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Text File | 1992-02-28 | 20KB | 470 lines

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║ ║ R8 Tuner ║ ║ Drake R8 to IBM ║ ║ Tuner Interface Program ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ Version 2.0 ║ ║ Copyright (c) 1992 by Mike Musielski ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════╝ Requirements: -IBM 286 compatible computer or higher running DOS 3.3 or higher. -COM1, 2, 3 or 4 available. This version makes provision for adjusting the port to be used. Cable length is to your preference and should be dependant on the amount of RF coming off you computer. -DRAKE R8 Receiver obviously. Files Included in this package: * R8_TUNER.EXE * R8INIT.IN1 MEMLOADR.EXE * QSL.LOG R8_BBC.DAT R8_SPAIN.DAT R8_SRI.DAT R8_RFI.DAT R8_NEDR.DAT R8_SWED.DAT *Both the above files must be in the same directory. The others needn't but it is recommended. Disclaimer: R8_Tuner is provided AS IS. The author specifically disclaims any and all warrantees, expressed or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose. Use this product at you own risk. This software is copyrighted by the author and all rights are reserved. The Drake R8 is manufactured by the R.L. Drake Company of Miamisburg. Ohio. The author of this software is not affiliated with the R.L. Drake Company and does not claim to be representing the interests of that company. Registration: This product is intended as shareware (user supported software). This concept means you can evaluate the program on your own machine and determine if you want to purchase it. It is not free software and it is not in the public domain. You may distribute it freely. But we ask that you also distribute this readme file with it when you do. If you find that it meets your needs and would like to purchase this software and be placed on our mailing list a donation to the project of $35.00 sent to the author whose address is discretely provided below is requested. It is our intention to upgrade this product in the future with a mouse driven interface, complete simple to use Database manipulation, Multi-event timer and automated file inport-export capabilities. This will be available only to registered users. If you have any questions regarding this product or suggestions about the future product, please contact the author at: Compuserve -71600,614 U.S. Mail -Mike Musielski 16 Academy Rd. Madison, N.J. 07940 R8_TUNER Ver2.0 File Descriptions: R8_TUNER.EXE -This is the main program. This is a standalone, full screen, menu driven, front-end driver for the Drake R8 communications receiver. Once initiated the program is designed to take-over as the radio's front panel for all operations except analog inputs such as volume control, notch adjustment and passband offset tuning. The program can be suspended revoking front panel control back to the radio for such operations as timer (to be implimented in a future version), scan operation (also to be implemented later) and minor adjustments to tweek in a DX signal. R8INIT.IN1 -must be present in the same directory as R8_TUNER.EXE, if it is not, the program will automatically select COM1. Use ALT-C to change to the desired COM port. If it is necessary to scroll past COM4 and return to COM1, COM2 or COM3 the correct procedure is to scroll to the desired COM port then press ALT-S to suspend the program and then reset the COM port by pressing the SPACEBAR to resume the program. QSL.LOG -This file is a straight ascii text file created by the R8_TUNER.EXE program. The file is created (if not already present in the same directory) or appended whenever ALT-D is selected in the R8_TUNER.EXE program. The formating of the text appears below. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ R8 listing format for QSL.LOG ║ ╟─────────┬────────┬──┬──────────┬─┬─┬─┬─┬───┬─┬─┬─┬─┬──────────────────────║ ║ │ │M │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║ ║ │ │E │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │N│ │ ║ ║ │ │M │ F │ │ │ │ │ │M│ │O│S│ ║ ║ │ │ │ R │V│A│ │A│ │O│ │T│Y│ ║ ║ │ │C │ E │F│N│R│G│ │D│N│C│N│ ║ ║ DATE │ TIME │H │ Q │O│T│F│C│BW │E│B│H│C│ PRGM NOTES ║ ╚═════════╪════════╪══╪══════════╪═╪═╪═╪═╪═══╪═╪═╪═╪═╪══════════════════════╝ 12-23-1991│16:44:48│14│ 15.26000*│B│2│P│O│6.0│A│O│O│F│bbcnews program 12-23-1991│17:12:41│28│ 11.62000*│A│1│A│S│4.0│C│F│F│O│SRI to n. euro-dateline 12-23-1991│18:33:30│99│ 17.08000*│B│2│O│F│2.3│L│O│O│F│ ──────────┴────────┴──┴──────────┴─┴─┴─┴─┴───┴─┴─┴─┴─┴──────────────────────── Whenever Alt-D is pressed you will be prompted for a note to add to the end of the current radios settings in the output log. After adding your note, pressing ENTER will add, or create and add, the complete radio setup and your note to the file QSL.LOG. TIP: Rename this file with a unique name after each days sessions and build a database. More on this later. MEMLOADR.EXE -Is a stand alone program. When initiated, you are prompted for a filename to load. This file is a straight ASCII text file formatted exactly like the output file from R8_TUNER. It will be search for a + sign immediately following the second memory channel number. Any listings with this charecter in this exact position will be loaded into the radio's memory. The program first scans the input file for this designator. Loads all such marked listings into a buffer and counts them. If it finds exactly 100 it will load the radio's memory channels sequentially. If there are less than 100 listings marked, the program will provide you with the number marked, prompting for which radio channel to start the sequentially load from. If you inadvertantly give it a number which when added to the marked listing count totals more than 100 the program will abort. (The radio's first memory channel is 00 not 1.) The listings marked R8_XXX.DAT are files which can be used with MEMLOADR.EXE. They contain a basic radio setup and all of the frequencies listed in the World Radio and TV Handbook for 1992 for the various stations. SRI is Swiss Radio International, NEDR is Radio Nederland, RFI is Radio France International, the BBC is of course the BBC and the rest are self explanitory. A simple text editor such as QEDIT, MULTIEDIT or even EDLIN can be used to modify these files directly. Be sure to overtype and not insert. It is VERY import that the data's positioning on the line remain as is. There should be no space before the start of the first date number. One space between date and time, time and memory channel, vfo and ant, ant and rf, rf and agc, agc and bw, bw and mode, mode and nb, nb and notch, notch and sync, sync and notes as illustrated in the above example. This sounds more difficult than it is. Actually use the overtype mode and Replace the choices with the new ones or in the case of making a selection place a + immediately following the second number of the memory channel. Make sure nothing moves on that line when you do and save the file as a pure text file. Once saved, from the dos prompt type MEMLOADR and press ENTER the program will ask for a filename and enter it just as you would from the dos prompt, path and all. Just make sure you do not overrun the highlighted box. THE FOLLOWING CHOICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR EACH FIELD ══════════════════════════════════════════════════ MEM CH: At this time and for the purposes of memory channel loading this field has no meaning but must be a 2 place number. (I.E. 01 and not just 1). A plus sign immediately following the second memory channel number is used as a selector symbol by the program memloadr.exe to stuff it to the radio. FREQ.: This can be changed but not its postion on the line. There should always be two spaces between the last memory channel number and the first number of the frequency. (One if a plus sign is present and the frequency is above 10 MHz.) If the frequency is less than 10 MHz a third space or a zero can be used. It is important that the number be carried out to five decimal places followed by either two spaces or an asterisc and a space. VFO: A or B. ANT: 1 or 2. RF: O(off), P(preamp) or A(attn). AGC: O(off), S(slow) or F(fast). BW : 6.0, 4.0, 2.3, 1.8 or 0.5 (The decimal point is required) MODE: A(am), F(fm), C(cw), R(rtty), L(lsb) or U(usb). NB: O(off), N(narrow) or W(wide). Notch: F(off) or O(on) (sorry but with two positions... well it was late) Synch: F(off) or O(on). Notes: This field is just for your notes. (When finished press a return and start on a new line. There can be no blank lines in the file.) ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ R8TUNER.EXE OPERATION MANUAL ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ To START: -the program type R8_TUNER and hit carriage return. To END: -exit program press ALT-X. When the program starts, it looks for the file R8INIT.IN1. Not finding this file in the current directory will cause the screen to loadup with garble. To correct this hold down the ALT key while pressing the letter C (ALT-C). Then press ALT-X to exit the program. Which will create the file. Then restart the program. Pressing ALT-C will scroll through the four available COM ports. Stop when the correct port for your installation is displayed in the lower left portion of the base screen. Assuming you are now on the base screen with the correct COM port displayed in the lower left portion, pressing any highlighted key will open that menu. All the radio's functions can be controlled in this manner except certain scan functions. The menus can all be exited by pressing the escape key. The time and date displayed are whichever your computor is set for (Local or GMT). FUNCTIONS: F -Opens the frequency window and prompts for the frequency desired. Enter only numbers in memgahertz. No period. (I.E. 9.500 should be entered: 09500 or 0950000) The number can be corrected by using the arrow keys or the backspace key and reentering the number. Pressing ENTER or RETURN stuffs the selected frequency to the radio. R -Opens the power menu. Select either O for on or F for OFF. In all two selection menus the above will hold true. M -Opens the mode menu. Selections can be made by by pressing just the highlighted letter (changing the radio immediately). Or using the arrow keys (which waits for you to press RETURN or ENTER before executing the command) -Pressing ESC exits from this menu returning you to the base screen with updated information. W -Opens the Bandwidth menu. Selections can be made the same way as in the mode menu. Press ESC to exit. G -Opens the AGC menu. Selections can be made the same way as in the mode menu. Press ESC to exit. P -Opens the RF menu. Selections can be made the same way as in the mode menu. Press ESC to exit. B -Opens the Noise Blanker menu. Selections can be made the same as in the mode menu. --cont-- V -Opens the VFO menu. Selections can be made the same as in the mode menu. A -Opens the Antenna menu. Selections can be made the same as in the mode menu. S -Whenever this is pressed the frequency step size will be immediately changed. (I.E. if the Frequency displayed on the radio is 15.07000 pressing this will change the display to 15.0700 pressing again will change the display to 15.070) N -Opens the Notch menu. Selections can be made the same as in the mode menu. Y -Pressing this will immediately turn on the Synchro feature on the radio. ALT FUNCTIONS: F1 -Help file. ALT-C -Changes the com port selected. Displays the current choice in the lower left portion of the screen. Pressing ALT-S to suspend the program operation and then pressing the SPACEBAR to resume the program's control will usually re-establish the link using the newly selected COM port. If this doesn't work use ALT-X to exit the program and re-enter the program normally. ALT-M -Puts you into memory mode allowing for scrolling through all the current memory channels. The use of U or the up arrow key increments the memory channel on the radio. The use of D or the down arrow will decrement the memory channel on the radio. Pressing the letter G while in this mode will prompt for which channel to GO to directly upon the pressing of the Enter or Return key. ALT-D -Opens a prompt window asking for any notes pertaining to the current radio setup or program being listened to before saving the record to the file QSL.LOG. If QSL.LOG does not exist it will be created in the current directory. ALT-L -Will open a prompt window asking for the channel you would like to load the current radio setup into. ALT-S -Will suspend the program allowing you to manually tweek the radio. After you are finished pressing the spacebar will resume the program and refresh the screen with the current radio information. ALT-X -Exits the program and closes all open files and ports. ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ MEMLOADR.EXE Program Manual ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Discription: This is a stand alone program designed to allow the radio's memory channels to be automatically loaded from an input file provided by the user. It will prompt for the path and filename. Unpredictable results may occur if the maximum length is exceeded. If the file requested is not present, the program will terminate normally with the message: Cannot open the file PROGRAM ABORTED NORMALLY If the file is present but more than 500 lines the program will terminate normally with the message: PROGRAM TERMINATED DUE TO MEM_CH.DTA HAVING MORE THAN 500 LINES If the file has less than 500 lines the file will be loaded and checked. If a + sign is present next to the memory channel number the line will be prepared for loading into the radio. A counter will keep track of the number of selections. If the number is the maximum the receiver can handle, (100 selections), the program will automatically load the radio beginning with channel number 00 and continue until all 100 channels have been loaded. While the loading is in progress you will be reminded by a flashing White on Red window reading: THE MEMORY CHANNELS ARE BEING LOADED Please wait until the radio stops updating then PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTINUE Example of correct input format: 12-23-1991 17:12:41 28+ 11.62000* A 1 A S 4.0 C F F O (notes field is not read and is optional On the conclusion of reading the input file you will be prompted for where to start loading the memory channels on the radio. (Provided 100 channels were not selected). Enter the channel number. This will be the first channel loaded and the program will sequentially load the selected programs. If you inadvertantly provide a channel number which when added with the number of programs waiting to be loaded exceeds the 100 channel maximum the program will abort normally with a window reading: DATA OVERRUN UNABLE TO LOAD CHANNELS TIPS: Use a ASCII text editor such as QEDIT or MULTIEDIT to edit the QSL.LOG file to keep just those programs likely to be loaded into memory and save the file under unique names. Such as all the frequencys and radio setups you use for the BBC could be save in a file named BBC.LOG then when you wanted to load the memorys with BBC frequencys just edit the file with an ASCII text editor of choice adding a + sign next to the memory channel number. Go to the end of the file and look at the line count for the file. Make sure this isn't larger than 500 lines. A separate file of channels and setups can be kept individually for all the frequencys and their associated radio setups in uniquely named files. When wanting these in memory just rename it to preserve the original files add the + signs for the active channels and load it. The program will prompt you for where to start the sequential load. Also rename qsl.log at the end of a day's sessions so each is a unique name. I.E.: r8122391.log for the qsl.log for dec. 23, 1991