Latest Simoco Programming Software

[Rob_Brookes]

The current (Beta) version of the Simoco programming software is now available from the TMC website at http://www.tmcradio.com The version number is 5.47 and there are a significant number of useful new facilities and updates to existing ones. So many this time that I can't quickly check them all as I normally do and it will take a day or so to run through them all. Of immediate note are the inclusion of a timed GPS position report and what appears to be a form of channel groups instead of having all your radio channels in one continuous list. This is called Zoned Channels and was unexpected so will take a little investigation to see what it does exactly. The newer version of the SRP portable the SRP9180 has a 16-way rotary switch on the top that can be programmed to select different channels or zones (groups) but in the current SRP9120/30 portables, this function is provided by a menu option.

They've also fixed the annoying crash-on-exit that wakes the neighbours up if you have sound enabled on your computer!

More when I've had a chance to have a play.

[Rob_Brookes]

Well 5.47 didn't last long did it. Version 5.48 is now on the TMC website but this contains fixes that mostly involve trunked radio rather than the PMR system that we use. There is a very small bug I notice, the newly added medium power setting doesn't change the range of values it offers if you change radio types between SRP and SRM. If you've programmed your SRM9030 vehicle set and now want to do the same with your SRP portable, you don't need to start all over again. Just change the radio type on the first page of the FPP from SRP9130 to SRM9030 and you then need to adjust only those settings that are not common to both types of radios, programmable buttons etc. Unfortunately the medium power setting hasn't followed this change and will tell you that 25 watts is now available from your portable radio. It isn't but there's a danger that a non-functional value could be accidentally left in place here so it's been reported to TMC who are looking at it.

Although not included in this release, one of the not too distant versions of the programming software will include a distance-based GPS reporting option. This involves you programming a distance between 10 metres and 10,000 metres as you deem appropriate and if the radio moves over this distance then a GPS position report is sent. If it remains stationary then no report is sent unless you have PTT release also programmed whereupon the radio will update it's location whenever you make a transmission.

Note that the 'No FFSK ANI' option where a channel can be programmed to not send GPS data even though others do, is not operational on either Timed or Distance based location reporting as neither of these methods involve the ANI (Automatic Numeric Identifier, your callsign that is). This means if you've programmed channel 62a to not send GPS when you release your PTT, it will send a report if either Distance or Timed reporting is enabled. The Distance reporting option should be with us shortly.

It now transpires that the channel zoning option (channel banks) included in 5.47 doesn't in fact work with SRP9130 models. It's designed for the new model due for release in about March next year, this is the SRP9180.

[David_Binks]

One think I have noticed is that the GPS mics now get a lock much quicker. I had one GPS mic that had not been switched on for months and it got a lock within 2 mins (with a clear view of the sky). I'm assuming it will be to do with the fix that stops them turning off for 15 seconds every 15 seconds added a few versions back.
Dave

[Rob_Brookes]

I'm pretty certain you're right Dave. The last info I got from TMC was that 'Significant improvements to the performance of the GPS mic' were due soon and these almost certainly relate to the 15 secs on/15 secs off problem but also, I suspect, to new firmware included in the recent versions of the FPP. I've now got both faster time-to-lock and lock is being achieved further into the house than was previously possible. The mic now only needs to be able to see a window which is not something it's been able to do in the past. (Or the Americans have improved the satellites of course, but I doubt that).

What the above does demonstrate is that keeping up to date with the version of the FPP that you use, is fairly critical. Quite a significant number of modifications or improvements to the way in which the FPP operates stem from requests made to TMC by ourselves. I'm sure we're not alone in this but at least 2 functonality additions are definately down to us alone. As it's us asking for these changes, the onus is on us to use the most recent version in order to benefit from them.