Program a Quantar

cbrown9064 · Post by **cbrown9064** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:17 am

Hello! I am a relative neophyte when it comes to Quantars. I just need to make a slight adjustment to the transmit keep alive (or whatever you call it) time. It is at 5 seconds right now and is too long.

I tried to hook into the Quantar with WinXP. No go. I loaded up the oldest laptop I could find (1.0 GHz) and just formated the disk with the /s from a Win98 boot disk.

This laptop will not communicate either. I am using a standard serial cable with a null modem adapter. I am plugging into the RSS port on the front of the repeater.

Do I need to get the repeater in a "mode" to communicate with the laptop before I start the RSS software?

Frustrating. When trying to read the codeplug it just says (...check serial cable..., etc...)

Is the laptop too fast? I tried screwing with the baud rate on the comm port, but that didnt work either.

HELP!!!!

Post by **xmo** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:20 am

Earlier Quantar RSS is really only happy running in pure DOS.

You should verify that your com port is working correctly by running a simple com program like Procomm on two computers. Hook them together with your null cable and see if you can type from one to the other.

Then you will be ready to run the Quantar RSS.

Otherwise, the latest Quantar RSS [release R13.00.00 or newer] will run in a DOS window on Windows 98/2000/XP.

RKG · Post by **RKG** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 6:27 pm

I would hesitate to program a Quantar via a DOS window, even with ver. 13.

For these radios I have a bunch of 486 NEC Versa laptops, all of which are nursed along with replaced hard drives, main batteries, CMOS batteries, and the like. You should look for something of this ilk.

RKG · Post by **RKG** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 6:29 pm

I should add that the Quantar does not use the RIB, but requires a null modem cable and a gender changer. Because the DB-9 on the front panel of the Q appears to be DTE, some people try to use a straight serial cable, but it has to be a null modem cable.

Bob W · Post by **Bob W** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:03 am

A couple of things.... To prove that the RSS should be able to talk to the Quantar, fire up hyperterminal or something similar at 9600, N, 8, 1 and press enter. You should get a prompt back from the Quantar that looks like "]-O". If you don't, the RSS won't talk either. Also, there should be no problem programming the Quantar under windows. I've used release 9 through 12 under win98, and XP on a fast laptop. Unlike the older radios that were timing dependant on pins other than transmit, and receive, the Quantar is pure serial data - you can even program it over a modem. You really can't "brick" a Quantar because of incomplete programming, or stopping programming in the middle. It has to get ALL of the records, or it doesn't commit them to eeprom. In fact, I have blanked the eeprom on one, and programmed it. No problem, other than the need to re-align it.

WB5ITT · Post by **WB5ITT** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 4:22 pm

I can run Quantar RSS on my EVO610c XP lapttop (XP SP2) and have no problems..either V12.06 or 13.00....MAKE SURE your comport setting is correct for the Serial port (I always use Comport 1 on the DB9 and thus the software is set to that)
I use a Null modem cable so I dont need a gender changer but HAVE done that with no problems.
The setting you want is Repeater Drop Out Delay btw.

Forget Astro Spectra RSS from working under XP though...it will NOT access the Com Port...on Win 2K its ok...but have NEVER got it to talk via XP...