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KPG-56D can't see TK370G radio?

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Rred

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There's something probably real simple but critical that I am missing.
I'm using Win10, with a Secuda USB-to-radio cable, which I know has worked with CHIRP as well as other old Kenwood software.
The computer installs it as COM9, but the KPG-56D v.4.22 software seems happy with that, it allows me to select that port.
Except, it doesn't see the radio on it.

I should only have to plug the radio into the programming cable, turn on the radio, no secret keypresses needed? In order to use the programming software on the computer, right? (NOT field programming, not yet, just programming via the computer software.)

Anything I'm missing, like a need to set up flow control on the port? Something else that's just not obvious?

And of course since Win10 no longer reads .hlp files, I can't even try to use the one that's in the software.
 

kayn1n32008

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Possibly you will need an older operating system. I program TK-2/380, NX2/700 a bunch of relatively new Vertex radios on Win 7 with out problems, using a knockoff cable. Flow control should not be needed, and I doubt the radio needs a key sequence to put it into program mode, the software should trigger it to dump its data. Gonna sound stupid, but is KPG-56 the correct software? (I don't know for 100% what the TK-370 use).

Edit: looks like KPG-56d is the right software. Really, if the software and USB drivers are correctly installed, the software should just work. Kenwood is pretty resilient with just working in my experience.

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kayn1n32008

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There's something probably real simple but critical that I'm missing.


Honestly, I think it might be Windoze 10 that is the problem. Luckily I have older hardware to program my radios, and have no intention to go to windows 10 unless it's because I have bought a new computer.
 

Rred

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Kayn-
It certainly could be the OS, but since the program itself sees all the COM ports on the system, and offers the choice among them, I think that's not an issue. If the program sees the port and is set to use it...it probably is trying to.
Likewise the program offers a choice of radio models, this radio is definitely one of them, and selected. So...before I go trying to use an older system, I'd rather try to get this one working.
The radio doesn't do or show anything when the software is trying to reach it. But, since I have used the cable on other Kenwood's, I know the cable itself is good.
I only went to Win10 because supposedly it is inherently more secure, and the malware, ransomware, and other attacks out there are getting more successful every year. I don't love Win10, and find it does some things that are simply contrary to what MS claims it does. Like, the autoupdate doesn't always work, and some default programs CANNOT be set other than what shipped as defaults, despite many claims and procedures to the contrary).
But there have been changes in the core code, and no one in the business argues with the statement that it is inherently more secure.
So...one brick at a time.(G)
 

kayn1n32008

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Kayn-

It certainly could be the OS, but since the program itself sees all the COM ports on the system, and offers the choice among them, I think that's not an issue. If the program sees the port and is set to use it...it probably is trying to.

Likewise the program offers a choice of radio models, this radio is definitely one of them, and selected. So...before I go trying to use an older system, I'd rather try to get this one working.

The radio doesn't do or show anything when the software is trying to reach it. But, since I have used the cable on other Kenwood's, I know the cable itself is good.

I only went to Win10 because supposedly it is inherently more secure, and the malware, ransomware, and other attacks out there are getting more successful every year. I don't love Win10, and find it does some things that are simply contrary to what MS claims it does. Like, the autoupdate doesn't always work, and some default programs CANNOT be set other than what shipped as defaults, despite many claims and procedures to the contrary).

But there have been changes in the core code, and no one in the business argues with the statement that it is inherently more secure.

So...one brick at a time.(G)



My programming computer does not see the 'net. My Software is installed by USB or CD/DVD.

Have you been successful programming any other Kenwood LMR that are of the same vintage but other software?

My gut says the issue is windows 10. KGP-56d is supported to XP only. I have the same software as I have TK-760HG mobile and have not had any issue running it under windows 7 but under x86 compatibility. As I said before, my experience with Kenwood windows software is that it is really stable, and just works. None of my cables are OEM, they are kawamall(sp?) using FTDI USB-serial chips.
 

Rred

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"My programming computer does not see the 'net. My Software is installed by USB or CD/DVD. "
That's immaterial. I'm running the software locally, from an installation on the internal hard drive. No internet is involved.

"Have you been successful programming any other Kenwood LMR that are of the same vintage but other software?"
No, but as I said, I have used this same computer with both CHIRP and other older Kenwood software.
Not under Win10 yet, but the only documented issue with Win10 is that it no longer runs the Thumper, the 16-bit emulator, so it cannot run 16-bit Windows programs. The port is showing, the hardware is al "known good". And Win10 has worked with that hardware. No reason, yet, to suspect the hoofbeats mean "zebra".

"My gut says the issue is windows 10. KGP-56d is supported to XP only. I have the same software as I have TK-760HG mobile and have not had any issue running it under windows 7 but under x86 compatibility." That could be an issue with 16 or 32-bit mode more than anything else. Win7 was still NT version 6.x, XP was NT version 5.1 and while there were some core code changes, mainly in the audio and SCSI drivers, a lot was still compatible or backwards supported.

Win10 is something else again.

"As I said before, my experience with Kenwood windows software is that it is really stable, and just works. " Yes but. Their older Windows software is actually 16-bit software, and incorrectly coded in some ways. For instance, it doesn't ask the system to enumerate the COM ports, it is hard coded for COM1-4 only, even though DOS and Windows, even before Win95, supported COM1-8.

"None of my cables are OEM, they are kawamall(sp?) using FTDI USB-serial chips."
Again, the Secuda programming cable is known good and confirmed to be using a genuine chip. If the chip or cable was an issue, it wouldn't be showing up as "good" in the device manager, and wouldn't have been working before.

I'm looking for a way to make this work on this system, as opposed to getting the XP machine out of mothballs and having to do that every time I want to program this radio.
 

kayn1n32008

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What 'other older software' have you successfully used? My gut is still leaning to it being Windows 10. All my experience with Kenwood LMR software has been very positive. TKR-X50, TKR-X60, TK-X60, TK-X80, TK-X170, TK-X180 & NX-X00. All software installed and ran with zero issues. I have never had an issue reading or writing with any of the listed software.
 
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Rred

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As Kenwood will candidly tell you, "We didn't make it for that OS, so we don't know." Which is pretty much what most vendors will say when you ask about old software, written for obsoleted hardware and obsoleted OSes.

I'm looking for reason why this software might be misconfigured or otherwise not operating properly.

Alternatives to this computer and this OS are really not up for consideration at this time. I'll try that when and if I've confirmed there's nothing wrong with the setup, or hidden in the program options, that might be in the inaccessible .hlp files.

Thank you anyway.
 

Rred

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XP NG

Problem confirmed, the old XP system has exactly the same problems, the software won't see the radio. And the undocumented "FPro" program, which appears to do something to the COM port, doesn't make any difference, if I set the COM port using both it and the device manager to the same dedicated speed. (19.2 in this case, since it doesn't need speed. It has been at the default 9600.)

So, next theory. Confirmed the OS is not the answer.
 

kayn1n32008

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FPro is for updating firmware. Is the cable confirmed good? How long has it been since you used the cable? Sounds stupid, but try reading/writing from chirp/known good KPG software, just to ensure its not the cable/radio plig. Could it also be an issue with the plug inside the radio.
 

Rred

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Yes and yes, the cable is known good, and has been used several times in the past two months with two other radios. No problems.

If the socket in the radio is bad, that's a broken radio, something it isn't supposed to be, but I'm checking that option with the source as well.
 

Rred

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Someone pointed me to an older thread, which mentions several absurd ideas like "the RIB cable needs a new battery". I say absurd because unless I missed another memo...RIB cables are for Motorola's, not these radios. (Did I miss the memo?)

But, they were able to use the DOS 2.11 version of the software with no problem, after the Windows 4.22 version wouldn't find the radio. Their assumption? Was that somehow, the radio gets "set" to the software initially used to program it, and from then on it will only respond to that software.

OK, that's news to me, not mentioned anyplace I can find. Also somewhat heretical to those of us who speak RS-232, because all the software does, all the cable does, is PASS DATA back and forth. If I knew the correct data to read and write, I could do the same thing manually from my old Palm PDA. Data is data. Locking the radio to a specific software version would be MOST peculiar.

Still...IF I can get the USB cable to be seen from a DOS boot, or I can find an old serial-to-computer-audios cable...I'll try it. And it that doesn't work, when all else fails, I'll call Kenwood or drop by the local radio shop and run some old Monty Python lines by them. You know the parrot sketch? "It's dead" "It's not dead, it's just resting." "No, it's dead."

More to follow, I'm sure.
 

KK6ZTE

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Try KPG-67D?

It also shows as working on a 370G

I use all the non-DOS Kenwood FPU software on Windows 10 with no problems, it's likely not an OS issue.
 
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bharvey2

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I've also run a number of different Kenwood software versions (some fairly old) on newer computers and haven't had a problem. Although, I haven't used the particular software version that you're using. Since you've used that cable successfully with other Kenwood radios it seems that the cable wouldn't be the problem. One thing to consider as I've heard this but can't confirm: Some of the older software that was made for older computers can only use the lower com ports. Maybe this is an issue for you. Can you change the com port that your cable is using in the device manager to a lower port (1-4) and them select the lower port within the Kenwood software? Just grasping at straws but stranger things have worked.
 

Rred

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Thanks, I'll have to look at the 67D software if I can't pull together a DOS boot on an older machine. The older machine has a real hardware serial port, if needed, as well. The 57D software accepts some higher COM ports, but since I've got the adapter confirmed on COM1, I'm not worried about that.

The one mention that a radio may get "tainted" by any one version of the software (DOS vs Windows) and after that need to be reprogrammed with the same version is still a possible suspect, too.

I need a nice quiet day with a great deal of patience to look into this.
 

KK6ZTE

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I've personally used the 56D thoroughly on XP, 7, and Vista. Depending on firmware, you may be stuck using the newer version.
 

Rred

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"insider info, 56D is the wrong software for it. Try KPG-67"
The 56D software specifically lists several models of the 370 radio as being supported, on the internal menus. IIRC that's EU/vs/US market, but essentially all of the 370 series. Or is there something I'm missing regarding sub-versions of the radio versus the software?

Will-
It isn't that Windows steals COM ports. But MS never really explained the logic of COM parts to users, especially with NT. Windows will assign the COM ports in numerical order, up to #255. The catch is that it doesn't RELEASE them, ever. The user has to do that manually. And once a device is added on a specific USB port, it is added ONLY at that hardware port, you need to add it again for each of the USB ports on the machine. So a user with 4 USB ports on their computer, might actually want to add each device 4 times, to make sure that didn't become a future issue.
And also to block off ports 1-4, or 1-8, or 1-16, all legacy limits for older software. It is just the NT compliant software (everything after the Win9x/ME series) that reliably takes advantage of the higher ports.
Not really hard, once you know there's a man behind the curtain.(G)
 
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