KENTROL for WINDOWS Copyright 1991, 1992 by Brian Gilhuly VE3BGB Version 3.0 WHAT KENTROL IS Kentrol is shareware. Please read and respect the terms of licence explained in the Registration section of this document. Kentrol is a Windows 3x control program for Kenwood HF transceivers and the R-5000 receiver, which has built-in logging and memory management capabilities. Kentrol auto-detects the TS-940/440/140/680S, the R-5000, and the TS-950/850/450/690S and will also work with any other radio which uses the Kenwood control language. WHAT KENTROL DOES The TOOLBAR is constantly in view. It shows the active frequency and mode and provides buttons for all key functions, including keyboard frequency entry. Toolbar buttons are accessible regardless of which of the specific windows is in use. The active source can be selected and copied to any other. Registered users can click a button to transmit. Split operation, including cross-band,cross-mode splits is provided both for the vfo's and for the split memories in each transceiver (Registered users only). Automatically logs UTC date and time, frequency, mode and band, along with your choice of text fields, to a pure ASCII log file. View and edit the log file in Kentrol or load it into a spreadsheet or database program to sort and categorize your loggings. The TUNING Window tunes both VFOs and selects memory channels using a scroll bar interface. You can tune any source at any time, independent of which you are listening to or transmitting on. Enter frequencies directly from the keyboard or via the tuning scroll bar. BANDSPREAD of scroll bar can be full range, a single Megahertz, a single ham, broadcast, maritime mobile, aeronautical mobile or utility band, or one of up to 11 user-defined bands. In a band, the SUB button automatically sets mode and tuning step according to frequency, following US, Canadian and international band plans. Other pushbuttons allow you to jump up and down a band or megahertz at a time. Jumps when SUB is selected are to the next correct sub-band so, for example, it skips 30m in Phone mode, and steps through the standard time station frequencies. The AutoScroll feature moves the bar along through the range you have selected, at a selectable speed. Jump bands or change sources while autoscrolling. In memory mode empty channels are skipped automatically. Simultaneously, the AVAILABLE CHANNELS Window displays the contents of your radio's memories so you can select any memory with a single click. Gives the TS-940S 40 consecutively numbered memories to replace the normal 4-bank system. Select any combination of 1 to 100 memory channels (1-40 on the TS-940S, 1-31 on the TS-140S) and scan the group, at a selectable speed with a constantly updated display. Memory sets can be annotated (up to 50 char per memory), are fully editable and can be saved to files and loaded into the radio's memories as you wish. Open files can also be scanned directly, without uploading them to the radio. Multiple memory files can be opened simultaneously so you can copy and paste between them. Or copy from the log to a memory set. Sample memory files are included. Kentrol uses the same memory file format for all radios, so files are fully transferable between rigs. Keep multiple memory files open in document windows or as icons on the desktop. Any Kentrol window, including the tuner, can be shrunk to a 'live' icon. Kentrol's MONITOR ICON mode displays constantly-updated frequency and mode information at the bottom of your screen while other applications run in the foreground and you control your radio from its front panel. Double click on the icon and Kentrol instantly takes charge again. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS An 80286, 80386 or 80486-based ibm-compatible pc with at least one serial port, running Windows 3.0 or 3.1 in standard or enhanced mode. (Although Kentrol 3 will not run on XT-class machines, earlier versions of the program will, and they are still available.) Basic functions are accessible from the keyboard, but some operations require a mouse. Display resolution should be svga or better, but vga will work, though somewhat awkwardly. Any Kenwood transceiver with a serial port. Please note that the TS-440S, TS-940S, TS-140S and the R-5000 receiver require that you install two $4 ICs to enable the serial port. The RADIOS.TXT file outlines features specific to particular models. A level translator to match the TTL-level serial port in the radio with the RS232C-level port in the computer. The Kenwood IF-232C is such a translator, but plans are readily available to build your own. If you build, you will need a cable to connect to the radio and even if you buy, you will need a serial cable to your computer. If your translator and cables don't connect the CTS and DSR lines, you must use the Windows Control Panel to disable hardware flow control. An IF-232C with 8-conductor cable DOES connect them, which is preferable. If running Norton Desktop for Windows v1.0 as your Windows shell, the launch list and task list must be disabled, or operation will be erratic. There is no problem with ver 2.0 of Norton Desktop. GETTING STARTED WITH KENTROL No installation is required, though you will probably want to add Kentrol to a Program Manager Group in the usual way. Just copy KENTROL.EXE, KENTROL.HLP, KENTROL.LOG and (optionally) the supplied *.KTS files to any directory in your DOS path, switch on your radio and IF-232C interface, then run Kentrol. The first time it is run Kentrol will open a dialog box to get configuration info. Apart from the Comm port and difference between local time and UTC, which have to be set correctly, you can safely accept all the default settings. Then it will read your radio's memories into a file; all before opening the main window. This takes a minute or two; subsequent start-ups are almost instant. Most of the program documentation is in the Help system, so you have to be running Kentrol to read it. BROWSE THE HELP INDEX THE FIRST TIME YOU RUN KENTROL for all the details, but don't worry; the Tuning window which is in the foreground when the program starts is very easy to use. Open the sample file BRIANS.KTS to see how annotated memories look. TROUBLESHOOTING If Kentrol doesn't connect with the radio at start-up with everything connected and turned on; exit, switch the radio off and on, and try again. If that doesn't work or if you get a UAE (in Win 3.0), exit Windows, re-boot or run a port-resetting utility, then switch the radio off and on, then retry. It is advisable to quit Windows 3.1 after a GPF to tidy up memory, but there should be no need to re-boot. If Kentrol hangs at start-up, it is probably a serial port conflict in Windows. Although Windows 3.0 allows 4 serial ports, it only lets you USE 2 in a session. If you use COM1, then you CAN'T use COM3 and if you use COM4, you can't use COM2, and so on. To switch from the 1/2 set to the 3/4 set you have to exit Windows and either run a port-resetting utility or re-boot. Windows 3.1 proudly advertises that multiple ports are possible, but that is true ONLY if your serial port can be set to interrupts other than IRQ3 or 4. Such ports do exist, but they are exceedingly rare and somewhat expensive. If you have one, you already know about it. What Win 3.1 does do for the rest of us is permit switching from COM1 to 3 or 2 to 4 at will, so long as only one of each pair is in use at any time. If Kentrol gets out of synch with your radio while it's running, select RESET (on the Options Menu). If your radio beeps so much while running Kentrol that it's driving you mad, read NOBEEP.TXT, then turn it off. VERSION HISTORY Ver 1.00 -- first shareware release (Sept. 91) Ver 1.01 -- keyboard interface introduced Ver 1.10 -- support for TS-940S banked memories added -- band logging introduced Ver 1.20 -- standard keyboard interface (ctrl-key combos) -- default settings for models not specifically supported Ver 1.30 -- built-in bandspread for aeronautical and marine SSB bands -- default US ham sub-bands, Canadian option -- revamped Sub-Band Mode tuning features Ver 1.40 -- Service Menu instantly tunes band set of your choice -- dynamic menus adjust choices for active window Ver 2.00 -- new look Tuner, with new Bandspread features (Jan. 92) -- hypertext Help system -- Monitor Icon introduced -- TS-140S added to supported radios -- improvements, fixes for the TS-940S Ver 2.01 -- corrects .INI bug in 2.0 Ver 2.10 -- Transmit button added (registered copies) -- Split operation introduced (registered copies) -- variable bandwidth support on the 940/850 (registered copies) -- handier controls on transceiver tuners Ver 2.20 -- User-defined bands introduced. -- provides software AFSK mode for the TS-140S Ver 2.30 -- Loads Programmed Band Markers (140/850) into User bands -- tuning step shown in Tuner window Ver 2.40 -- Windows 3.1 compatible (Apr. 92) -- Keyboard tuning added Ver 2.50 -- corrects Windows 3.1 compatibility problems Ver 3.00 -- Toolbar -- new look Tuner -- full '50-series support, includes S-meter -- "Hot Spot" buttons provide instant recall REGISTRATION As pointed out at the top of this note, Kentrol is shareware. That means it is not public domain software, not free. Users are required to register and obtain a licence to use the software. You are welcome, indeed encouraged, to try Kentrol out for a reasonable period of time to decide whether you like it. If you don't, I thank you for your interest and wish you well; if you could find the time to tell me why you don't find Kentrol useful, I would be extravagantly grateful. If you do go on using Kentrol, you are legally and morally obliged to obtain a user licence. You can register on-line via Compuserve, using your credit card. For full details, see the REGISTER.TXT file. To register by mail, please send your name, address, callsign, diskette size and radio model, along with a cheque or money order for $49 (US funds) or $64 (Canadian), including $4 postage, to: Brian Gilhuly, 490 Concord Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6H 2P8, Canada Registered users will receive: -- a diskette copy of the latest version of Kentrol, customised with your callsign and/or name -- full transmit and split operation capability -- variable bandwidth on the 940/950/850 -- lots of additional memory files -- a 40 page printed manual -- access to telephone support. New versions which correct bugs or are specific to your radio model will be free, and upgrades will be available at low cost. Questions and bug reports are welcome, to the above address or via Compuserve or GEnie. 73 -- VE3BGB, Nov. 23, 1992 Brian Gilhuly Compuserve ID: 73257,3131 GEnie: B.Gilhuly