Programming the Retevis RT3S DMR Radio

Contents:
  1. CPS - Programming the RT3S

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This article assumes that the Retevis Codeplug Software application has been installed.

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CPS - Programming the RT3S

Plug the radio to the computer with the programming cable, check the comm ports in Device Manager, and read the code plug configuration from the radio. In the ‘General Setting’ option, Check your call sign in the ‘Radio Name’ field. Check your DMR ID in the ‘Radio ID’ fieldb.

Use a filename system that help you keep track of th code cpug configuration. For Example:
RT3s-yyyymmdd-v1-first-read.rdt - after you make the first read of the radio.
RT3s-yyyymmdd-v2-no-write.rdt - after making some edits but without writing it to the radio.
RT3s-yyyymmdd-v3-radio-write.rdt - after making some more edits and then writing it to the radio.

You can also select the ‘General Setting’, ‘Menu Item’ and ‘Buttons Definitions’ options and setup your radio the way you like it. The ‘Menu Item’ setting determines which items will be available from the radio’s menu. Tick the menus that you want to access from the radio and un-tick those you don’t. The ‘Buttons Definitions’ option allows you to assign functions to the two side buttons (above and below the PTT).

When programming contacts, channels and zones, they must be created in the following order:

  1. Digital Contacts
  2. Digital RX Groups
  3. Channels
  4. Zones

Digital Contacts:
These will be your talk groups. Enter the Talk Group as the contact name and the Type to Group Call. For example talk for group 505, enter ‘TG505’ as the name, select ‘Group’ as the call type and ‘505’ as the Call ID. Call Receive Tone should be set to ‘No’.

Digital RX Groups:
For every talk group you have in your Digital Contacts, you must create a matching RX Group. Label the RX group with the same name as its associated talk group. The ‘Available Contact’ list contains all the digital contacts you entered earlier. e.g. To create a RX Group for talk group 505, change the ‘Group List’ field to ‘TG505’, select your ‘TG505’ digital contact from the ‘Available Contact list and click the right-arrow button to transfer it to the ‘Contact Member’ list. Each RX Group should contain just one digital contact . When you are finished you should have one RX Group for each Digital Contact member and each RX group should only contain just the one matching member.

Channels:
When creating channels it is best to start by creating one channel and configure it. Once you have one channel completed, use the ADD button to create a number of additional empty channels. On the left-hand side right click on the name of your first completed channel and select ‘Copy’ from the popup menu. Now right click on each of the new blank channels you just created and select ‘Paste’ from the popup menu. This will duplicate your first channel, excpet for the name. Check the frequencies, talk group, RX group and time slot on each of the new channels.

Zones:
One you have create your channels you can create zones and add your channels to them.

Note:I'm pretty sure everything else will work normally. You could just ignore the message, or fix your contact database, or disabled the contact CSV feature.
On the Radio (Only):
Radio->Utilities->Radio Setting->ContactsCSV, select Turn Off.

NOTES:
  1. On Radio MENU --> Utilities --> Radio Settings
    set password to manual to stop the radio automaticall locking the keuboard afer a few seconds of inactivity.
    ContactsCSV to Off to stop "ID UNNKOWN" appearing on the screen when transmitting
  2. In CPS keep channel name to max of 9 characters to stop scrolling on the radio screen which is very anoying


Go to Contacts view Contactscsv to check if all the database already uploaded to the radio. And then go to Radio setting, find ContactsCSV, turn it on. When the signals comes from the radio, if the person who is calling. it will display. If the COntact is not in the CSV file which you upload. It will display “ID unknown”.

This has to do with the contact CSV feature of your radio. It's not really an error, it just means it can't find the ID in the contact CSV you put in the radio. If you didn't put a contact CSV in the radio, that's probably why :-). I'm pretty sure everything else will work normally. You could just ignore the message, or fix your contact database, or disabled the contact CSV feature.
On the Radio (Only):
Radio->Utilities->Radio Setting->ContactsCSV, select Turn Off.

NOTES:
  1. On Radio MENU --> Utilities --> Radio Settings
    set password to manual to stop the radio automatically locking the keuboard afer a few seconds of inactivity.
    ContactsCSV to Off to stop "ID UNNKOWN" appearing on the screen when transmitting
  2. In CPS keep channel name to max of 9 characters to stop scrolling on the radio screen which is very anoying

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Glenn Lyons VK4PK
glenn@LyonsComputer.com.au
Ver:gnl20230216 - pre published v0.9