Category: Amateur Radio

Are you new into Network Radios?

Would you like to listen to the live communications on Zello before moving into purchasing some network radios?

Here are the official Network Radios channels:

 

1. Preparation

1.1 Requirements

Please make sure your Boxchip S700A has enough battery capacity at first.
1 piece of Type-C USB cable and a computer with Windows 7 or above is necessary. The .Net Framework version should be not lower than 4.0.
Install the BPS installation package to anywhere you want.

1.2 Enable USB Debugging

We need enable USB Debugging in your device due to BPS read and write customization files via USB. We can enable it follow these steps:
a) Power on device;
b) Select “Settings->About Phone”;
c) Click “Builder number” 3 times quickly and you will see a tip;
d) Go back “Settings”, there is a “Developer options” menu item above “About phone”;
e) Select “Developer options” and turn “On” it;
f) Pull down till “USB Debugging” and enable it;
g) Connect device with computer by Type-C USB cable. You may see a fingerprint confirm for first time, check and agree it.

1.3 Clear Old Version Customization

Open device from “My Computer” in desktop, CUT the old version customization files if there are – the old version customization files should be in path “S700A\Internal Storage\CONTACTLIST.xls” and “S700A\Internal Storage\ PTT_CHANNEL_LIST_DATA.xls”, you can store these 2 files to computer disk.

1.4 Install New Version APK

Copy “DMR_V014_sign.apk” to “S700A\Internal Storage\” and install it, then we can program device.

2. Programming

2.1 Select A Device

Generally, BPS will detect and select a device automatically when you opening as below screenshot. But please be noted that BPS doesn’t support multi-devices now.

Solution for BPS doesn’t detect a device, you maybe not need try every step:
a) Make sure “USB Debugging” is enabled;
b) Plug-pull USB cable several time;
c) Restart your device;
d) Restart your computer;
e) Install “adbdriver.zip” in your computer;
f) Finally copy “adb_usb.ini” to “C:\Users\Your Name\.android\”.

2.2 Read Customization

Click the green button to read customization from device, you will see “Model Number” and “Serial Number” is filled as below.
For first time you may get a read error due to there is no new customization in device, try write it then

read will be OK.

2.3 Write Customization

Customize all of parameters, then click the red button to write customization into your device.

Here is a nice modification that improves the Inrico TM-8 Audio in older units. The article was written by M0FXB.

 

The S700A is a hybrid android radio that allows 100% coverage: via 3G/4G/LTE/WiFi/VHF or UHF FM analog and DMR Tier II. You will always be connected.

Read more

Exciting news for network radio enthusiasts! Inrico launched the T192, an improved version of the T199.
Although I am a big fan of the T199 I have to admit the T192 was a good move.

I will start with the design. The shape is rectangular, reminding the popular Motorola radios. I always found the T199 too small, reminding me a walkie-talkie for kids. The T192 is heavier, thicker, and above all, is IP54, unlike the T199.

To give extra security, the battery has its own locker (I doubt you could accidentally remove the battery even without using the secondary locker). These small details make the T192 a really rugged radio!

The audio, as usual can be set to a real high volume, while maintaining a crisp-full speech sound. I am sure this radio will be a top seller.

As you probably know, these radios are built for professional use and run services like PTT4U. So they don’t want the users to mess up with the settings and installing unwanted apps. With such, on the T192, Inrico removed the USB socket so a “normal” user would not make any changes to the configuration.

The USB is still there, although it’s hidden. You must attach a small 5-pin adapter (included with the programming cable) and make all the configurations to the radio, using TotalControl software.

All network settings must be done via the mic/earphone sockets, using the programming cable. You will need this Software and the UART drivers to use it.

Since V4.14, Zello is 100% compatible with the T192. You can change volume, use the PTT button and select channels using the dial knob. You just need to follow the configuration steps released by Zello.

Where to purchase the T192?

Order your T192 here

The Joys of Moderation
by Chris G7DDN

Years ago, when I first started listening to Amateur bands, operating practices were pretty good.

Callsigns were given clearly, explanations were given at the end of a contact as to the intentions of the caller, (whether still monitoring, closing down, changing frequency or whatever).  They were very useful “pointers” to what was happening next in a contact and especially great for listeners like me.

The Dark Side…

However, there were always a few “mavericks”. Often these people frequented repeaters and used them for their own, somewhat “quirky” purposes.

It was not unusual to hear music playing, odd “squeaky” voices and sometimes downright disgusting language. It wasn’t the kind of thing you would want your children or grandchildren to overhear. It didn’t do a lot to advertise the hobby either!

Why? Why? Why?

We can speculate forever as to the motives of such folk and, indeed, there may even be some mental issues involved in the mix too.

But the fact remains that the Amateur Bands were not (and dare I suggest, even today, are still not) a place you would let youngsters roam free.

We bemoan the lack of activity on the Amateur bands (apart from contests, but that is very much a “Marmite” subject which I shall avoid for now) but it is, to some extent, out of our hands.

What can we do?

The kind of behaviour that we would not wish to hear become prevalent, sadly has – and there seems little we can do about it.

Whether it is the more “infamous” occupants of 14MHz or the local idiots on 2 metres, our licensing authorities seem powerless, or unable, or maybe do not have the time and resources, to police our bands effectively.

Time was that it would not take much straying outside of the terms of your license that you could expect a very prompt and forthright visit from Officials from the GPO (in the UK) – many licenses were in danger of revocation and much equipment was impounded.

Not any more it seems. We may have a “free” licence in financial terms, but with that comes far less say as to how our Amateur Bands are controlled.

Enter Digital Technology

In the 21st Century however, we have digital technology that allows us to control our “online worlds” far more effectively.

And this is one aspect of Network Radios to which I would like to draw your attention today.

“Taking Back Control”

Zello is the favoured PTT app used by these devices – there are many good reasons why, but amongst them is the ability to keep the way in which people access it, in check.

Built into Zello are controls to help channel organisers and “moderators” keep your corner of the digital world running smoothly.

For example, let’s say you create a channel for your local radio club. You can password protect it as a first “line of defence” – only your members will know the password and only they can access it. So far, so good!

Then you can select that any new members, having entered the correct password, need to be “trusted”. This means that everyone has to await a moderator’s say-so to allow them full access to that channel.

But that is not all!

Once trusted, you can be “muted” (no transmission rights – listen only allowed), blocked (for any period of time) or even summarily kicked off!

If only…

Can you see where I am going with this?

If this had been possible on Ham Bands and repeaters in the past, a lot of the poor operating and behaviour would have gotten nowhere.

But that is not so easy in an analogue world. In a digital world though, it is easy to implement!

A further example

Let me give you another example – the “Network Radios” Zello channels are proving very popular at the moment, especially here in the UK. Indeed they are growing seemingly by the day!

Thanks to a dedicated group of moderators (which also seems to be growing by the day, by the way!) newcomers are lightly “interviewed” as to their possible interest in a mostly-Ham based channel.

The membership is very much a mix of licensed Amateurs and unlicensed radio (or even “PTT”) enthusiasts, but there are strict rules about behaviour, etiquette and expectations.

Once or twice, people have overstepped the mark and they have been simply removed from the channel, warned and sometimes given a second chance to ameliorate their behaviour. (Sometimes not too, depending on the seriousness of what has taken place…)

Evidence!

Because Zello can record all overs (if you tell it to!), it is fairly straightforward for the moderators to listen to what actually was said and use that as a primary source of evidence in cases of dispute.

In other words, there is less requirement for circumstantial evidence based on what someone thought someone else said or meant. Even if the moderators miss the offending moment in person, they can simply replay it back, as if it were live!

Joy to the (Digital) World

These then are some of the “joys” of moderation – the “joys” of a digital world.

Once again, and I apologise for harping on about this, but technology has thrown us a conundrum. If we continue to try to live exclusively in an analogue world, the joys of moderation will not generally be available to us. However, if we embrace what new digital  technology can do for us, we can improve our lot substantially.

It is no over-exaggeration to suggest we can be, in this new digital world, our own policemen and indeed our own licensing authority – in fact, we are already doing it!

The Last Word…

Perhaps the last word should go to a member of the Network Radios group, who himself posted only this week on the Facebook Group attached to the channels, the following…

“Just want to say a thanks to both the mods and the users I hear every day for creating and maintaining a busy, interesting, largely tech/radio centric place I can finally tune into and listen to again in the car and at home when the family is about.

My youngest (9) is into radio. Has her own PMR radio (set up with privacy so she only hears me), uses Zello on our own private channel and wants to take the foundation test!

We’re ‘outdoorsy’ and take the radios with us everywhere we go, but the local chatter around here has gotten so bad with colourful language, near-to-the-knuckle innuendo/smut and politics tainted with bigotry that I no longer feel confident of turning on the FT-70, except for during the morning school run when it’s virtually dead anyway.

I had put together a mobile hotspot with a DV4 Mini and a Raspberry Pi 3 to tune into CQ-UK which is infinitely better and true to the spirit of radio – it’s just a little too quiet sometimes. I can often make my whole commute without hearing a single call.

Firing up Zello and Network Radios in the car and at home, I know we’re going to hear a decent, clean and respectful discussion – which is what I always believed to be the Amateur Radio credo – and I 100% know I’m not going to hear the stuff I hear from the CB lot currently prolific on 2 metres around here with their one sentence overs, arguing, swearing and threats to give someone ‘a visit’.

I am waiting for my T-320 to arrive… The FT-70 will… still come with me when I leave the house, but I expect it’ll start the journey in the bag when the kids are around.

In short – cheers for making somewhere that’s a pleasure to be a part of, a pleasure to listen to and for a place that I know will not totally put off my daughter from the hobby, but will encourage her to go for her Foundation (License).

A breath of fresh air it is indeed and long may it continue.”

Well said, Sir!  Long may we all continue to enjoy the “Joys of Moderation”!

© Chris Rolinson G7DDN
June 12th, 2018