FT50 Manager v0.99b Rel.09.02.99 Goran Vlaski - Skopje, Republic of Macedonia http://www2.crosswinds.net/frankfurt/~vlaski -------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents ------- 1. Introduction 2. Interface 3. Main Screen - Memory Grid - Global Options - Power saving - ARTS - Display/Keyb. - Scan Options - Auto dial - Paging 4. File menu 5. FT50 I/O Menu 6. Config Menu (mods) 1. Introduction. ---------------- This Software is used for memory managment for the YAESU FT50. The Software mods first and second generation are also included. It has no limitation of any kind, you can enter any frequency ... 2. Interface. ------------- There are several Interfaces on the market from YAESU, ICOM, ... You can use the original interface made by RT Systems, some Homemade solution or the MAKInterface. Not every Homemade interface will run well, some will run with the FT50 and not with the VX1, some will work with the VX1 but not with the ICOM's HT's ... well, a nice adaptation should be done. If you want to be shure that everything will work, just get the MAKInterface, thats what I am using. Take a look at my web page for more infos. 3. Main Screen -------------- *** Timing *** The FT50 has a little problem with the timing, a couple of wait states have to be inserted, so the upload can be done. Visual Basic has a VERY bad timer, the timer is triggering every 55ms, and that is a problem. I have written a little routine to get 1ms wait states, but I have not tested it on many PC's. When the Software starts the first time, the timing is calculated and saved in the .ini file. On my K6-2 300 it is about 120. On faster PC's it has to be more, and on slower it has to be less. You can see the timing if you call the Upload menu. If the Timing is to low, you will have problem at 52% from the upload, then increase the timing, if the upload is to slow, you can try to decrease it, until you det the 52% problem. When you find the right timing, goto the ComPort, and select some Com Port, this way the new timing will be saved in the .INI file. First you must Load a data file or Download the data from the FT50, afterwards you can edit/modify the data. - Memory Grid On the Memory Grid are all memories, the search banks, the the VFOs and the 2 Call Channels. You are selecting the Channel you want to edit by Clicking on it, Then you can edit/select the settings in the text boxes and list Boxes just above the Grid. Please read the FT50 manual for the Explanation of the settings. If you want to add a new memory, enter the Frequency first, the other default settings will be add automatically. I have left the original Frequency Format, 6 digits only. Copy/Paste Click on the first col. On some memory you want to copy, and double Click on the new location were this memory should be paste. You can Also copy/paste ANY single setting using the same logic. To copy the step from mem 5 to mem 10 and 11 do: - Click on the Step col on mem 5 - Double-click on the step col on mem 10 - Double-click on the step col on mem 11 Hide Checkbox The memories are NOT erased when resetting the FT50, only one bit is being reset, to tell the FT50 that the memory location is Empty. All settings can be recovered. Just click on the upper left CheckBox, and you will see all memory Banks, occupied and erased. You can recover the memories by setting The not defined values. M Checkbox If you want a larger memory screen, click on the upper right M Check Box and the Grid will increase on the whole screen, to decrease it Again click on the M Check box again. - Global Options Read the manual - Power saving Read the manual - ARTS Read the manual - Display/Keyb. Read the manual - Scan Options Read the manual - Auto dial (only read, the writing will be done in the next rel.) Read the manual - Paging (some options will be done in the next rel.) Read the manual 4. File menu Nothing special, you can load,save and import from RT Systems .RDF and .TPL data format. 5. FT50 I/O Menu Download and upload, nothing special -com port settting Select the desired Com port, this info is saved in your windows directory. In this process the timing is also saved. So if you change the timing, remembar to go to this option so the timing is also saved. 6. Config Menu -------------- If you try to upload a data file from a differend configured FT50 you will get a CERR message. To avoid this press the button "Get Status only", the download menu will apear, and only the Config will be read, all other loaded and Edited data will stay unchanged. You will see a ERR message on the FT50, that means the Software has Stoped the download after it has got the config (that is ok) For infos on the Software mods, read the original artikel I have released about them (FT50MODS.TXT) Now you can directly edit the Band, SubBand ... bytes. -Second Generation Software mods YAESU has not rewritten the Firmware or similar to the new USA FT50. They have filled in all country data the USA data, so the mods ARE working, but you are scrolling throu the same data again and again. In order to check this, select "Activate menu" and select - Band xx Submenu (UNLIMITED - , you will be able now to scroll throu all 255 Band settings, and you will notice that 7 settings are -A- instead of F,A,B,... FreeBand. In all other countrys the FT50 are unchanged, all mods are working fine. The possible selections are: ------> "- Band xx - SubMenu (Direct Entry)" <---------------------------------- You will directly jump in the Band selection menu, it will blink and you will be able to select the desired country configuration. This is the MOST secure Software mod, you are not makeing any change in the system data, you are only calling the Config Subroutine and Jumping in the selection, after selection, the FT50 will jump into the Init routine and init all variables as they should be. "- Band xx - SubMenu - Unlimited" The same as abouve, except the selection is not limited to 0-6, it is 0-255 now. So you can select nondefined data and maybe find something nice, in the USA version there may be some backdoor, (some selection 178 or something like that, that will enable cell, the USA HAM's will have to check that) "Enable Wite TX" - Every Firmware, New USA models also This will enable Wide TX 0-999 untill you power off, the FT50 will try to TX everywere, the FT50 is TXing also in 960MHz something, I guess 2 or 3 harmonic or something like that. USA Cell are not enabled by this mod. Sorry my USA friends, but I do not own a USA FT50 so i can not play (experiment) with this subject, if someone would send me a piece ... :)))) Well thats all for now, please try every option, and send me remarks about bugs, don't play with the mods only. Greetings, Dipl.-Ing. Goran Vlaski