At Last! RT Systems for AT-779

[SteveShannon]

This could solve the only issue I have with the DB20G. Who’s gonna be the first to try this?

https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/AT-779UV_c_2218.html

 

[SteveShannon]

Well, I tried it.  It worked exactly as expected, finally making it possible to create channels based on frequencies imported from RepeaterBook or other online sources. I inserted channels and that worked.  I think I tried every menu.  There were no surprises. 

The radio I tried it with one of my two Rdioddity DB20G radios.  I read from the radio first and saved that as a working file.  Then I did an import from RepeaterBook of all the 2 meter and 70 cm repeaters within 100 miles of my zip code.  I created a new file with those channels, then inserted a blank line at the top for our club's simplex channel.  I programmed that channel and discovered that when creating a new channel it defaults to Low Power, which is about 6 watts for this particular radio. I changed that to High and wrote to the radio again.

Everything worked exactly as it should. For me the lack of decent CPS was my only complaint (well, also how they labeled the FUNC button). After reading their cautions about using the AT779UV software with similar radios and their comment about having to correctly plug in the programming cable I had a tiny bit of trepidation.  Neither of those things presented a problem.  It worked with the driver that i originally got from Radioddity, using the cable that shipped with the DB20G. I did nothing special a far as plugging in the cable.  Load the driver first, before plugging in the USB end of the cable.  Have the radio turned off when plugging the radio end of the cable into the microphone socket.  Of course the radio requires a power source.  It does not get its power from the USB port. I used a battery.  I also connected a dummy load so I had no fears about transmitting.

For me it was definitely worth the $25.

[tcp2525]

5 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

This could solve the only issue I have with the DB20G. Who’s gonna be the first to try this?

https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/AT-779UV_c_2218.html

 

Cool! RT comes to the rescues once again. I'm just curious of what problems they are talking about with the cable? My OEM cable always worked flawlessly. From their site, "For a long while we could not get into this radio for programming only to find out the cable that came with the radio was not right for that purpose."

Be brave and take a crowbar to your wallet and buy the software. Like any other RT software, it will be the best $25 you ever spent.

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, tcp2525 said:

Be brave and take a crowbar to your wallet and buy the software. Like any other RT software, it will be the best $25 you ever spent.

Ha!  It’s already so stretched out and worn that things just fall out.  I went looking for RTSystems coupons and found so many RTSystems receipts that they’ll be holding an intervention. I probably will later today after mulling it over.

[SteveShannon]

Well, I bought the software and downloaded it. After ham breakfast I’ll get a chance to try it and see whether it works for my DB20G. 

[WRUU653]

I never thought this day would actually come. No Mac version yet but still it’s a good start. I wonder if now that RT has managed to achieve this if the folks at Chirp don’t take another stab at it. Anyway I imagine this software will be very popular. Bravo RT.

[WRYZ926]

20 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

I never thought this day would actually come. No Mac version yet but still it’s a good start. I wonder if now that RT has managed to achieve this if the folks at Chirp don’t take another stab at it. Anyway I imagine this software will be very popular. Bravo RT.

Give it time and RT Systems might come out with a Mac version. I run the RT Systems software for my Icom radios on my Mac. I would get the RT Systems software for my Wouxun radios if they had a Mac version.

Edit: I just sent an email to RT Systems asking about Mac versions for the Wouxun radios and will update when I hear back from them.

[UncleYoda]

I'm assuming you didn't try it in GMRS mode.  It seems like it would be most useful for people switching back and forth which requires reloading all the channels.

[wayoverthere]

1 hour ago, UncleYoda said:

It seems like it would be most useful for people switching back and forth which requires reloading all the channels.

along with those of use that are just straight up using it as an inexpensive ham radio

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, UncleYoda said:

I'm assuming you didn't try it in GMRS mode.  It seems like it would be most useful for people switching back and forth which requires reloading all the channels.

I did not. But rather than switching back and forth I would just add GMRS channels into the radio alongside the amateur channels. 
 

But I will test it the way you suggest. Restart it in GMRS mode, see if the software can read from it. I might not write to it because I never saw in the software where it allows me to change modes to match. 

[amaff]

That's awesome, but at 30% the cost of the radio, hard to justify.

Probably a lot easier to justify if you have multiple (or are constantly playing with the programming)

[SteveShannon]

18 minutes ago, amaff said:

That's awesome, but at 30% the cost of the radio, hard to justify.

Not for me. $25 is a small price to pay for software that I enjoy using. I’ll spend more than that on a good dinner at a nice restaurant that lasts a couple hours.

[WSEZ864]

10 hours ago, amaff said:

That's awesome, but at 30% the cost of the radio, hard to justify.

Probably a lot easier to justify if you have multiple (or are constantly playing with the programming)

I see your point of view, but I look at it from another metric beyond radio value: How much of my own time and aggravation does it save?

Usual answer: "A lot!"

It is SO much easier to program radios using external software than it is to input all of the minutia via a keypad and multi-layer menu.

I buy RTSystems stuff for every radio I own that allows software programming and consider it a very worthwhile investment. Not only do I get RTS capability, but the cable facilitates use of CHIRP, VX7 Commander and other aftermarket programming software. For most of my radios each software provides slightly differing ability to make changes.

Your comment about having multiple radios IS spot on. I have a few duplicate radios and it's nice to be able to make changes in the computer, save the file and then just dump the changes into the radios at 30 seconds each.

[tcp2525]

12 hours ago, amaff said:

That's awesome, but at 30% the cost of the radio, hard to justify.

Probably a lot easier to justify if you have multiple (or are constantly playing with the programming)

Let's break this down, even if you only have one radio:

Cost -- RT Systems @ $25 vs. Chirp (Free) vs. Supplied Software (Free)

Convenience and Time savings --  RT Systems @ Very quick and easy to configure allowing you to save multiple profiles if you travel or have different needs.

                                                           Chirp @ If available for your radio is okay, but not as efficient to use.

                                                           Front panel @ Just an unnecessary pain in the ass.

Ultimate overall savings -- RT Systems vs. Two bean burritos from Taco Bell, Pepto Bismol, toilet paper, and missed time from work. Everything considered, it looks like RT Systems is a real bargain.

 

 

[WRUU653]

On 1/18/2025 at 10:49 AM, SteveShannon said:

Well, I tried it.  It worked exactly as expected, finally making it possible to create channels based on frequencies imported from RepeaterBook or other online sources. I inserted channels and that worked.  I think I tried every menu.  There were no surprises.

Thank you Steve for reporting back on your experience with this. Well worth the money if you ask me.

[wayoverthere]

10 hours ago, tcp2525 said:

Let's break this down, even if you only have one radio:

Cost -- RT Systems @ $25 vs. Chirp (Free) vs. Supplied Software (Free)

Convenience and Time savings --  RT Systems @ Very quick and easy to configure allowing you to save multiple profiles if you travel or have different needs.

                                                           Chirp @ If available for your radio is okay, but not as efficient to use.

                                                           Front panel @ Just an unnecessary pain in the ass.

Ultimate overall savings -- RT Systems vs. Two bean burritos from Taco Bell, Pepto Bismol, toilet paper, and missed time from work. Everything considered, it looks like RT Systems is a real bargain.

 

 

Factory software, in this case, is functional but a pain too...little things like copy and paste not working, tab not working in an expected pattern through the form...

There's definitely a balance of cost vs convenience, though I know how that balances is a little different for everyone.

Definitely considering it, since chirp seem to have stalled on these.

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, wayoverthere said:

Factory software, on this case, is functional but a pain too...little things like copy and paste not working, tab not working in an expected pattern through the form...

There's definitely a balance of cost vs convenience, though I know how that balances is a little different for everyone.

Definitely considering it, since chirp seem to have stalled on these.

As @Amaff said it is user specific whether the software is worth it. The software worked fine with the cable provided with the db20g, so the cost for me was only $25, about what a UV5R costs and much more useful to me. 
But I suspect that now that someone has cracked the nut Chirp will add the radio soon. RT Systems proved the concept; it’s no longer an iffy proposition. 

[WRYZ926]

23 hours ago, tcp2525 said:

Ultimate overall savings -- RT Systems vs. Two bean burritos from Taco Bell, Pepto Bismol, toilet paper, and missed time from work. Everything considered, it looks like RT Systems is a real bargain.

I'm so glad that I set my coffee down before reading that. Coffee is hard to clean up from keyboards and monitors. 

And yes the RT systems is definitely worth it. While the Icom CPS is not bad, RT Systems is definitely easier to use.

I am still waiting on a reply from RT systems about porting their Wouxun software over to MacOS. They did reply asking what radios but I have not heard anything else from them yet.

[SteveShannon]

18 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

I'm so glad that I set my coffee down before reading that. Coffee is hard to clean up from keyboards and monitors. 

And yes the RT systems is definitely worth it. While the Icom CPS is not bad, RT Systems is definitely easier to use.

I am still waiting on a reply from RT systems about porting their Wouxun software over to MacOS. They did reply asking what radios but I have not heard anything else from them yet.

I have used other RT Systems software that were Windows only on a Mac in Parallels (remotely using TeamViewer or Remote Incident Manager). It worked very well.

[WRYZ926]

32 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

I have used other RT Systems software that were Windows only on a Mac in Parallels (remotely using TeamViewer or Remote Incident Manager). It worked very well.

Using a VM or Remote Desktop is always an option. But I would rather have Mac native software when possible. It is just easier to deal with. I have never had much luck with Wine or other emulators on Linux or Mac.

The Apple ecosystem has spoiled me a bit since it is so much easier to deal with when you have multiple Mac's and Apple iPads, etc.

I am currently running Mac, Linux and Windows on separate computers. The Linux computer basically runs just one program for me which is HamClock. The Windows 11 computer is currently running WSJT-X, TQSL, and Grid Tracker for running digital modes, along with my Windows only CPS programs.

Anyway, I'm glad that RT Systems has come through for the AT-779/DB20G and it is working well for everyone.

[tcp2525]

5 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

I'm so glad that I set my coffee down before reading that. Coffee is hard to clean up from keyboards and monitors. 

And yes the RT systems is definitely worth it. While the Icom CPS is not bad, RT Systems is definitely easier to use.

I am still waiting on a reply from RT systems about porting their Wouxun software over to MacOS. They did reply asking what radios but I have not heard anything else from them yet.

The moral of the story is you can blow $25 on things a lot worse than quality software. I never had a negative experience with RT Systems.

[tcp2525]

4 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

Using a VM or Remote Desktop is always an option. But I would rather have Mac native software when possible. It is just easier to deal with. I have never had much luck with Wine or other emulators on Linux or Mac.

The Apple ecosystem has spoiled me a bit since it is so much easier to deal with when you have multiple Mac's and Apple iPads, etc.

I am currently running Mac, Linux and Windows on separate computers. The Linux computer basically runs just one program for me which is HamClock. The Windows 11 computer is currently running WSJT-X, TQSL, and Grid Tracker for running digital modes, along with my Windows only CPS programs.

Anyway, I'm glad that RT Systems has come through for the AT-779/DB20G and it is working well for everyone.

Whether using Linux or Windows I always use VMs for all my radio programming. It's so quick and easy to migrate the VM to whatever host OS you are using.

[WRYZ926]

My preference for an OS is Mac while I don't mind using Linux. I have not cared for Windows since they released Windows 8.1. One of the issues I have with Widows is the fact that the more RAM you add, the more Windows wants to take, which does affect how much RAM you can give multiple virtual machines. Needless to say I am not a fan of Microsoft or Windows OS. Windows 2000 Pro, XP Pro, and 7 Pro were good operating systems. Windows ME, Vista and 8 were total wrecks. Windows 10 isn't bad. But Windows 11 is convoluted for system administrators which how it hides the admin menus. I wouldn't have a Windows (PC or virtual machine) in my house if I didn't need one for certain radio and model train programs.

 

I actually have a degree in network administration and went through the Microsoft MCSE courses, Linux admin courses and Cisco CCNA courses. While MacOS is not perfect it is overall easier to deal with compared to Windows 11 and Linux.

And since I am stuck with having to have a Windows PC, then I will just run Windows native programs on it versus running them in a virtual machine. Wine and other emulators don't always work well.