TK-250 Programming with Windows 7

[TrevDog]

Hello all! I got a TK-250 and one TK-250(G) a while ago, but haven't done anything with them until recently. Anyway, I got the programming cable, a USB version- not USB-Serial adapter. I've tried using DosBox to run KPG23D and it works just fine except for the fact that the software won't recognize the radio when in PROG mode and attached with the aforementioned cable.

There are two options in the software as far as the input goes, COM1 and COM2. I've tried both, and neither work. I did some looking and found that none of the USB ports are COM's 1 or 2. More like 4-8, but I can't find what 1 and 2 are. My question is this: Is there a way to find out what COM1 and 2 are, or maybe a way to tie COM1 or 2 to one of the USB ports?

Can I even use KPG23D with DosBox, or do I need to setup Virtual Machine? I have an older Dell laptop with a floppy drive and no OS that I could install DOS on, but I'm thinking that then I would lose the USB functionality.

Thanks in advance for the replies!

 

[cabletech]

First off a newer computer with out a RS232 port will normally have the telco port as com 1.
The software WILL run thru DOSBOX, I do it all the time.

Open device manager, then plugin your cable, what com port does it show?

Now, you should be able to change the port number to 2.

And yes, if you load pure DOS on a machine than usually you do lose USB.

 

[TrevDog]

So, in Device Manager, there is no Ports tab. I did some looking online and what seems like what is needed to have it show up is to change the some settings in the Integrated Peripherals Menu, which is in the BIOS under the Advanced tab (apparently).

For the life of me, I cannot find the Integrated Peripherals Menu in my BIOS on a Toshiba Satellite P775-S7100.

So unless someone knows how to get to that menu, or has any other ideas, I'm stuck. Thank you to Cabletech for the quick response!

 

[WX9EMS]

Radio needs to be in PC mode, not PROG mode. The latter mode is for firmware upgrades.

 

[daugherh]

So, in Device Manager, there is no Ports tab. I did some looking online and what seems like what is needed to have it show up is to change the some settings in the Integrated Peripherals Menu, which is in the BIOS under the Advanced tab (apparently).

For the life of me, I cannot find the Integrated Peripherals Menu in my BIOS on a Toshiba Satellite P775-S7100.

So unless someone knows how to get to that menu, or has any other ideas, I'm stuck. Thank you to Cabletech for the quick response!

After you plug in your USB cable you should be able to: Click the start flag circle, right click on "Computer" and click manage. On the left pane under Computer Management, click Device Manager. Expand the "ports" and the "universal serial bus controllers" sections. (HINT: you may need to open device manager and those sections before plugging in your cable. Watch for a change in the section to identify your cable.) When you find it, right click it and click properties. Go to the "Port Settings" tab, and click advanced at the bottom. On the advanced screen you should see a com port number setting with a drop down list. Click the arrow to open the list and select either COM1 or COM2, based on the setting in the software for your radio.

This should fix the issue. If you wish you can reset the COM port settings before you unplug your cable or leave it as you wish.

 

[TrevDog]

Here is a screenshot of my Device Manager...

 

[daugherh]

That's extremely odd that you dont get a port setting tab. I'm not completely sure on the usb to serial controllers because I just use a Prolific USB serial cable that has the chip in the plug. Maybe someone else can chime in here. If not you can always shoot me a PM with how you'd like the radio programmed and send it to me. It's cross country with me in SC but could possibly save you a lot of trouble.

 

[TrevDog]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.4; en-us; DROIDX Build/4.5.1_57_DX8-51) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

I'd really like to be able to have the ability to program myself, but thank you for the offer. I will keep it in mind.

 

[TrevDog]

OK, just did a little looking. In the DOSBox Status Window, when I try to read the radio through the software, it puts out "BIOS INT14: Unhandled call AH=81 DX= 0"

This really makes me think that I need to mess with a BIOS setting...

 

[TrevDog]

Ok, I figure since nobody can help me with the programming, maybe you can answer these questions.

I was playing around with the 250, and came across a few sub-menus. When I startup while holding lamp and D/A, 'SEL' shows up on the display. When I push 'LO' in 'SEL', get a menu that says "ch." on the left, and X—Y on the right (x being #'s 1-6, and y being 1-8). I can scroll around each using the channel knob.

I was also able to enter a menu that showed zones(?) with channels(?) up into the 200's that could be scrolled with the channel knob. You can scroll through the zones(?) with the lamp/monitor buttons.

What the heck do these do? Thanks!

 

[WX9EMS]

That almost sounds like test mode, I wouldn't mess with those settings too much there; the numbers should go between 0 and 256, I think.

In my own opinion, it is easier to just find an older laptop or such and have it setup as dual boot or just DOS. I have fought with DOSBOX and several Kenwood DOS programs with little success. I just run everything under DOS like it was designed and it works flawlessly every time. You don't have to have a dinosaur of a computer by any means, I use a Toughbook with XP/MSDOS 7 dual boot and it works like a champ every time.

 

[MTS2000des]

That almost sounds like test mode, I wouldn't mess with those settings too much there; the numbers should go between 0 and 256, I think.

In my own opinion, it is easier to just find an older laptop or such and have it setup as dual boot or just DOS. I have fought with DOSBOX and several Kenwood DOS programs with little success. I just run everything under DOS like it was designed and it works flawlessly every time. You don't have to have a dinosaur of a computer by any means, I use a Toughbook with XP/MSDOS 7 dual boot and it works like a champ every time.

Best advice ever. Why people waste their time trying to get old software to run under newer operating systems is an exercise in futility. In some cases (especially with Motorola radios), you can turn a radio into a useless paperweight this way.

I currently use a Toughbook CF-29 mk 4 which runs XP. I made a small FAT16 partition on the HD where I keep all my DOS based radio programming software. When I need to program an older Kenwood or Motorola radio, I boot to DOS via the floppy drive and log to the hard disk, run the software and it works right everytime. Never had a problem, never bricked a radio either.

Trying to use USB anything with devices that don't support them is also a waste of time.

Do it with the right programming platform as the manufacturers intended and your life will be much easier, and you'll get the results you want.

 

[BirkenVogt]

I have just finished programming a pile of TK-250s with Dos Box on XP. The setting that is most important is that you have to set the dosbox conf file serial1 setting to a real port. Otherwise the software that is running in Dos Box goes nowhere when it goes out on a serial port.

 

[TrevDog]

I have just finished programming a pile of TK-250s with Dos Box on XP. The setting that is most important is that you have to set the dosbox conf file serial1 setting to a real port. Otherwise the software that is running in Dos Box goes nowhere when it goes out on a serial port.

Can you confirm that what I have is correct? I've just changed the setting to this, with no change:

'serial1=realport:COM4'

 

[BirkenVogt]

Assuming that the Kenwood adapter is actually assigned Com 4, then yes, that should have worked.

If it doesn't, I guess it is time to go back to a DOS or Win98 computer.

In my case, I was using an XP computer and had a different programming cable connected directly to the real serial port on the motherboard, so it was really different than your setup.

But on the other hand again, I have used my Windows 7 computer with Dos Box to connect out via a Win Modem at 2400 to a LTR controller at the radio site and made some programming changes successfully. I was amazed that it even worked, but it did work.

 

[TrevDog]

Well, to be honest I didn't have the highest hopes to begin with. Thanks for taking the time and trying to help, though!

 

[searchrescueff]

First off, I am in no way bashing the use of DosBox. I tried it, and didn't get along with it at all.

Second, I run Windows 7 on my Acer Aspire (NO SERIAL PORTS) and run Microsoft Virtual PC (FREE FROM MICROSOFT) to program my TK-250(G). I have both XP and 98SE installed in Virtual PC, with 98SE for use of the DOS software, and XP for use of the other up-to-date software (at least the ones that still have issues with anything newer than XP).

I had to make sure that the com port for use with Virtual PC (VPC Com1 set with Physical Com6 or whichever com my adapter is plugged in) was right in settings, then make sure the com port details were matched between 98SE and Win7. Makes for a little more work to program, but well worth it to me.

I hope that any of this information helps you in your quest to program your radio!!

 

[tazp11]

Radio needs to be in PC mode, not PROG mode. The latter mode is for firmware upgrades.

You should press "Light" and "LO" as you switch on, to get to -PC- mode, instead of "Light" and "SCN" which leads to PROG mode. Took 3 days of my life!

I am fun of "use old to oldies" and for old radios, I use a lap-top and (always option 2) a pc, both on 66MHz cpu and pure dos. Also, fun of home-brew cables.

 

[CCEMS703]

I have a tk-250G that I am having trouble getting the dosbox to communicate with. Did you ever have any luck ?