Mercury Amateur Radio Association of BC
The following information was developed for members of the Mercury Amateur Radio Association of BC but anyone can feel free to use it if it applies to your needs. The frequencies chosen are voice frequencies and so no packet stations are to be found in it (yet). The whole reason for accumulating this information is to help members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to do their jobs in emergency preparedness specialties. In disaster scenarios we are expected to look after family first, our neighbors, and the community. Without communications it's an extra difficult task.
Radio Loads
PDF version of spread sheet showing the information contained in the data loads for the radios. The data is basically the same for each but each radio had slightly different requirements. Each model of radio needs its own particular variant of programming software. Sorry about that. If you have a variety of Icom and Yaesus it will cost you. In the case of the Icom radios you save on programming cables because they were intelligent enough from the beginning to use one cable for most of the radios. You will need RT System software to make use of the radio data loads provided here, nothing else will do. Having tried all of the various software packages both free and or for sale I can truthfully say don't bother with the rest, it's just a waste of time and adds frustration to your busy life.
Radio Load Information Spread Sheet PDF Date: June 5 2009
Data loads for various radios. These loads are in ZIP file format and so when you down load them they will need to be "unzipped". You will then need to use appropriate RT Systems software programs to load the unzipped data base files into the associated radios.
The following ZIP file contains RT System data loads for the following radios:
- Yaesu FT-60
- Yaesu VX-6R
- Yaesu FT-7900
- Yaesu FT-8800
- Icom IC-91A
- Icom IC-208H
Radio Load Zip Date:090605
Radio programming software:
RT Systems software http://www.rtsystemsinc.com/index.cfm
Note: the radio manufacturers also have their versions of programming software. The benefit of the RT Systems software is primarily if you have a number of different radios and possibly both Icom and Yaesu makes of radios. You can develop a data base using RT software on one radio and cross load it into another radio provided you have a software package designed to work with each radio. I have not had experience with radios like Alinco or Kenwood and so don't know if data can be cross loaded into their software.
Programming Cables:
RT Systems software (US)
Valley Enterprizes (US)
409Shop (Hong Kong)
Note: The radio manufacturers provide programming cables to connect the radios to computers but there are other sources of the cables such as RT Systems, Valley Enterprises, and several Hong Kong based providers. Often shipments arrive faster from Hong Kong than from the US and certainly are much cheaper. After purchasing from China (409Shop) and from the US I discovered that the devices were exactly the same. Same outward appearance and same drivers. When run with RT Systems software and doing a port test of the cables the report came back that the cables appeared to be RT Systems cable and that I could proceed. So, your choice. All of the cables that I have purchased recently have the USB to Serial port adapter built in to accommodate my late model computers. Those computers no longer come with serial ports, instead they all have USB2 ports.
Cloning
Cloning is the process of copying the data on one radio into another (same make and model of radio) so that you have both radios with the same data loads on them. Icom hand held radios generally use a plain stereo cable with miniature stereo plugs on both ends. I have a T2H, a 91A, and a 208H radio. The first two are hand held radios and the 208H is a mobile radio. In all cases you can use a stereo cable to clone the radios by plugging into the speaker jacks of the pair of same model radios and pressing the appropriate keys simultaneously while turning the power on. Very simple process and the cables are easily purchased at your local electronics store. The key presses are different from radio to radio so you need to read the instructions for cloning and those instructions are almost all the way to the back of the user manuals.
Yaesu radios have a similar process but they went with a cable with different plug structure. Many of he Yaesu plugs look similar to the mini stereo plugs which have three contacts but the Yaesu ones have four contacts on them. They are a little more complicated. You can get them from a Yaesu distributor or second source outlets. The same ones listed for programming cables also carry cloning cables. The plugs for the Yaesu VX series have a threaded section at the top of the outer metal barrel whereas the others like the FT-60 have a smooth barrel.
Please advise me if there are any failed links. Thanks!
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