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Reviews For: RT Systems radio programming software all models

Category: Ham Software/Apps - Other than logging

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Review Summary For : RT Systems radio programming software all models
Reviews: 314MSRP: Varies
Description:
Radio programming software & cables for a wide variety of manufacturer and model radios.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.rtsystemsinc.com/index.cfm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
104.23143.6
W5DGM Rating: 2014-04-04
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have three different brands of HT's - Yaesu, Icom, and Baofeng (I'm sure a growing number of you have one of those). I had issues trying to program the radios, and after reading some of the other reviews here on eham.net, I went online to rtsystemsinc.com and ordered software for each model of mine. Three days later I received the package, I followed the manufacture's directions and in almost no time, I had perfectly programmed radios, with my favorite frequencies, repeaters, etc. Saved me a lot of time. Customer service is top notch. Highly recommended.
NA5XX Rating: 2014-03-24
Good Software Great customer servoce Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I decided to upgrade the software for one of my radios from ver3.xx to ver4.xx. Unfortunately the old cable is not compatible with the new version. RT systems told my of their upgrade program. Destroy the old disc,send a picture and get 25% off a new cable and software. I emailed the picture Sunday evening. I called and spoke to them at about 0930 Monday. They were aware of the email and took my order. By noon, I had an email conformation of my order and conformation that it had shipped. Delivery is expected by Thur. I could not ask for better service. Now I can integrate programming of all my radios via the RT Systems software.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by NA5XX on 2011-03-01

I have the RT Systems software for the IC-W32a, FT-60 and FT-8800. All are great programs and easy to use. Recently I needed to reload the software on my computer. I had written the serial number incorrectly for the Icom version whitch I had downloaded from RT Systems so was unable to load it. I have had the software for a little over a year. I contacted RT Systems for the serial number and was provided a link to download the software again and be issued a valid serial number. My emails were answered with in a day. RT Systems did a fantastic job at customer support. If you need programing software, RT Systems is the one to buy.
K0ZRK Rating: 2014-03-12
Fantastic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use RT Systems software to program my Kenwood and Icom VHF/UHF rigs. It's easy to set up and easy to use. I can copy and paste a file from one rig to another, so it's my memory channels are in the same order when using a different rig. The only time I had any problem programming a radio, RT Systems spent a half hour with me on the phone, then sent me two (2) more programming cables to make sure the cable wasn't the problem. The problem turned out to be in the rig, which had to be sent back to the factory for warranty repair. Their software and cables are great, and the support is over the moon.
KD5KTX Rating: 2014-03-06
Works for me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Over the years, I have had five or more RTS programs, from floppy discs to DVD. I have never had a problem and they allow me to transfer data between my Icom, Yaesu, and cheap Chinese HT's without a problem. I find the cables to be high quality. I see guys spend thousands on radios, but nothing for software. They use cheap cables with pirated chips and free programs that are labor intensive. I am not a computer guru. I just like easy to use programs that work.
K7UPJ Rating: 2014-01-30
Lacking capability Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got the RT systems software for use with my IC-7100 and am disappointed. I have prior experience with DSTAR on my ID-880H and ID-51A so this is not my first time working with DSTAR programming. Overall, the software does provide the capability for setting up but does not make it any easier than the ICOM software. The most aggravating shortcoming is the inability to save program files in the ICOM .icf format, even though it can read those files. This means that you cannot program using the SD card, you are forced to use the cable. It is so much easier with the ID-51A and the SD card with the ICOM software. Since I plan to travel a lot, I don't want to carry yet another cable around. RT says they are thinking about adding this capability but don't have a date. Since they can already read the .icf form it would seem a simple thing to write to that format. If I had known about the lack of this capability I would not have bought the software.
W4KVW Rating: 2013-12-08
GREAT software {:>) Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
We used the RT Systems software to program both my ICOM 2820H & ICOM 91AD & it was no problem.I would buy their software again for another rig if needed & I recommend it to others for easy of programming their rigs in a few minutes. {:>)

Clayton
W4KVW
W6CAW Rating: 2013-12-08
No problems here Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 5 versions of RT software from the old serial days to the newer USB versions. Never had a problem or a "bug". I do not like that they have obsoleted the serial support but I guess you have to make a profit in this limited Ham market?
KC8Y Rating: 2013-12-08
Super Software Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have three (3) separate RT System's programming software systems, because I have three (3) radios: HF, VHF & portable handheld 2/440 rig. They all work perfect with no problems in any of them.

I first tried the software on my 2-M rig (V8000) about 7-years ago; never any problems.

Because of my good fortune, I acquired programming software for both, my HF rig (IC-7410)and my hand held portable 2/440 rig (Baofeng 5R).

I use all the rigs and never any problems in programming; they all continue to operate just as I programmed them :)

Ken KC8Y
N2HUC Rating: 2013-12-08
Very Buggy Software Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I’ll tell you the truth. This is the worst software I have ever invested money and TIME in. There are so many bugs that I can’t even begin to document them all. You have to really check close at all the fields and menu settings that get screwed up to really say you are qualified to do a proper review. The “fanboys” failed to catch the bugs and report them HERE. This software is a joke and a ripoff. And I’m not going to be a developer’s beta tester. I’m not here paying for your software so I can help you to get it working right. You should do that yourself and release a WORKING product!

My first bad experience was with the IC-7000 software, where duplex settings for my memory channels turn on/off without notice. I went to use some duplex channels and the settings were turned off by the software (or on with some simplex channels). What the #3[[ is that? Menu items don’t get transferred completely (so why even address them if it is not going to transfer?). Doing programming directly on the radio is much easier than auditing this buggy software, so it is almost completely useless to even use the software. That was bad experience ONE, and all the updates did not help.

I bought several RT Systems programs for D-STAR radios because I have to write to nearly all of the memory channels in each model and need to do updates as D-STAR changes often (growing quickly). I started noticing bank assignment were changing on me without my direction. Wait a minute! I laid out a perfect order for my banks and now this junk software is changing my plan on it’s own? Change one bank number and another channel is changing somewhere else? And every time I went to fix one section, another would change without me knowing until I audited it. It was IMPOSSIBLE to get the order I wanted. It wouldn’t even take some numbers that were open for assignment! Then all the menu settings were not there, and the ones that were did not translate to the radio. Wait…two files for one radio because the menu settings are in a different file?? And even then it doesn’t work right??? What kind of garbage is this???? And I can’t even change a PL tone or DPL (fields gray out) unless I first toggle it on for that mode????? No problem doing that with Icom software. I spent many wasted HOURS, if not DAYS trying to get this junk software to work, and I finally couldn’t get it to play right. YOU CAN’T TRUST THIS SOFTWARE. It just won’t do what I tell it to do. I mean, how hard is it to write simple clean software? And you charge money for this garbage??

In stark contrast, I can fully trust Icom’s software and switched to it for all my Icom radios. Much of it was FREE, and what was not free was fairly inexpensive. NEVER a problem with Icom software. So, if you write hundreds of memory channels, and actually customize radio menu settings to get the most out of your radio equipment and depend on it being done right, do yourself a favor and stay FAR AWAY from RT Systems software. To their credit, I do like their USB cables (even if the housings fall apart and need a tie wrap to hold them together), but that is all. At least the drivers work (so far).

Now you have a real review from someone who has done commercial radio programming that had to be right or people might have died. I depend on the software to do what I tell it to do…and not change what I have set so it becomes unstable, unusable, or wastes my time. Shame on RT Systems!
N9LCD Rating: 2013-11-24
WORKS AS DESCRIBED Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is one amateur radio software package that works as it should and lives up to expectations. I had a list of something like 250 channels, repeaters on all four ham bands plus police, fire, public transportation, O'Hara ground etc. After three days of trying to program AND LABEL my list, I quit and popped for the ADMS-1G software. The software installation was flawless and so was the data entry. Programming of the VX-7R went smoothly.

A necessity for programming the VX-7R especially for those who aren't proficient at keyboarding.
9(LCD