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Reviews For: Icom CS-D800 Cloning Software

Category: Ham Software/Apps - Other than logging

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Review Summary For : Icom CS-D800 Cloning Software
Reviews: 3MSRP: 45.95
Description:
For quick and easy programming of memories, repeater settings and D-Star options
Requires Microsoft Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000/XP
Requires OPC-478U Cloning Cable (USB Type) or OPC-478 Cloning Cable (RS232C Type)
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0033.7
N7MSD Rating: 2009-10-05
Use this, not the radio itself! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The ID-800H is, without a doubt, the most difficult-to-program radio in existence! As others told me before, you *MUST* have this software (or 3rd-party equivalent) or you'll be pulling your hair out. It doesn't help that Icom's manual is near-useless. Since I can't read Japanese (yet), I don't know if the original is as bad.

This software is very basic, and appears to be an old DOS app combined with a GUI so it'll work in windows. The most unfortunate thing is that, like my RS-91 software for my IC-91AD that I bought later, you can't import/export anything other than Icom's proprietary .ICF format--however, someone broke it down and the reason appears that the radio is actually performing a memory dump/restore! Thus, the .ICF really is specific to the radio (and possibly firmware version), and is also why you need separate software for each radio model.

Finally, for fellow Linux/BSD guys, this works fine under Wine (unlike RS-91--see my entry). You will need to apply a patch to a kernel driver that I never got around to sending in, but it's archived in the Icom D* forums--the USB uses a very common chip and you only need to tell the driver Icom's specific mfr and device USB id's. Alternately, use or make the serial one and get a USB->serial converter that is known to work. This is also my advice to the Vista guy since, well sorry, you can't patch your OS.

The patch I mentioned is for the OPC-478C USB cable; it has nothing to do with the CS-D800 program itself.
K5ADF Rating: 2009-08-11
Beware of O/S issues Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this software to program my ID800 and it has worked well. It is easy to use and a whole lot easier than programming the ID800 by manual means.

Now a problem has arisen. I replaced my old desktop computer running Windows XP SP2 on top of a Pentium Dual Core processor. My new computer is a Intel Core Quad CPU 64 bit system running Windows Vista Home Premium. The USB driver provided by ICOM is not compatible with a Windows Vista 64 bit o/s!

I sent an email to ICOM support requesting a new driver. Their reply was that a USB driver for a Windows Vista 64 bit computer is not available! If you have an ultra-modern 64 bit o/s, you are out of luck in using this product. Hopefully ICOM will fix the issue but who knows when.
KC0HKM Rating: 2008-03-30
Fast and easy - especially for D-Star Mode Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
While programming an ID-800 by hand following the manual directions and various Internet web site cheat sheets is possible, using the software is MUCH easier.

Getting started with the radio, I find that I am revising the programming several times a week to streamline my operating methods - doing this by hand would be very time consuming - with the software, it's a matter of just a few key strokes and a quick upload.

Highly recommended