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Help using IC-F14 Programmer

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chief21

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I am experienced in programming several brands of amateur and commercial radios, but I can't seem to get the ICOM F-14 software to read the radio. I'm using Windows 7 on an older laptop, along with the approved ICOM USB cable. I have changed numerous port settings and compatibility settings but I can not get the software to talk to the radio.

Do any of the ICOM gurus here have any suggestions? Is there some type of 'secret handshake' that I need to learn? I've had less trouble with my Motorola stuff... HELP!

John
 

mmckenna

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Sounds like you are doing the right thing.
One thing I did notice is that you have to be absolutely sure the connector is well seated on the radio. Sometimes they look like they are all the way in, but they aren't.

I've found the Icom programming software to be very straightforward once you learn their terminology.
 
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chief21

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Sounds like you are doing the right thing.
One thing I did notice is that you have to be absolutely sure the connector is well seated on the radio. Sometimes they look like they are all the way in, but they aren't.

Thanks for responding, mmckenna. Since I am able to read the basic information from the radio, I'm pretty sure that the cable is making a good connection. The small information screen confirms that I am using the correct MODEL setting. But even though I am able read this screen, I can not READ or WRITE parameters to the radio. I continue to get the error message to check the comm port and make sure the radio is set to ON.

The ICOM help menu says to try again if the error message appears but I've tried about twenty times with no change. Does the ICOM software demand a particular communication speed, or a particular version of windows, or some other special circumstance to read and write a radio? Does anything special need to be done to the radio itself to get it into program/clone mode, other than turning it on and plugging the cable in? The ICOM help menu is a little sparse in this regard. Anyone???

John
 

mmckenna

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It's been a long time since I've programmed one of those, so I don't recall what settings you need. I know there wasn't anything I had to do with the radio other than turn it on.
 

chief21

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Still working this problem...

As I mentioned previously, I was able to read the basic information from the HT but nothing else. I recently noticed that the basic information suggested that the radio was last programmed with v1.1 of the CS-F14 programming application. Since I was using v1.0, I thought "Aha - this must be the issue!"

I quickly deleted V1.0, installed v1.1 in its place, and tried again to read the HT. Absolutely NO change.

I've tried to read and write this HT using both a laptop and a desktop (both running Win 7 32-bit); I've tried various cables and drivers (both USB and true serial); I've tried different versions of the CPS software but nothing works. Next I'm going to dig out the old XP machine and give that a try, although the software documentation says that it 'should' work on Win7.

I was able to find a copy of the instructions for the software on-line. It seems that I'm following all of the instructions, I've installed the software to the correct folder and I've followed the instructions for connecting the HT. I'm not sure exactly why I'm going through all of this trouble for a simple, 4-channel handheld... but now it's turned into a challenge.

Can anyone offer any other direction that I haven't covered?
 

chief21

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Yay! I finally got it to work!

For the sake of any future users, it occurred to me that there might be a newer version of the software than the one I was using (V1.1). After doing a search for information, it appeared as if the latest version of the ICOM CS-F14 software was v1.2. Once I loaded v1.2, I was able to communicate with the radio using the same Windows 7 and OPC-478 usb cloning cable combination.

What I don't clearly understand is how the radio - which was probably programmed many years ago, knew that it needed a more current version! And if the radio was aware of that fact, why didn't it let me know??

Anyway... I won the challenge at last! Many thanks to mmckenna for trying to help.

John
 

mmckenna

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It's usually the format of the program load is different and it won't read correctly.
Most commercial radios are like that.

I should have thought of that, though. I'm usually really careful about my firmware/software combinations at work. It can go sideways really quick with a few hundred radios.
 

lmrtek

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Firmware strikes again

Have this problem with Kenwood and firmware upgrades
 

Golinski

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Cheif21
I also have a few f-14's I'd like to reprogram.
Do you know where I can get the right software other that on Ebay?
thanks
 
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