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Communications
RLC-3
Controller
Getting
Started
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This should provide you with a quick(er) start so that you can begin testing and using you
new RLC-3 controller. Much of this will apply to other models as well.
Step one:
RELAX and follow steps one through six in the manual.
Remember the controller is very versatile and can work with almost any receiver
and transmitter combination regardless of
Step two:
The next thing you should do is to change
or add a prefix to all of the commands except command
080. I recommend you add at least a three-digit prefix. This will help
to avoid command conflicts later when you start going nuts in using and
renaming Macros. For simplicity we will assume you have changed your command
prefix to 123. This was accomplished by entering the following from your
control receiver. You do have one, don't you? If not, you should program via
the main serial port. You can, of course, program from any of the controllers'
ports but I do not recommend you program via the repeater input for security
reasons. Remember if entered from the repeater input, the responses will be
sent out the repeater transmitter by default. If you disable the response, you
will not receive confirmation of the commands.
DTMF digits entered to the control
receiver are as follows:
062 081 999 123; This changes command
numbers 081 through 999 to 123081 through 123999.
062 000 079 123; This changes command
numbers 000 through 079 to 123000 through 123079.
From this point on, 123 will preface all
over the air DTMF programming commands unless you change an individual command
to something with more or fewer digits.
If you change your mind you can remove the
extra digits by entering 123 062 followed by the command number or range of
numbers you wish to return to the original three digits.
If you have a computer you can and should
use the serial port for programming. I use COM 1 and a standard serial cable
with DB-9 connectors on both ends, You need three wires and they are Pin 2 to
pin 2 for data out of the controller. Pin 3 to pin 3 for data into the controller.
Pin 5 to pin 5 is the ground connection.
The default baud rate is 9600. You can go
much faster but it really serves no purpose. I have mine set to 2400 baud
because I have an old 2400 baud modem connected to the controller. I do most of
my programming from an old 486 DX 100 notebook using Hyper Terminal. The note
book computer has a 14.4 modem and works great over the phone line or direct to
the serial port when at the site. The P-166 at home works fine also.
Remember, if you connect a modem to the
controller you will have a DB-9 male on the controller and a DB-25 male to the
modem. Connect pins 2 and 3 of both connectors together. Connect pin 5 of the
DB-9 to pin 7 of the DB-25. Also, and this is important,
jumper DB-25 pins 4 and 5 together. Then jumper pins 6,8 and 20 together on the
DB-25. The controller does not yet support flow control. Failure to follow his
step may result in your modem locking up and failing to answer the phone line
or failure to respond to commands. You will then be making the long trip to the
site to reset the modem!
The remainder of the examples will be
shown, as you would enter them from the computer. They are all prefaced with
the letter "N". This is the reason you were cautioned not to change
the name of command 080. This command is automatically changed to N. This
permits the execution of commands by their number from the serial port. This is
regardless of what they may have been renamed. For this reason there is little
security on the serial port. If you cannot control access to the serial port,
you should use the controllers password system to protect things. If you do not
wish to use passwords for protection - You can write a couple of Macros to turn
the modem on and off remotely. It goes without saying that if the modem is off
it cannot be used by anyone to alter programming!
If you do not have a computer, get one! If
you spent all of your money on the controller and other radio equipment - pick
up an old 286, 386 or what ever for a few dollars. You can use it for programming
controllers and running all that Motorola software that will not run on your
Pentium. I use an old 486 DX 100 Laptop just for programming radios and
controllers.
Step three:
You are now ready to configure the ports
to be either repeaters or remotes or what ever. We will make the assumption in
our examples that Port one is a repeater. We want the receiver to require COR
and PL to be considered active. We will require COR or PL for DTMF to be
recognized. DTMF will be muted; cover tone and the ability to bypass it will be
enabled. We want it to time out in two minutes and 45 seconds. Port 2 will be a
remote base using one or more Kenwood transceivers with a Doug Hall RBI-1. We
will set it to require COS only for receiver activity and no DTMF response and
no cover tone. Port three will be a repeater that will require PL for both
receiver and DTMF to be considered active. We will mute DTMF and enable mute
bypass but disable cover tone. Port four will be used as the patch port and we
will disable the mute, cover tone and bypass.
We will turn off the audio response from
the serial port commands so that they do not go over the air. You will receive
the response on your computer.
Port one commands to get it up and running
now follow - - -
N000 11; Make port one a repeater
N020 124 0165; RX 1 time out timer to 2
min 45 sec
N005 1 3 4; Port 1 receiver require COR
and PL - DTMF is COR or PL
N007 1111; Mute DTMF Port 1, enable cover
tone, enable mute bypass
Port one will now repeat and we now must set
up the ID so that it will speak the desired call. If you decide to use the
examples provided - You need only change the call highlighted
in blue
N055 220;
N053 220 064 260 577 835 587 480 053 031 008 034 032 053 411 587 476 484 270 810 358
819;
The initial ID has now been programmed.
Next we will program the other ID's:
N055 228;
N053 228 064 260 480 476 053 031 008 034 032 053 411 165 665 009 001 001 208
180; PID 1 -- THIS IS THE WA8DBW REPEATER DIAL
STAR 911 FOR EMERGENCY
N055 236;
N053 236 064 260 480 476 053 031 008 034 032 053 411 257 069 355; PID 2 --
THIS IS THE WA8DBW REPEATER IN
N055 244;
N053 244 064 260 533 434 208 069 078 343
176 355 587 480 476 053 031 008 034 032 053
411; PID 3 -- WITH SERVICE FOR
N055 252;
N053 252 064 260 480 476 053 031 008 034 032 053 411; PID 4 -- THIS IS THE WA8DBW REPEATER
N055 260;
N053 260 030 13 14 32 10 08 13 11 32 36 27 25 29 41 14 23 09 01; THIS IS WA8DBW/RPT EN91
This completes the ID's for Port 1. Ports
2 through 8 may be programmed in the same manner if you wish or you can be
creative or use the DVR. See Chapter 11 in the RLC-3 manual for additional
information in programming The ID System.
Remember the default condition
for the controller is for ID to be enabled on Port 1 with Port 1 being a
repeater. All of the other ports are disconnected (non-repeater) and ID is
disabled.
ID on a port may be either enabled or
disabled with command 085.
Next we will set up Port 2 for a Remote
Base Using the Doug Hall RBI-1 interface and one or more Kenwood Transceivers.
You must first tell the controller what port the RBI-1 is on. This is
accomplished with command 140.
N140 2;
The rest of the procedure is just as easy.
The only thing I recommend is to set the audio level from the controller to the
RBI-1 reasonably high and the RBI-1 audio to the controller high also. Use the
trim puts on the rear of the RBI-1 to set the desired level on the Remote
Base(s). This will help to mask any noise that may be superimposed on the audio
paths. When properly adjusted, the audio will be free of noise and hum.
The next thing you should do is go back
and read RBI-1.html . This deals with the RBI-1 and offers some hints to
get it up with audio sounding as good as simplex in no time at all.
Next you should read RLC-3Programming.html under "Have a frequency agile remote base?"
This is about halfway down the page. It shows some basic commands and has a
link to view or download a text file that can be uploaded to your controller.
Tackle
the Scheduler and make the controller do your bidding automatically!
CLICK HERE to see Sample Scheduler Stuff.
Comming
SOON Using the BEACONING SYSTEM!
More
to follow as time permits. Check back soon!
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