Wouxun-KG-905G-Programming-Software

[Radioboy1962]

Pleased to report I received my two  Wouxun-KG-905G's from BTWR yesterday.  After inspecting the units, & charging them up, I started to utilize them.

They're very nice, solid units, & although (during the interrium wait for them to ship) I purchased an 805G, to familiarize myself with the basics of the HT,

I'm really satisfied with the overall out of the box quality of the KG-905G's, and reception with the updated Nagoya NA-771G's I added to the order.

One noteworthy issue I wanted to share with folks here,  as it created a slight bit of anxiety for me while I was trying to utilize the USB Programming Cable (PCO-001)

cable to connect to the Wouxun-KG-905G-Programming-Software,  it seems there is a glitch in the Wouxun software with regards to identifying the COM PORT.

Initially, if you click on [Setup] -> [Com SetUp] you may experience an issue where you cannot modify (or select) an available com port on your system.

In discussing the issue with BTWR, I was told this is a known issue which Wouxun is addressing, but for now - the "Work Around" is to go into windows control

panel, identify which com port the: >> Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge << is associated with, then go into properties for that com port & then

select & confirm [Com Port 1] *disregard the  message indicating the port is in use if you see that on your system, and just confirm modifying Com Port 1.

Once you do that, the change takes effect immediately, & when you return to the Wouxun-KG-905G-Programming-Software, and then click on: [Edit] -> [Read]

the "Read" dialogue box will appear, and you can click on: [Start] to go ahead and download the image from your radio.

You'll also notice navigating to:  [Setup] -> [Com SetUp], that a black dot next to the left of [Com1] should appear in the communication port dialogue box.

*I attached a few screen shots to help anyone follow along if that helps.  Should anyone experience this issue, and need some help - feel free to message me,

I'm happy to offer any assistance if need be.

~JT

WRKZ907

[mbrun]

Thanks for sharing that tip for all the soon to be new owners of the 905.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[Radioboy1962]

You bet Michael, after the wait I endured until my order arrived, and then experiencing this issue, (which really wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been)

I wanted to at least share my knowledge & insight into the matter, so others wouldn't be concerned there was any major issue trying to program their radio.

It's a glitch (admitably) but nothing major!

~JT

WRKZ907

[MozartMan]

Another option is to disable all COM ports in the BIOS of your computer motherboard. This way, when you plug in your programming cable, you will have only one COM port to choose from. This was my case.

And disabling all COM ports in the BIOS should not be a problem because I don't think you can find computer peripherals in this age of technology that use serial ports.

[MacJack]

Good job of setup for software... This is a new post on BTWR website...   https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2021/05/how-to-install-the-programming-cable-and-software-for-the-kg-905g.html

Has a good work around as well.

Jack

[MacJack]

I have had an issue with cut or copy and paste with 905G software to different groups... I found out that you need to right-click and select Copy from pop up.  It seems Wouxun software guys overwritten the Ctrl-C shortcut with the COM port selection screen.  I hope they figure that out soon...  Another option coming soon is to purchasing from BTWR a new software for PC for both 805G and 905G that does a lot...  More info later as it is released....  Without cable it is around $25 download asap...

Jack

[Roadrunner74]

Any update on this issue? My 905 should arrive Saturday and was just curious if the software issue had been resolved.

-RR

[MacJack]

RR, as I said I use an old XP and not a PC guy, more Mac... I was lucky to get the groups setup with cut and paste but not now using  I did see that https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/Handhelds_c_65.html will be coming out with a 905G software and not here yet...   Wouxun software works, I just have not mastered it yet.

Keep us up to date on what is going one... 

MacJack

[Roadrunner74]

15 hours ago, MacJack said:

RR, as I said I use an old XP and not a PC guy, more Mac... I was lucky to get the groups setup with cut and paste but not now using  I did see that https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/Handhelds_c_65.html will be coming out with a 905G software and not here yet...   Wouxun software works, I just have not mastered it yet.

Keep us up to date on what is going one... 

MacJack

MJ-

Will do... I run Windows 10 on my laptop so hopefully there won't be any issues but if the Comm port issue arises I'll just follow the op's work-around... I'm still pretty new to all this but at least I've learned how to program my Baofeng with Chirp so I have a little experience with PC radio programming...

[MacJack]

You are all set...

MacJack

[Toadman]

Windows 10. Followed all steps adn screenshots above.
Red Wouxen cable with Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM1)  This chipped cable is from the UV9DPlus and supposedly compatible.
Ran Win 8 compatibility mode in COM1 (Device manager) or any other COM port it assigns, "in use" or not. (I only have a mouse)
Launch 905G setup and still has all com ports greyed-out.
What's up with this? Wrong cable?

 

[TOM47]

1 hour ago, Toadman said:

Windows 10. Followed all steps adn screenshots above.
Red Wouxen cable with Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM1)  This chipped cable is from the UV9DPlus and supposedly compatible.???
Ran Win 8 compatibility mode in COM1 (Device manager) or any other COM port it assigns, "in use" or not. (I only have a mouse)
Launch 905G setup and still has all com ports greyed-out.
What's up with this? Wrong cable?

What's up with this? Wrong cable?  POSSIBLE 

 

[WyoJoe]

Does the cable work for programming the UV9D Plus? If so, you probably want to use the same settings for the 905G.

Is the 905G software intended to run on Windows 8? Have you tried Windows 7 compatibility mode or none at all?

Do you have any errors in Device Manager? Perhaps the driver isn't loading correctly.

As one that rarely uses Windows, I'm just taking a couple of shots in the dark at some things I'm thinking it could be.

 

It's taken me some time to figure out, but I've been able to get most of my radio programming software working in Linux, using Wine for the stuff that's intended to run on Windows.

 

[mbrun]

Windows 10. Followed all steps adn screenshots above.
Red Wouxen cable with Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM1)  This chipped cable is from the UV9DPlus and supposedly compatible.
Ran Win 8 compatibility mode in COM1 (Device manager) or any other COM port it assigns, "in use" or not. (I only have a mouse)
Launch 905G setup and still has all com ports greyed-out.
What's up with this? Wrong cable?
 

The Red Cable should work just fine. The issue is with the software. Software needs to be run either in Admin’ or ‘Compatibility Mode’. There is a FAQ about it on the BTWR site.

As I recall, you can right click on the desktop shortcut for the 905 software and choose compatibility mode setting from on one of the tabs accessible from there.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2021/05/how-to-install-the-programming-cable-and-software-for-the-kg-905g.html

[Toadman]

I figured it out! Not only do you have to right-click KG905G desktop icon--> properties--> compatibility mode,  you must run the app in Windows Admin!

Thanks for the help, guys.
 

[Datanerd]

Thanks from a new 905G owner and GMRS noob. I am a bit shocked by how little info is provided by the manufacturer and seller on how to run the software. I noticed under Edit > Optional Features there are two tabs. I understand the Option tab as a view of what we can change using the MENU button on the radio. However, the DTMF one is a bit of a mystery.  The Google turned up a reference to telephone touch tones. Is this something at all useful to GMRS users, or is is a vestigial part of the programming software intended for a different application, or perhaps for non-US users?

[wayoverthere]

4 hours ago, Datanerd said:

Thanks from a new 905G owner and GMRS noob. I am a bit shocked by how little info is provided by the manufacturer and seller on how to run the software. I noticed under Edit > Optional Features there are two tabs. I understand the Option tab as a view of what we can change using the MENU button on the radio. However, the DTMF one is a bit of a mystery.  The Google turned up a reference to telephone touch tones. Is this something at all useful to GMRS users, or is is a vestigial part of the programming software intended for a different application, or perhaps for non-US users?

It's primarily something that carries over from the ham origins of the radio. There are repeaters set up to accept commands via DTMF tones, things like changing frequencies or turning off the transmitters. since much of the hardware can carry over to gmrs, this feature may be out there on gmrs repeaters as well.

The vestigial part (at least for gmrs) is that on the ham side, DTMF tones can be used to dial numbers on an autopatch equipped repeater to make phone calls....these are explicitly not allowed for gmrs though (interconnections to the telephone network).

Edited October 6, 2021 by wayoverthere
minor clarifying

[Radioboy1962]

Thanks for the insight on that @Datanerd

interesting to know!  

[Lscott]

12 hours ago, wayoverthere said:

It's primarily something that carries over from the ham origins of the radio. There are repeaters set up to accept commands via DTMF tones, things like changing frequencies or turning off the transmitters. since much of the hardware can carry over to gmrs, this feature may be out there on gmrs repeaters as well.

The vestigial part (at least for gmrs) is that on the ham side, DTMF tones can be used to dial numbers on an autopatch equipped repeater to make phone calls....these are explicitly not allowed for gmrs though (interconnections to the telephone network).

On the Ham side DTMF tones have been used to access other linked analog repeaters using for example Echolink. I'm not sure if any linked GMRS repeaters use a similar system to access a specific linked repeater.

[IanM]

From what I understand with these Chinese radios, the DTMF is actually (well, intended to be) used for paging and selective calling, like Motorola Quik-Call. I believe some older Kenwood systems used DTMF, and Wikipedia has a short article section on it. I just haven't been able to figure out in the least how to get it to work between two different Baofeng models and two Wouxun models. The 905 seems to be able to decode and display DTMF on screen but doesn't emit any type of page tone. Long-pressing PF1 makes it dial whatever is in CALL ID1 followed by the ID-EDIT field, it seems. The other radios don't do anything with it. Can't figure out what the Baofengs send when PTT-ID is switched on... The 905 has the ability to use DTMF squelch instead or in conjunction with tones, which has interesting (if useless) possibilities.

I'll be interested to play with this more when my 935 comes in tomorrow, though the manual (and the parent model UV8H manual, as well as other Wouxun manuals) are clear as mud on it. So far, all I've been able to do is set off the alarm with a bunch of random key presses from a Baofeng.

All that said, in contrast to what wayoverthere said, I'd politely disagree and guess this is more to do with vestiges of a LMR dispatch system than autopatch and repeater control of ham systems. PTT-ID is very useful with dispatch software to identify a unit, but at least on analog in the US, MDC1200 became the standard. Maybe DTMF paging is still widespread in China?

 

As an aside to further readers: CHECK RPT15'S FREQUENCIES. For some reason one of them is programmed off-channel to 46x.500 out of the box—don't remember if it was TX or RX, but I had a heck of a time trying to hit my local repeater until I dug into the program and saw. Creating a new config file in the software doesn't have this problem, it seems it was just limited to what was flashed to the HT itself.

[Airtalker21]

thank you for this topic, it help a lot

[mbrun]

DTMF decoding all my KG-905G is very poor (to the point of being completely worthless), but rock solid on some other models I have.

When another radio with DTMF sends out its ANI-ID/PTT-ID (usually 3-6 digits) the radio display should reflect the code it just received. Or, if the transmitting radio has DTMF buttons and sends out characters followed by #, the 905 should display them.

If you have two units you can perform a test. Use the software to program two different PTT-ID codes into the radios and enable it to transmit each time you press PTT.

So far the uses I have learned for DTMF include: Identification of the transmitting radio, use in some radio calling functions (to alert another radio), to control certain repeater functions, as an alternative to PL codes for opening squelch on another radio, for gaining access to a repeater, for dispatch software recognition of the radio transmitting.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, mbrun said:

DTMF decoding all my KG-905G is very poor (to the point of being completely worthless), but rock solid on some other models I have.

When another radio with DTMF sends out its ANI-ID/PTT-ID (usually 3-6 digits) the radio display should reflect the code it just received. Or, if the transmitting radio has DTMF buttons and sends out characters followed by #, the 905 should display them.

If you have two units you can perform a test. Use the software to program two different PTT-ID codes into the radios and enable it to transmit each time you press PTT.

So far the uses I have learned for DTMF include: Identification of the transmitting radio, use in some radio calling functions (to alert another radio), to control certain repeater functions, as an alternative to PL codes for opening squelch on another radio, for gaining access to a repeater, for dispatch software recognition of the radio transmitting.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

Do the TX'ing radios allow changing the timing parameters for encoding the DTMF tones? I know on the commercial Kenwoods I have there are timing parameters I can tweak. Maybe your radio needs longer duration tones and slower sending rate to give it more time to decode.

[mbrun]

Do the TX'ing radios allow changing the timing parameters for encoding the DTMF tones? I know on the commercial Kenwoods I have there are timing parameters I can tweak. Maybe your radio needs longer duration tones and slower sending rate to give it more time to decode.

No, not that I am aware of. Worth exploring.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[IanM]

6 hours ago, mbrun said:

So far the uses I have learned for DTMF include: Identification of the transmitting radio, use in some radio calling functions (to alert another radio), to control certain repeater functions, as an alternative to PL codes for opening squelch on another radio, for gaining access to a repeater, for dispatch software recognition of the radio transmitting.
 

Curious how you set up a calling function—that's something I'm particularly interested in. I know this is not FRS and we are serious radio operators here (), but that would be incredibly useful to me, absent the usual 'call' button bubble-pack radios usually sport. In my usage, there is a member or two of my calling party that will turn the volume down inadvertently or stuff the HT in a bag, and being able to hail them short of screaming over the air or kerchunking with the roger beep on would be very useful.

All I've been able to do so far is set off the SOS alarm on the 905 by some combination of random DTMF presses whose sequence escapes me.