Simoco SRM9000 USB Programming Lead

[Rob_Brookes]

Having now had the chance to test the new programming lead, the findings are as follows. The lead itself contains no discernable electronics and appears to be an RJ45 plug on one end of a solid silicon rubber cable with a USB A plug on the other. The cable is the same type as is used for control head extension cables and is significantly longer than the previous programming leads.

The software that comes with the lead is a Silicon Laboratories virtual comm port driver and installation was painless on my Dell Inspiron where nothing is normally painless. I followed the instructions provided and didn't use the same USB socket as I already use for the USB to Serial adaptor I use at the moment. The software doesn't autorun, you need to click the executable file in the 'Driver' folder. Installation takes a few moments but it was successful and the new port identified as 'Comm 6'.

Programming of an SRM9030 using this lead caused no surprises and was as fast as it normally is. You do need the original programming lead to handle the SRP portable radios of course and you now need to remember that one lead is on Comm 1 for example and the new SRM lead will be on a different comm port and so the port used by the programming software needs to be changed between types of radio. The new USB lead doesn't program SRP portables but then then it never did anyway, there were always two leads.

Next came MRMap and once I'd remembered to reset my commport search option to -10 from the original -2, from where it would have never found a commport called '6', all worked fine. Reception of a PTT position report from the handset was as normal and the SRM9030 polled the handset immediately.

Summary is; apart from the need to use different comm ports for the SRP and SRM programming leads, the new USB lead works perfectly and is cheaper than the older serial lead.

[Rob_Brookes]

NO LONGER VALID. THE TMC WEBSITE HAS UNFORTUNATELY BEEN CLOSED DOWN AND NOT ADEQUATELY REPLACED.

For those who, like me, can lose installation CDs at the drop of a hat, the driver for the USB programming lead is available on the TMC website at http://www.tmcradio.com/TMC_Mob_Software.htm

This is, in common with all information/software on the site, a free download.