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Bug #28

closed

VX-7R inappropriate frequency restrictions

Added by Mark Whitis over 12 years ago. Updated over 12 years ago.

Status:
Rejected
Priority:
High
Assignee:
-
Category:
-
Target version:
-
Start date:
11/13/2011
Due date:
% Done:

0%

Estimated time:
Chirp Version:
0.1.12
Model affected:
VX-7R, others
Platform:
Linux
Debug Log:
I read the instructions above:

Description

Don't have the cable for the VX-7R, yet, so I imported a file from the net and blanked all the entries:
http://ham.zerda.net/vx7r/vx7_files/kay%20-%202007-03-29-public.vx7
Looks like a VX-7R image. Has the right number of standard memories, anyway. But none of the special memories (such as band edges) even with the show special box checked.

Importing from a chirp file I created on a Wouxon image (downloaded from radio), it refuses to import the 1.3M band frequencies. The VX-7R can (officially) transmit on 1.3M at significantly reduced power. Further, it can receive anything from 0.5 to 999Mhz and it is common to program in out of band frequencies for RX only use.

I was trying to prepare a list of frequencies for 4 radios:
Yaesu VX-7R TX: 6m 2m 1.3m 70cm RX: 0.5-999Mhz
Wouxon KG-UVD1P (2m/1.3m version): TX/RX: 2m 1.3M
Yaesu FT-5200 TX/RX: 2m 70cm
Kenwood TH-22A TX/RX: 2m
Boafung UV-3R TX/RX: 2m 70cm
Which means I need 6m, 2m, 1.3m, and 70cm. The VX-7R is the only one which covers all those bands so it was used as the basis; the idea being to make chirp files and import the supported subset to each radio. Others would need to program various radios where none where no one radio supported all of the bands. Others, who are preparing a template for a region, may even need to enter frequencies which are not supported by any of the radios they own.

Without a radio and cable in hand, you can't even program any memories while waiting for the cable to arrive unless you can find a suitable dummy file on the net somewhere.

You are limited to only those columns which fit in memory. You should be able to enter city, state, zip, country, latitude, longitude, and comments. These can be stored in a CSV or chirp file even if not in the memory images. It is silly to have to use a spreadsheet to do this. Which you can't even do until you have a radio and cable in hand or a memory image to export the column headings and sample values. The program will do nothing until you have a cable to import a memory image unless you are sneaky enough to find a memory image on the net.

There is no override for frequency limits. Sometimes people want to deliberately put in out of limit channels. UV-3R users have deliberately entered some out of band frequencies and the radio will honor some but will wipe all of the memory if you are tuned to one of them when powered down. UV-3R is now approved for some non-ham frequencies. Others may retune radios for various frequencies which are legal in their area.

I notice that in Wouxon mode, it will not let me enter "-" as part of the name, though it will for the VX-7R. Seems unlikely that the radio can't display those characters, which it uses for other purposes, even if you can't enter them on the keypad. I was going to separate memory bank groups with "--CITY".

This may be a hardware limit on some radios, but there doesn't appear to be a way to program a frequency for RX-only. Weather, police, FRS/GMRS, land mobile, ham frequencies outside your license class priviledges, etc. In many cases the radio may prevent TX automatically, but not if it is outside your license class or the radio has been freeband modified.


Files

cville_vx7.img (15.8 KB) cville_vx7.img Charlottesville repeaters VX7 image Mark Whitis, 01/02/2012 05:22 PM
teri_wouxon_edit1.img (8 KB) teri_wouxon_edit1.img Wouxon image Mark Whitis, 01/02/2012 05:22 PM
VX-7R_2003_settings.img (15.8 KB) VX-7R_2003_settings.img Original VX-7R memory image Mark Whitis, 01/04/2012 08:00 PM
charlottesville.chirp (53.8 KB) charlottesville.chirp New overlay Mark Whitis, 01/04/2012 08:26 PM
Actions #1

Updated by Dan Smith over 12 years ago

Hi Mark,

The special channels (scan edge) are not supported on the VX-7 at the moment. Patches are welcome.

Let me start by saying that CHIRP makes no attempt to enforce license class restrictions on the frequencies it allows you to program. Each radio driver specifies the frequency limits that it can support simply to prevent you from attempting to program something that the radio cannot tune to. Doing so tends to lock up Yaesu radios. The frequency range for the VX7, as defined and enforced by CHIRP is 0.5-999MHz, which you can see from the automated capability matrix:

http://chirp.danplanet.com/download/0.1.12/Model_Support.html

For a given radio in the list, you should be able to enter any frequency within the supported range(s). The decision about whether to allow an import or not considers many factors, and one may be erroneously preventing you from doing the import from the Wouxun to the VX-7. Please attach your Wouxun and VX-7 images and note the channel in question and I will take a look. I just manually entered several non-ham frequencies into an VX7 image without any trouble.

Regarding CHIRP's inability to create empty radio images without the actual radio in hand: I have considered doing this, however there are several reasons not to do this. First, I'd have to obtain and package an empty image of each radio with CHIRP. Second, creating a new image, writing channels into it, and uploading it to the radio will wipe all of the other settings in the radio that the user might have had, which is typically not appreciated. The workflow is assumed to begin with a generic CSV file, which you can then import into any radio that you need, once you have an image for it.

Regarding the comment functionality: I understand that this would be beneficial to have, but no radio supports doing so, and CHIRP deals only with whole radio images at the moment. A CSV file/radio is the only exception to this (where a comment field can be stored) but the UI does not implement this special case. You can add a "Comment" column to the CSV file manually for your record-keeping and CHIRP will ignore it.

I'm sorry that you find all of this silly, especially given the cost of the software, the fact that I'm a one-man-band here, and how much work I've put in over the last several years on this FREE tool.

Please open a separate issue in the tracker for the Wouxun issue with the "-" character and I will take a look.

Actions #2

Updated by Dan Smith over 12 years ago

  • Status changed from New to Rejected
Actions #3

Updated by Mark Whitis over 12 years ago

Requested files attached

Actions #5

Updated by Mark Whitis over 12 years ago

Well, the program is still malfunctioning using an actual image from my VX-7R. VX-74_2003_settings.img.

Refuses to import:
223.500, 224.320, 224.760, 224.600, 224.18 (1.3 meter ham band, FM)
462.5625, 462.4875, 462.6125, 462.6375, ... 467.7125 (FRS, NFM)
000.000
Except for 000.000, the radio will tune to these frequencies.
It accepts FM broadcast frequencies and weather and SAR frequencies.

ubuntu 11.10
ii chirp 0.1.12-1~sconk Configuration tool for amateur radios

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