Retevis RT3S CPS question.

[TNFrank]

I downloaded the CPS for the Retevis RT3S to give it a look before I ordered the radio. Just like the Baofeng DM-1701 I sent back there's no option for picking a COM Port. So how is the CPS going to know where to find the radio? Should I try to find a different DMR radio or do you think this will work ok?

[MarkInTampa]

8 hours ago, TNFrank said:

I downloaded the CPS for the Retevis RT3S to give it a look before I ordered the radio. Just like the Baofeng DM-1701 I sent back there's no option for picking a COM Port. So how is the CPS going to know where to find the radio? Should I try to find a different DMR radio or do you think this will work ok?

If I had to guess it's probably like my TYT MD-380 since the RT3S is a rebranded TYT MD-UV380 (newer/dual band version of the MD-380). There is NO com port to choose from in the CPS and also uses a different programming cable than a Wouxun/Kenwood style HT does even though they look the same. Make sure you have the right cable. In Windows device manager it will not show as a com port, it will show (after driver installation) under "Universal Serial Bus devices" as a "Digital Radio in USB mode".

 

[MarkInTampa]

Have you tried using Editcp? Third party CPS software for the MD-380, 390, RT3S and a few others that claims to be able to upload/download and edit codeplugs to the radio via USB and runs under Linux native.

https://www.farnsworth.org/dale/codeplug/editcp/

 

[TNFrank]

On the Radtel RT3s(that I'm returning) I had to use my Talkpod A36 Plus cable with my Linux computer running WINE and it worked fine but the Radtel CPS did let me pick a COM port.

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, TNFrank said:

On the Radtel RT3s(that I'm returning) I had to use my Talkpod A36 Plus cable with my Linux computer running WINE and it worked fine but the Radtel CPS did let me pick a COM port.

@MarkInTampa’s tip nailed it!!

So then, which DMR HT are you going to try next?

Did I previously suggest the TYT-MD-UV390 with OpenGD77 pre-installed from LetsGetReadyRadios: https://letsgetreadyinc.com/opengd390plus

[LeoG]

If it's a USB port then it'll be automatic most likely.  Not a true com port, just a virtual.

[TNFrank]

1 hour ago, WRYS709 said:

@MarkInTampa’s tip nailed it!!

So then, which DMR HT are you going to try next?

Right now it's a toss up between the Retevis RT3S(well within my budget)is a 2 package deal Airiton DM-168(Anytone AT-D168UV) which is $60 over budget BUT I'm getting 2 radios at basically the same price that 2 RT3S's would cost.

[WRYS709]

4 hours ago, TNFrank said:

Right now it's a toss up between the Retevis RT3S(well within my budget)is a 2 package deal Airiton DM-168(Anytone AT-D168UV) which is $60 over budget BUT I'm getting 2 radios at basically the same price that 2 RT3S's would cost.

Have you read any user feedback about the quality of the Airitons?  Personally, I have never heard of this company

 

[TNFrank]

41 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

Have you read any user feedback about the quality of the Airitons?  Personally, I have never heard of this company

 

They look like a clone of the AT-D168UV. Probably made by the same factory and rebranded with a different name at a lower price. 

I ordered the RT3S because it was closer to my budget. After I get used to programming DMR I'll probably order a second radio, maybe at a higher price point but hopefully the RT3S will be a good starter radio to learn on.

[TNFrank]

I'm having the same issue with the RT3S as I did with the DM-1701, no way to select the COM port so it won't "read" the radio. It says usb my be unplugged or in use. I've unplugged everything but my mouse and keyboard so there's only 2 things plugged into usb. I'm going to try downloading a .iso of Win10 and run it in VirtualBox to see if it'll "see" the radio there. If I can't get it working then I'm just going to give up on DMR. It really sucks that the CPS software doesn't work better or isn't set up better so as to let us select a COM port.  None of my Analog radios give me this many problems. 

[TNFrank]

That's it, I give up. I'm not going to worry about DMR as cool as it sounded. It's just too much hassle trying to get my computer to "read" the dang radio.  I'll stick with Analog and be happy I have it. 

[SteveShannon]

51 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

That's it, I give up. I'm not going to worry about DMR as cool as it sounded. It's just too much hassle trying to get my computer to "read" the dang radio.  I'll stick with Analog and be happy I have it. 

If you’re really not interested in pursuing DMR, don’t buy a DMR radio. None that I have seen are fantastic analog radios. The interface of DMR radios are not as easy to use for analog configuration as a decent analog radios 

[TNFrank]

Analog really wasn't that hard to program WHEN the radio would connect to the radio. The DMR part does require a bit of a learning curve though.

I had such high hopes for the RT3S but if I can't connect yo the computer then I can't program it.

 

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, TNFrank said:

That's it, I give up. I'm not going to worry about DMR as cool as it sounded. It's just too much hassle trying to get my computer to "read" the dang radio.  I'll stick with Analog and be happy I have it. 

Whew: it’s been exhausting! 

I have no experience with Linux, but it sounds like you are beating your head against a wall for no good reason. 

You know, Windows 10 and 11 do not require activation and hence are free?!? 

[TNFrank]

I downloaded a copy of Win10 and tried to install it in VirtualBox but VB couldn't read the activation code so it wouldn't install. 

It has been exhausting, I get excited about DMR only to be let down by CPS's that won't play nice with WINE. I've not had that problem with any of the CPS programs for the analog radios I have. 

[SteveShannon]

7 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

I downloaded a copy of Win10 and tried to install it in VirtualBox but VB couldn't read the activation code so it wouldn't install. 

It has been exhausting, I get excited about DMR only to be let down by CPS's that won't play nice with WINE. I've not had that problem with any of the CPS programs for the analog radios I have. 

As far as the CPS for the MD UV380, I have used both it and the OpenUV380 CPS on a Mac, in Parallels, remotely accessed using RIM without any issues.  I have also used RT Systems native Mac CPSes with various radios. All have worked.

I don’t think your problem is the CPS software.  I think it’s the translation between the hardware USB port in Unix and the port, whether USB or comport, in the Windows virtual machine. 

[WRYS709]

I did a little coding when I was young, but I can’t imagine what aspect of a DMR CPS, which is fundamentally a relational database, is causing you such fits. But to be honest, I have no interest in Linux just to solve a puzzle when so many alternative solutions exist on my Mac that just work!

Although I am a happy camper with Parallels, I am intrigued to solve your Virtualbox problem and attempt to install Win10 and then program my non-OpenGD77 DB-25D on it, so…

Which flavor of OS X are you using and please link me the VirtualBox you downloaded to run in it, so I can emulate yiur setup and then attempt to get Win10 and DMR COS running in it!

I will acknowledge that COM ports in Windows is a “dark science!!”

[TNFrank]

I'm running MX-Linux, 23.3 which is a Debian based Distro with the KDE Desktop environment. I've been on it for a few years now and it's the longest I've stuck with a Distro because it's been rock solid stable, the desktop environment is light weight and looks and works well and I can update my entire system with a couple simple commands in the Terminal. 

I'm sure it all had something to do with the way Linux handles devices vs the way an actual Windows install handles things.

 

[WRYS709]

I have no interest in how you run Linux. Just thinking about it, gives me heart palpitations!!

Please give me more details about this statement:

4 hours ago, TNFrank said:

I downloaded a copy of Win10 and tried to install it in VirtualBox but VB couldn't read the activation code so it wouldn't install. 

I would like to recreate your workflow to see why you were not successful with Windows 10 in VirtualBox.

Also, please link me to your download of VirtualBox, and let me know which version of OS X is on your Mac. 

4 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

Which flavor of OS X are you using and please link me the VirtualBox you downloaded to run in it, so I can emulate your setup and then attempt to get Win10 and DMR CPS running in it!

 

[WRYS709]

[deleted]

[radioruck]

@TNFrank I haven’t tried it yet but qdmr seems promising and supports the RT3S, assuming the issue you’re running into is something with Wine/virtualization:

https://dm3mat.darc.de/qdmr/

 

[SteveShannon]

6 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

Also, please link me to your download of VirtualBox, and let me know which version of OS X is on your Mac

I don’t think Frank is running a Mac at all.  He has only spoken about running Linux.  

 

28 minutes ago, MarkInTampa said:

upload/download and edit codeplugs to the radio via USB and runs under Linux native.

https://www.farnsworth.org/dale/codeplug/editcp/