Nailed it with that one. I never understood why CCR's insist on using such awful fonts for displays. They have stolen everything else, why not steal a decent readable font, instead of using a horrible open source one?
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New CCR brand?
- Thread starter krokus
- Start date
Nailed it with that one. I never understood why CCR's insist on using such awful fonts for displays. They have stolen everything else, why not steal a decent readable font, instead of using a horrible open source one?
hbillsmith
Member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2021
- Messages
- 5
AK9R, interesting observation. I wonder if some of the readability issues had anything to do with youtube resolution. I have the actual radio and find the color screen and it's fonts to be very clear. Even the tiny display icons like channel '001' or 'H' for high power etc. I am 73 and wear glasses. In any case, your opinion and reply are welcome. Thanks.
This seems to be a common problem with display designers. They don't understand the concept of maintaining space between digits. From a distance or at a bad angle or in low light, the digits run together.
It resembles my Anytone 878 but I have seen at least a dozen CCR copies that look exactly like the Anytone 878.
hbillsmith
Member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2021
- Messages
- 5
Chirp Beta Driver for Radtel RT-490 posted yesterday at danplanet Click here for link to download Chirp RT-490 Driver
The Chirp development team posted the RT-490 driver yesterday 2022/May/6. Currently it is available as a developer 'Load Function' and should be incorporated in the production Chirp release soon. The Chirp driver and Instructions on how to do 'Load Function' in Chirp are at the link above.
As many have observed the RT-490 is an identical clone to the MMLradio JC-8629 and others. The Chirp test team tested the Chirp driver on the following radios (all worked identical, no special tweaks were required for any of these models). All have been added in as supported models (Example: When in Chirp doing a radio read, the drop now includes Radtel, then for Model RT-490).
The Chirp RT-490 included testing where Chirp radio writes were read back into both the vendor's Multiband software and the Super Walkie Talkie Bluetooth APK for confirmation that settings remained the same and that no bad bits caused any problems. Likewise, Excel imports and exports also worked perfect.
Testing included taking a radio that is NOT a clone to these (used a Baofeng UV-5R) to load and importing its memory collections into the Radtel and others (Perfect). Saving and swapping Channel collections works great. Used the standard 2-pin K-style programming cable plugged into the RT490 and did a write, moved the cable to the MML JC8629 and did the same write (actually moved that cable back and forth across multiple radios many times).
During the driver build the team validated additional settings that were not available in the other software. So after testing, those were added (a simple example is in addition to selecting FM Radio On or Off, a field was added so a radio station can be specified in settings).
Lastly, another good thing that came out of this process is that the team was able to identify the settings necessary to have up to 10 of these radios programmed as a group capable of doing real-time GPS updates within the group (this may be analog APRS).
The Chirp development team posted the RT-490 driver yesterday 2022/May/6. Currently it is available as a developer 'Load Function' and should be incorporated in the production Chirp release soon. The Chirp driver and Instructions on how to do 'Load Function' in Chirp are at the link above.
As many have observed the RT-490 is an identical clone to the MMLradio JC-8629 and others. The Chirp test team tested the Chirp driver on the following radios (all worked identical, no special tweaks were required for any of these models). All have been added in as supported models (Example: When in Chirp doing a radio read, the drop now includes Radtel, then for Model RT-490).
The Chirp RT-490 included testing where Chirp radio writes were read back into both the vendor's Multiband software and the Super Walkie Talkie Bluetooth APK for confirmation that settings remained the same and that no bad bits caused any problems. Likewise, Excel imports and exports also worked perfect.
Testing included taking a radio that is NOT a clone to these (used a Baofeng UV-5R) to load and importing its memory collections into the Radtel and others (Perfect). Saving and swapping Channel collections works great. Used the standard 2-pin K-style programming cable plugged into the RT490 and did a write, moved the cable to the MML JC8629 and did the same write (actually moved that cable back and forth across multiple radios many times).
During the driver build the team validated additional settings that were not available in the other software. So after testing, those were added (a simple example is in addition to selecting FM Radio On or Off, a field was added so a radio station can be specified in settings).
Lastly, another good thing that came out of this process is that the team was able to identify the settings necessary to have up to 10 of these radios programmed as a group capable of doing real-time GPS updates within the group (this may be analog APRS).
- Radtel RT-490
- MMLradio JC-8629
- JJCC JC-8629
- Socotran FB/JC-8629
- Boristone 8RS
- HamGeek HG590
- Jianpai 8800 Plus (new model has USB-C charging)
- Abbree AR-869 (new model has USB-C charging)
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 176
Got it. It's nice for a CCR. Couple of caveats though. It's a little 'off.' Not as sensitive as my other radios and when I plugged in the Baofeng cable that threw it into transmit and I missed it and don't know whether I wiped out the final or not. Antenna connector isn't straight so neither is the antenna. It is very recessed and if you use a Nagoya you'll have to modify the base of the antenna.
I still really like it, but I'm returning it for a replacement just to see. Oh, and Chirp worked fine otherwise.
Keep you posted.
I still really like it, but I'm returning it for a replacement just to see. Oh, and Chirp worked fine otherwise.
Keep you posted.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
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- 180
The Radtel Website says the RT-490 is capable of FHSS...... yeah right
Updates?
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 176
Nope, I made a mistake, the radio was fine. In fact, I like them so much I kept the replacement and the one I was gonna return, cancelled the return. I use a different programming cable - Amazon.com: Baofeng Programming Cable for BAOFENG UV-5R/5RA/5R Plus/5RE, UV3R Plus, BF-888S, 5R EX, 5RX3, GA-2S, UV-82 (39 inch Mirkit Red, Version 2022, This one Works!) : Electronics - and that took care of any getting locked into transmit problems.
I do not use Chirp now for this radio. The factory software permits custom characters-*+/, etc in alphanumeric channel naming, plus more in quantity-and Chirp does not, nor will they address it, and they never released the release version of the driver incorporated into the software-instead you have to load the driver separately in developer mode, at least this is where it was at last month but gave up checking then since I'm fine with factory software.
Rx audio is hi-fi for a CCR-pleasant to listen to and not shrill. Love the color display. Build quality good. Motorola XPR7550 knobs fit fine, I changed out the originals to get the grippability of the Motorola knobs. And aircraft band works really good. I'm close enough that I can hear both sides of an ATC conversation, ground station is 10-15 miles away from me.
The antenna connector really isn't straight-I cut a piece of scrap and laid it in the "low" side of the socket and screwed in the antenna snug until the scrap (plastic sliver, whatever you wanna use) compressed and now the antenna sits nice and straight. I'm anal about little stuff like that.
golftango
Member
anyone have a link to a manual for any of the brands of this model? i just got one in and the IOS app is useless. no, i'm wrong, what worse than useless? antagonistic? adversarial? i have a chromebook and an android tablet but google play store doesn't register any hits for the chinese characters which are all that is supplied to find the app.
having a usb-c charging port is a revelation and now i have two dozen radios i consider worthless because i have to keep up with a battery holder and a power cord for every single one of them.
i will say that the radio doesn't feel cheap and the display is bright and crisp. the buttons respond well. based on zero real use or tests i think $60 was well spent on it--i've paid much more for total trash name brands.
chirp doesn't work on my mac because apple in their infinite wisdom deprecated python and chirp won't work without python 2.7. but i had to install python 3.1 for a device and now chirp won't load. i do have chirp on a parallels image of win11 so i can fall back on that if i can't get a bt app to work.
[later note] found the radtel rt-490 manual here: file:///Users/sysop/Desktop/Radtel%20RT490%20User%20Manual%20English%20Expanded_Bluetooth_vKevin.pdf
and this chirp developer ?blog? is about the most useful information i've found. pretty well everything you'd ever need in this long post:
/guy (73 de kg5gt | wqpz784)
having a usb-c charging port is a revelation and now i have two dozen radios i consider worthless because i have to keep up with a battery holder and a power cord for every single one of them.
i will say that the radio doesn't feel cheap and the display is bright and crisp. the buttons respond well. based on zero real use or tests i think $60 was well spent on it--i've paid much more for total trash name brands.
chirp doesn't work on my mac because apple in their infinite wisdom deprecated python and chirp won't work without python 2.7. but i had to install python 3.1 for a device and now chirp won't load. i do have chirp on a parallels image of win11 so i can fall back on that if i can't get a bt app to work.
[later note] found the radtel rt-490 manual here: file:///Users/sysop/Desktop/Radtel%20RT490%20User%20Manual%20English%20Expanded_Bluetooth_vKevin.pdf
and this chirp developer ?blog? is about the most useful information i've found. pretty well everything you'd ever need in this long post:
/guy (73 de kg5gt | wqpz784)
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 176
anyone have a link to a manual for any of the brands of this model? i just got one in and the IOS app is useless. no, i'm wrong, what worse than useless? antagonistic? adversarial? i have a chromebook and an android tablet but google play store doesn't register any hits for the chinese characters which are all that is supplied to find the app.
having a usb-c charging port is a revelation and now i have two dozen radios i consider worthless because i have to keep up with a battery holder and a power cord for every single one of them.
i will say that the radio doesn't feel cheap and the display is bright and crisp. the buttons respond well. based on zero real use or tests i think $60 was well spent on it--i've paid much more for total trash name brands.
chirp doesn't work on my mac because apple in their infinite wisdom deprecated python and chirp won't work without python 2.7. but i had to install python 3.1 for a device and now chirp won't load. i do have chirp on a parallels image of win11 so i can fall back on that if i can't get a bt app to work.
[later note] found the radtel rt-490 manual here: file:///Users/sysop/Desktop/Radtel%20RT490%20User%20Manual%20English%20Expanded_Bluetooth_vKevin.pdf
and this chirp developer ?blog? is about the most useful information i've found. pretty well everything you'd ever need in this long post:
/guy (73 de kg5gt | wqpz784)
Not to cop an attitude, but use a PC with Windows, get the cable listed in my previous post and go to town. And forget the Android app-it's junk. You wouldn't get very far until it crashes horribly. Tried it on several Androids.
Here's a link to the latest software: https://rugbyradiosuk.com/collectio...mming-software-for-jc8629-v1-5-2-2022-english
I messaged you also.
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golftango
Member
rts to save day as usual. i've probably spent enough there to buy those guys a couple of beach houses! there's a funny caveat though--rts won't let you enter airband freqs although if you save one on the radio it will read it in.
i've used a mac since 1987 and those who use windows deserve what they get, imo. i remember long ago i showed up to a cisco router class with a powerbook and the instructor flat told me i wouldn't be able to complete the class unless i had a windows laptop. on the last day of class his laptop crashed and they had to use my powerbook as a tftp server.
having said that, via the genius of 'emulation' i've always run multiple operating systems. in fact, i was at a ham radio flea market and saw a guy running dos 3.1in a window on a powerbook and i immediately traded him 3 handie-talkies for it and never looked back! i have about two dozen radios i configure on the mac and from about two years ago rts is now porting their programmers to the mac--so even less incentive to run windows.
/guy
i've used a mac since 1987 and those who use windows deserve what they get, imo. i remember long ago i showed up to a cisco router class with a powerbook and the instructor flat told me i wouldn't be able to complete the class unless i had a windows laptop. on the last day of class his laptop crashed and they had to use my powerbook as a tftp server.
having said that, via the genius of 'emulation' i've always run multiple operating systems. in fact, i was at a ham radio flea market and saw a guy running dos 3.1in a window on a powerbook and i immediately traded him 3 handie-talkies for it and never looked back! i have about two dozen radios i configure on the mac and from about two years ago rts is now porting their programmers to the mac--so even less incentive to run windows.
/guy
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sinisternm
Newbie
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2019
- Messages
- 3
this is by far the best info ive found about these clones, but as time passes so the firmware and models seem to grow. ive got an abbree ar-f8 that has the radtel rt-490 display but no Bluetooth. the NOAA feature is in the menu but it wont show up in the key programming options, and the gps transmit function seems useless until i get another radio. the user manual is also completely off, i have a programming menu completely separate from the settings. the but my main problem is i can't get any software ive found to work with it, ive tried chirp, multiband, wlt-100, and 2 or 3 other software i was pointed to from other forums. i use an old baofeng uv-5r cable and have resigned myself to manually programming it. firmware ver: v02.01.007.
w2xq
Mentor
Found this thread on the Jianpai 8800 and RadTel RT-490. Here is another thread on the 8800:
forums.radioreference.com
I am quite pleased with my 8800. The most important feature for me: Bluetooth programming. The Android app doesn't have the spit and polish found in most things in the Play Store, but it is entirely useable for programming the radio. I don't have to find a Windows computer, a programming cable and a driver. (I totally dislike Windows...)
Jianpai 8800 - feedback welcome
I picked up one of these handhelds from Banggood, arrived yesterday. It's a little stockier than I would have liked, and yes, it shipped with a UHF antenna, not a dual band. Stupid in my opinion. I usually upgrade the antenna anyway, but I don't dare even test it on the local repeater on the...
I am quite pleased with my 8800. The most important feature for me: Bluetooth programming. The Android app doesn't have the spit and polish found in most things in the Play Store, but it is entirely useable for programming the radio. I don't have to find a Windows computer, a programming cable and a driver. (I totally dislike Windows...)
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