═══ There are various controls that affect the operation of the program and the connected radio. There are numerous controls that can be updated by the user. Push button controls are selected by moving the mouse cursor over the control and clicking the left mouse button. Select controls are toggled on/off by the same action. Entry fields require a ENTER or TAB key to complete the entry. Some entry fields will only accept numeric input, while others will accept any normal alpha-numeric input. There are several controls that also double as status fields. These fields are updated by the program as needed. ═══ 5.1. Up/Down Buttons ═══ The VFO Step Value, VFO frequency, and Channel # displays can be changed by clicking the left or right mouse button when the cursor is positioned over the display. Each button will increment or decrement the digit directly under the cursor. This allows quick changing of any of the information in the display. Up/Down Buttons also affect the direction of SCAN or SEARCH mode. In SCAN mode, the Channel # Up/Dn buttons will force increment or decrement of the channel number. For SEARCH mode, the frequency Up/Down buttons will force increment or decrement of the frequency. ═══ 5.2. VFO SCROLL BAR ═══ The VFO frequency display can be changed using the scroll bar next to the display. The frequency can be incremented or decremented using this control. The amount the frequency is incremented or decremented will be determined by the value of the VFO STEP setting. The scroll bar also affect the direction of SCAN or SEARCH mode. In SCAN mode, use of the scroll bar will force increment or decrement of the channel number. For SEARCH mode, the scroll bar will force increment or decrement of the frequency. ═══ 5.3. MEMORY SCROLL BAR ═══ The MEMORY display can be changed using the scroll bar next to the display. The memory channel an be incremented or decremented using this control. The increment/decrement value is always 1. The scroll bar also affect the direction of SCAN or SEARCH mode. In SCAN mode, use of the scroll bar will force increment or decrement of the channel number. For SEARCH mode, the scroll bar will force increment or decrement of the frequency. ═══ 5.4. Signal Meter ═══ The signal is a 12 step indicator corresponding to the signal strength being detected. For ICOM and KENWOOD radios, the signal indicated will always be 9. This is due to the fact that the signal detection is a binary (On or OFF) line, with no way to read the actual strength. For the AOR3000 radio, the actual strength detected by the radio will be displayed. The signal meter is also a push-button control. For a LOCAL radio, clicking any of the signal display buttons will turn on the signal at that strength. When not running in LOCAL mode, the signal buttons can be used to define a minimum squelch trigger. Clicking on a button will cause the program to ignore any signal at or below that signal level. When the squelch minimum is active, the signal limit level buttons are displayed in green. Note: Signal limit is not useful for the ICOM and KENWOOD radios, as these radios do not have the ability to determine signal strength values. ═══ 5.5. Signal OFF Button ═══ For all radios, the OFF button will temporarily turn off the signal. If scanning or searching, this SCANning or searching, this will cause the radio to resume scan or search. the OFF button will also reset any signal limit. For LOCAL operation, the OFF button will turn off the signal detection simulation. ═══ 5.6. Signal Attenuator Button ═══ The AOR3000 and AOR8000 have a built in attenuator. This can be switched on to reduce overload from a strong signal. Pressing this button will toggle the current attenuator setting in the radio. When in SCAN mode, this button will be set by the currently scanning memory channel's attenuator setting. ═══ 5.7. Manual Button ═══ Selecting this button switches the program into MANUAL mode. In this mode, the program will continuously monitor the signal strength from the radio. For the ICOM, changes in the radio frequency or modulation will be logged in the VFO displays. If the MEM SYNC switch is selected, The memory display channel will be synchronized to the Channel # display. Note: The program will switch to manual mode if one of the following conditions is met:  The MANUAL button is pressed.  SCAN mode detects no valid channels or banks.  SEARCH mode detects no valid banks ═══ 5.8. Scan Button ═══ Selecting this button switches the program into SCAN mode. In this mode, the program will scan through selected memory channels. Memory channels that are flagged with the VALID field will be scanned. Channels with the VALID flag off will be bypassed. For each Memory channel scanned, the frequency, modulation and attenuation values are set in the program's VFO settings, and also in the connected radio's VFO. If a signal is detected, scanning will stop, the signal strength will be displayed in the Signal Meter, and information (duration, squelch count, etc) will be logged in the current memory channel. The Memory Channel display will change to the Memory Channel number that is being logged. When the signal stops, or resume time has been reached, scanning will continue. The following controls affect the way that SCAN mode works: Speed Control Controls the amount of time between channels waiting for a signal. Memory UP/DOWN mouse buttons Changes direction of SCAN (increment or decrement). VFO SCROLL BARS Changes direction of SCAN (increment or decrement). MEMORY SCROLL BARS Changes direction of SCAN (increment or decrement). COMPUTER/RADIO button Selects the radio's memory or computer's memory. If in COMPUTER mode, program's memory channel determines frequency, modulation and attenuation. In RADIO mode, the settings to the radio are made from the radio's memory channel. PRIORITY If selected, the program will check on the status of a selected priority channel after a set interval. If a signal is present on the priority channel, the scan will stop until that signal goes away. Note: The RESUME counter is disabled when the priority channel is active. The scanning will continue ONLY when the signal disappears. Banks on Selects bank scan. If on, memory channel selection is determined by information in the BANK memory. Otherwise channels are scanned in numeric sequence. Resume If selected, scanning will resume on a signal detection after a preset amount of time. Ack If selected, the program will wait for acknowledgment from the radio that the settings were received before continuing to the next channel. Mem Sync If selected, the memory channel information display will change to the current channel number when a signal is detected. ═══ 5.9. Search Button ═══ Selecting this button switches the program into SEARCH mode. In this mode, a range of frequencies is searched for action. Up to 100 different ranges can be programmed. Each range consists of a starting frequency, stopping frequency, increment value and modulation. In addition, searching can start at the current VFO frequency and be incremented or decremented by a set amount. For non-bank processing, the program will normally increment the frequency. Pressing VFO STEP UP/DOWN mouse buttons will change the search direction. When a range is searched, the radio is set to the initial frequency and modulation. If a signal is detected, the frequency and and modulation are recorded in the next free log record, and the VALID flag is set for this record. If this frequency is already recorded in the log, then COUNT, TIME and SIGNAL values are updated. If the log entry has the VALID flag off, the signal is ignored. If there are no more free channels (frequency = 0) then the message "SEARCH FULL" is displayed, and the information is NOT saved. The following controls affect the way that SEARCH mode works: Speed Control Controls the amount of time between frequencies waiting for a signal. VFO UP/DOWN mouse buttons Changes direction of search (increment or decrement) when not in BANK search. VFO SCROLL BARS Changes direction of search (increment or decrement) when not in BANK search. MEMORY SCROLL BARS Changes direction of search (increment or decrement) when not in BANK search. Banks on Selects bank search. If on, frequency search range, increment and modulation is determined by information in the BANK memory.Otherwise search starts at the current VFO frequency and modulation settings, and increments (or decrements) by the value in the VFO step value. Resume If selected, searching will resume on a signal detection after a preset amount of time. Ack If selected, the program will wait for acknowledgment from the radio that the settings were received before continuing to the next channel. Mem Sync If selected, the memory channel information display will change to the current channel number when a signal is detected. ═══ 5.10. Load All Button ═══ When pressed, all of the radio's memory channels are loaded into the computer's memory channels. The load starts at the first channel in the radio (0 or 1) and continues to the maximum channel. The maximum channel can be set on the PARMS panel. The contents of computer memory channels are overwritten with the new information. Any memory channel with a non-zero frequency is marked as valid. The count, duration and strength fields are reset to 0. The service string is also cleared. For a LOCAL radio, a set of random frequency and modulations is set for each channel. The operation can be cancelled by pressing the Load All button again, pressing the Manual button, or pressing the ESC key. ═══ 5.11. Set All Button ═══ When pressed, the contents of the computer memory channels are stored into the radio's memory channels. The set starts at the first channel in the radio (0 or 1) and continues to the maximum channel. The maximum channel can be set on the PARMS panel. The contents of radio memory channels are overwritten with the new information. For ICOM and KENWOOD radios, a zero frequency will cause the memory channel to be cleared. For AOR3000 radios, zero frequency channels will NOT be set. For LOCAL mode, each memory channel will be transferred to the VFO in turn. The operation can be cancelled by pressing the Load All button again, pressing the Manual button, or pressing the ESC key. ═══ 5.12. Mem->VFO Button ═══ This button will transfer the contents of the Memory Channel indicated by the MEMORY # display, to the VFO. If the COMPUTER/RADIO button switch is in the COMPUTER setting, the Computer's memory channel will be transferred. If the RADIO setting is selected, the information will be transferred from the radio's memory. For a LOCAL radio, the input will be a random frequency and modulation. This operation is the same as a Load All for one channel. ═══ 5.13. VFO->mem Button ═══ This button will transfer the contents of the VFO frequency and modulation to the Memory Channel indicated by the MEMORY # display. If the COMPUTER/RADIO button is in the COMPUTER setting, the Computer's memory channel will be updated. Count, Strength, and Duration fields are reset. The Service string is also cleared. If the RADIO setting is selected, the information will be transferred to the radio's memory. For a LOCAL radio, no data is transferred. This operation is the same as a Save All for one channel. ═══ 5.14. COMPUTER/RADIO Button ═══ For various Scan modes and operations, the program needs to determine who's memory is the source or destination of the operation. The COMPUTER/RADIO button is a toggle button that will select the computer's memory or the radio's memory. When in the COMPUTER setting, the program is using the internal Memory Channels for the operation. If the RADIO position is selected, the operation will affect the memory channels in the selected radio. ═══ 5.15. Mem Sync Button ═══ If selected, this switch keeps the channel number in sync with the memory channel information display. In manual mode, changing either the channel number or the memory channel display number will cause the other control to change with it. In SCAN and SEARCH mode, the memory channel information display will change whenever an active signal is detected on a given channel. ═══ 5.16. Priority Switch ═══ Priority scanning allows a selected channel to be tested for a signal once every interval. The channel number to select as a Priority channel is entered in the entry field next to the Priority switch. If the Priority switch is ON, then the priority channel will be used. The priority checking interval can be set using the PARMS panel. Priority only works during SCAN mode. ═══ 5.17. Banks On ═══ When in SCAN or SEARCH mode, the program can make use of banks of scan or search information. These banks allow the grouping of channels or frequencies for the SCAN mode. The Banks On switch allows the scan mode to use the bank associated with the SCAN mode. When selected, the indicator next to the switch will display what bank number (00-99) is currently being used. ═══ 5.18. Resume ═══ The Resume switch will allow the SCAN or SEARCH to continue when a signal is present. This is useful when a Scan or Search encounters a constant signal. With Resume on, the signal is ignored after a set amount of time. This time interval is set using the Parms panel. The indicator next to the Resume switch shows approximately how many seconds are left until the SCAN/SEARCH resumes. Note: This is a global resume setting. This forces all channels to implement the RESUME function. If this switch is off, the channel RESUME on the currently selected memory channel controls the RESUME function. ═══ 5.19. Ack ═══ Ack sets radio acknowledgement on. When a command is sent to the radio, the program will normally wait for acknowledgement of that command to come from the radio. In the event that the command is lost or garbled, the program will resend the command. Ack forces the program to wait until this acknowledgement is received before continuing to the next channel during SCAN or SEARCH mode. If Ack is OFF, then the program will not wait for acknowledgment. This will speed up some Scan/Search operations, but may cause incorrect data to be exchanged between the radio and program. Note: If Ack is ON, the radio will retry a command up to three times if acknowledgement is set on. After the third failure, the program will continue to the next command. ═══ 5.20. Logging ═══ When this switch is selected, all actions are logged to a data file. This includes mode changes and squelch breaks. A time stamp is also logged with each event. This file is cumulative, and is not erased by this program. The name of the logging file can be changed with the FILE menu selection. ═══ 5.21. Radio Selection ═══ Up to five different radios can be defined to the program. These radios can have different BAUD rates, Com ports, protocols, etc. Each radio is assigned a name. You can change the name (and other parameters) for a given radio from the Parms panel. Radio Selection is a drop-down selection field. Click on the right button to display the radio list. Double click on a radio to select it. The Baud and Com port used will be displayed next to the Radio Selection control. Note: When a new radio is selected, Manual mode is forced. ═══ 5.22. Speed Control ═══ For SCAN or SEARCH mode, the speed control determines the time between each channel or frequency. When the control is all the way to the left, the time between each setting is minimal. If the slider is moved to the right, the program will delay for a certain time before changing the setting on the radio. During this time, the program will monitor the radio for a signal. The SPEED control allows you to reduce the SCAN or SEARCH speed to give the radio more time to respond to a signal. ═══ 6. Memory Channels ═══ Program memory channels contain information for a specific radio setting. Each channel contains information on Frequency, Modulation and attenuation to be sent to (or received from) the radio. In addition, information on signal strength, number of squelch breaks and the frequency assignment are also displayed. Each program channel displayed has several fields associated with it. Some of these fields are entry fields that information can be entered. Other fields are toggle switches that can be turned on and off. Note: entry field information is NOT accepted until ENTER is pressed, a TAB key is pressed, a new entry field is selected with the mouse, or the channel display is changed with the scroll bars. ═══ 6.1. Memory Channel Number ═══ The Memory channel number determines which memory channel is being displayed or changed. The memory channel can be changed by direct entry in the channel field, or using the scroll bars to the left of the channel number. The PgUp and PgDn keys will also scroll the memory channel up and down. If entering the channel number, keep in mind that the data will NOT be entered unless you press ENTER or a TAB key. ═══ 6.2. Channel Valid ═══ The VALID field determines whether or not SCAN SCAN and SEARCH will use the frequency currently entered into that channel. For SCAN mode, the program will not scan the memory channel if VLD is OFF. For the SEARCH operation, a frequency entered in a memory record that has the VALID flag off will NOT cause the search to stop and log. ═══ 6.3. Channel Delay ═══ The DELAY field is use during the SCAN and SEARCH operations. If delay is set ON, scanning will continue DELAY seconds after the signal ends on that channel. If delay is set OFF, then scanning will continue immediately after the signal ends. The DELAY time value can be set on the PARMS panel. ═══ 6.4. Channel Attenuation ═══ The ATTENUATION field selects the attenuator of the radio. This is a circuit that reduces the signal strength so that high level signals do not overload the radio. During a SCAN operation, this setting is set in the VFO Attenuator and also in the radio (if supported). Then AOR-3000 and the AOR-8000 radios support this feature. This option has no effect on KENWOOD and ICOM radios. ═══ 6.5. Channel Resume ═══ The RESUME field selects the RESUME function for the selected memory channel. The Resume switch will allow the SCAN or SEARCH to continue when a signal is present. This is useful when a Scan or Search encounters a constant signal. With Resume on, the signal is ignored after a set amount of time. This time interval is set using the Parms panel. The indicator next to the global RESUME switch shows approximately how many seconds are left until the SCAN/SEARCH resumes. Note: This is switch only affects the selected channel. If the global RESUME switch is set on, this setting of this switch is ignored. ═══ 6.6. Channel Frequency ═══ The FREQUENCY field is used to record or set the current memory channel frequency. Frequency information is entered in Mhz. Note: INS and DEL keys do not work when editing the FREQUENCY field. ═══ 6.7. Channel Modulation ═══ The MODE field represents the modulation being used for a specific frequency. This field is a drop down selection box. To select a modulation, click on the button to the right of the box. Double click on the desired modulation. Note that not all modulations will be accepted by your particular radio. ═══ 6.8. Squelch Count ═══ This field displays the number of times a signal was detected on a specific channel. This field cannot be edited. However, left-clicking on this field with the mouse cursor will reset the field to 0. ═══ 6.9. Signal Time ═══ This field displays the average number of seconds that a signal was detected on a specific channel. This field cannot be edited. However, left-clicking on this field with the mouse cursor will reset the field to 0. ═══ 6.10. Signal Strength ═══ The signal strength of the last recorded signal is reported here. This field cannot be edited. However, left-clicking on this field with the mouse cursor will reset the field to 0. ═══ 6.11. Channel Service ═══ This field is used to record the service for a specific channel. This is a scratch pad location to record information about a specific frequency. If the squelch breaks on this channel during SCAN or SEARCH mode, the program will attempt to lookup the service for the frequency entered. If the frequency is found in the current frequency database, and the SERVICE field is blank, then it will be filled in with the service found in the database. ═══ 6.12. Time Stamp ═══ The time and date of the last recorded signal is reported here. This field cannot be edited. However, left-clicking on this field with the mouse cursor will reset the field to "NOT LOGGED". ═══ 7. Scan Banks ═══ Scan Bank entry allows you to define banks of channels for scanning. RADIOCTL allows you to assign any range of channels to various banks. Up to 100 banks (0-99) can be assigned. Banks can overlap, and can be turned on or off selectively. In order for SCAN mode to recognize banks, the Banks On button must be active. The bank displayed has several fields associated with it. ═══ 7.1. Scan Bank Channel ═══ This is the first field on the display. It determines which scan bank is being displayed or changed. The range for this channel number is 0 to 99. The Channel number can be changed by direct entry in the channel field, or using the scroll bars to the left of the channel number. The shift-PgUp and shift-PgDn keys will also scroll the memory channel up and down. If entering the channel number, keep in mind that the data will NOT be entered unless you press ENTER or a TAB key. ═══ 7.2. Scan Bank Valid ═══ The VALID field determines whether or not SCAN will use this bank. Scanning banks without the VALID flag will be ignored at all times. ═══ 7.3. Scan Bank Start ═══ START identifies the first channel to start scanning with for the given bank. When this bank is active, START will be the first channel scanned if the channel's VALID flag is set. If the channel's VALID flag is NOT set, then the first channel to be scanned will be the next sequential channel with a VALID flag. ═══ 7.4. Scan Bank Stop ═══ STOP identifies the last channel to scan when the bank is active. After this channel is scanned, scanning will continue with the START channel of the next VALID scan bank. If the STOP channel is set lower than the START channel, the SCAN will decrement channel numbers. If STOP is greater than START, channel numbers will increment. If STOP and START are equal, the single channel number in START and END will be scanned. ═══ 7.5. Scan Bank Service ═══ This field is provided to enter comments about a given bank. It is not used or modified by any program function. ═══ 8. Search Banks ═══ The search bank panel allows you to define banks of channels for searching. RADIOCTL allows you to assign any range of frequencies, along with a modulation and step value for searching. Up to 100 search banks (0-99) can be defined. In order for SEARCH mode to recognize banks, the Banks On button must be active. The bank displayed has several fields associated with it. When searching, the program will start with the first search channel marked as valid, set the radio VFO to the frequency in the START field and the modulation in the MODE field, and check for a signal. If no signal is detected, the program will increment or decrement the frequency by the amount in the INC field, and repeat the process. When the frequency in the STOP field is reached, the program will select the next valid search bank and repeat the process. When all valid search channels have been processed, the program returns to the first search bank. ═══ 8.1. Search Bank Channel ═══ This is the first field on the display. It determines which search bank is being displayed or changed. The range for this channel number is 0 to 99. The Channel number can be changed by direct entry in the channel field, or using the scroll bars to the left of the channel number. The alt-PgUp and alt-PgDn keys will also scroll the memory channel up and down. If entering the channel number, keep in mind that the data will NOT be accepted unless you press ENTER or a TAB key. ═══ 8.2. Search Bank Valid ═══ The VALID field determines whether or not SEARCH will use this bank. Search banks without the VALID flag will be ignored at all times. ═══ 8.3. Search Start Frequency ═══ Start-Freq identifies the first frequency to set for the SEARCH. Note: The program does NOT check the range of this value. If it is outside the range of the radio, the radio may ignore the setting. ═══ 8.4. Search Stop Frequency ═══ Stop-freq identifies the last frequency to set for the SEARCH. The search bank ends when the vfo frequency reaches the Stop-freq value. If the Stop-freq value is less than the Start-freq value, the frequency is decremented. If the Stop-freq value is greater than the Start-freq value, the frequency is incremented. Please note that the program does NOT check the range of this value. If it is outside the range of the radio, the radio may ignore the setting. ═══ 8.5. Search Increment Frequency ═══ Inc-Freq determines the steps for the given search bank. The Inc-Freq value is added to (or subtracted from) the VFO frequency for each step. If an Inc-Freq value of 0 is entered, the SEARCH SEARCH will automatically reset the VLD flag for that bank. ═══ 8.6. Search Modulation ═══ The Mode field represents the modulation being used for the SEARCH range. The radio will be set to this modulation at the beginning of the search range. This field is a drop down selection box. To select a modulation, click on the button to the right of the box. Double click on the desired modulation. Note that not all modulations will be accepted by your particular radio. ═══ 8.7. Search Service ═══ This field is provided to enter comments about a given bank. It is not used or modified by any program function. ═══ 9. File Menu ═══ The File menu contains commands that you use to load and save the contents of memory channels and banks to or from a file. The following commands can be selected: Recall Loads a file into the computer memory. Save Saves the channel memories, scan banks and search banks to a file. New DBASE file Selects a new DBASE file for service lookup. Logging file Selects a file name for event logging. Exit Quits the program ═══ 9.1. File Recall ═══ You can load a file that exists on any drive or in any directory by using the Recall command. To open a file, do the following:  Select the File menu and choose the Recall command. A dialog box appears, showing you a list of files in the current directory. You can select a file from the current directory, or change directory and select files from other directories. Warning: The program may fail if a non-ascii type of file is loaded. ═══ 9.2. File Save ═══ You use the Save command to save changes you've made to your file. To save changes to the current file, do the following:  Select the File menu and choose the Save command. A dialog box appears, showing you a list of files in the current directory. You can select a file from the current directory, or change directory and select files from other directories. You can also enter a new file for creating. ═══ 9.3. File New DBASE ═══ The NEW DBASE FILE operation allows you to change the DBASE file used for service lookup. To change the current DBASE file, do the following:  Select the File menu and choose the New DBASE option. A dialog box appears, showing you a list of files in the current directory. You can select a file from the current directory, or change directory and select files from other directories. Warning: Unpredictable results may occur if a non-DBASE format file is chosen. ═══ 9.4. File Logging file ═══ Logging file allows you to change the file used for event logging. This file is used ONLY when event logging is selected with the Logging button. To change the current logging file, do the following:  Select the File menu and choose the Logging file option. A dialog box appears, showing you a list of files in the current directory. You can select a file from the current directory, or change directory and select files from other directories. You can also enter the name of a new file to be created. ═══ 9.5. File Exit ═══ You quit the RADIOCTL program by using the Exit command. To quit the program, do the following: 1. Select the File menu and choose the Exit command. ═══ 10. Database Menu ═══ The Database menu allows you to manipulate various aspects of the memory channels. The following commands can be selected: Sort Sorts the frequency database by frequency. Service Search Updates all SERVICE fields in the memory database base on the current DBASE file. Clear Clear allows you to clear all memory channels, all service fields from all memory channels, or all count, time and signal logs from all memory channels. ═══ 10.1. Database Sort ═══ This function will sort the memory channel in ascending frequency order. Sorting the memory channels by frequency provides a better stabilization time for the radio. Since the VFO will not be changing over as large a frequency range, signal detection can occur much faster, allowing faster scan rates. ═══ 10.2. Database Service Search ═══ The Service search will update all Service fields for any memory channel with a non-zero frequency. The service information is obtained from the current DBASE file. ═══ 10.3. Database Clear ═══ The Clear option allows you to clear all memory channels, all service fields from all memory channels, or all count, time and signal logs from all memory channels. ═══ 11. Parms Menu ═══ Various parameters determine the operation of the program. For the most part, these parameters are set once when you first install the program. There are two types of parameter setting pages:  Program operation parameters.  Radio specific parameters. ═══ 11.1. Common Parms ═══ The common operation parameters panel allows you to customize the program for your specific tastes. The following parameters can be changed from this panel: Priority Sets the time (in seconds) between priority checks. Only has effect when PRIORITY switch is set in SCAN mode. Delay The number of seconds that the program will wait on a channel after a signal disappears. This value only has affect if the DELAY flag is set on the current memory channel. Resume If RESUME is selected, this is the number of seconds that SCAN or SEARCH will continue after a signal is detected. Spectrum Background This is the color of the SPECTRUM DISPLAY window background. The default is BLACK. However, it can be changed to suit personal preference. ═══ 11.2. Radio Parms ═══ The program provides settings for up to five radios. Each radio can be setup with different operation characteristics. For the most part, these parameters are set once when you first install the program. However, you may need to update these parameters if you connect different radios. Except for Baud rate and Com port, the defaults for the particular radio types should only be changed if a non-standard radio is being supported. The following parameters can be changed from this panel: Radio Name This is the name that you give the radio. There are no restrictions on the name, other than is is limited to 30 alpha-numeric characters. This name is used in the Radio Selection control on the main panel. Radio Type This field defines the type of radio (protocol). There are currently five types of radios supported. ICOM, KENWOOD, AOR3000, AOR8000, and LOCAL. TXADR ICOM radios require an address. For the R-7000, the address is normally 8. If you connect a different ICOM radio, or you have more than one ICOM radio connected, you can change this address to match. This parameter has no affect for other radio types. Max Channel This field defines the maximum memory channel in the radio. For the ICOM R-7000, and KENWOOD R-5000, this would normally be 99. For the AOR3000 this value should be 399. Changing this field allows the program to support other radios with more (or less) memory. Origin Origin is the first memory channel. ICOM radios start with memory channel 1. The AOR3000 and KENWOOD start with memory channel 0. Max Frequency This is the maximum frequency that the radio will accept. Min Frequency This is the minimum frequency that the radio will accept. Baud Rate The baud setting for this radio. Most radios can be configured to accept baud rates from 1200 to 9600 baud. The default setting for ICOM and AOR3000 is 9600. For the KENWOOD, the default is 4800 baud. Adjust this setting to match the baud rate that your radio is set for. Com Port This is the com port that your radio is attached to. The program allows you to select com 1 thru com 4 or LOCAL. A LOCAL selection will bypass all serial port output. Data Bits Most of the radios supported work with an 8 bit data format. If you have a radio that requires 7 bits, this can be changed. Stop Bits Most of the radios supported use 2 stop bits. If needed, you can change this to 1 stop bit. Flow Control Flow Control provides the ability to stop and start communications based on the ability of the radio and computer to accept data. Flow control requires the use of additional control lines (RTS/DTS). These lines are used as signals to indicate to the radio and the computer to start and stop sending information. The ICOM interface that this program is designed to work with does NOT provide for RTS/CTS control lines (flow control). The KENWOOD and AOR3000 interfaces will use RTS/CTS flow control. It is recommended that flow control be left on for these radios, as they may not function correctly without it. Software Signal Detect AOR radios provide the ability to detect a signal using normal serial port communications. This eliminates the need for any modification to the serial port to detect signal strength. However, software detection is slower than the hardware signal. For speed in detection, you may wish to add the hardware detection (needed by ICOM and KENWOOD radios) to the AOR. In this case, turn off this button to enable the hardware detection. This button is disabled for ICOM and KENWOOD type of radios. Send Delay Some radios require a delay between each character sent. If this value is set greater than 0, the computer will pause for the number of milliseconds entered between each character sent to the radio. Although this delay is not needed on the currently supported radios, this option is provided for future support of other radios. The maximum value that the program will allow for this value is 50. If a greater value is set, it will be reduced when the PARMS panel is exited. Be aware that setting this parameter will slow down the SCAN and SEARCH rates of the program. Note: The delay time generated is approximate. This is due to the unpredictability of the multi-tasking dispatching environment. If this option is required, some experimentation may be needed to determine the correct value. ═══ 12. Special Keys ═══ ENTER The ENTER key finalizes input to the program. For data entry fields, the information is stored into the computer's memory, and the cursor advances to the next field. ESC Pressing ESC terminates the current operation. It is equivalent to pressing the MANUAL button. Tab Keys The tab keys will move the cursor to the next field. A forward or reverse tab key will complete data entry of the current field. PgDn/PgUp These keys increment or decrement the current memory channel being displayed. ctl-PgDn/ctl-PgUp These keys increment or decrement the current scan bank channel being displayed. alt-PgDn/ctl-PgUp These keys increment or decrement the current search bank channel being displayed.