RT Systems

[AD0AC]

Purchased a new ADMS-7900 package the other day. Installation of the software was easy and had no issues on a 10 year old P4/XP laptop. However, the radio would not download or upload settings and was keyed anytime the radio was turned on with the cable attached. I emailed RT Systems to see what they would do about the bad cable. I was told to send the cable to them, at my own expense after spending $42 on the cable and $10 on RFinder, and they would test it and see if a new one needed to be sent out. I took the cable apart and found that the cable had been improperly soldered to the USB adapter board and too much insulation had been stripped from the data wires, causing them to short against each other. I simply had to clip the old wires off, which were already frayed from strain, and strip/tin/resolder them to the board. Cable worked perfectly after that. It was not an issue that would cause the computer not to recognize the adapter, only the radio side had the problem.

I realize that RT Systems probably has to deal with a wide assortment of technical issues from various computer platforms and radio systems, but would it have been a big deal in this day and age to send a post-paid envelope or a new working cable to me without having to send the old one first? Apple recalled my old iPod after SEVEN years and sent a Fed-Ex prepaid envelope to send the old one back. Sure, it's really NOT a big deal to spend $7.00 to send the old cable back to them, but when you've spent $52 on the whole package, why should you?

Next time I'll consider Icom or Kenwood with universal cables and in-house software first.

[KO6WB]

Not everybody does the level of customer service that you have described. I had an order for a CW filter for my TS-50S through Universal Radio. Their listings showed it to still be available when others had no longer carried it. When I received the filter I found it to be the wrong one. I called Universal radio about this and they more or less said opps. They then sent me a pre-paid UPS label and I took the wrong filter with the box back to the UPS store and off it went. Shortly after that I received the proper filter and Universal Radio now showed the filter as discontinued. I must have gotten the last one and I believe they had to jump through a lot of hoops to get it.
Now for quality control purposes your cable is an example of poor QC. There seems to be a culture growing that disregards the essentials of a good QC program. A good QC program actually pays for itself. You don't have a flood of returned items to deal with and you get a good reputation so people will buy your product. In the day of the internet this is important since even one post that is negative about a product gets worldwide attention, instantly.
Have a good one
73
Gary

[KE5MC]

Let me know how that works out after you have a few radio you want to keep synced and the in-house software across radios from the same company and certainly across manufactures does not easily copy/paste or export/import.

RTS just completed a significant software update that aligned all of the programing engines to one version so that one screen will open any other radio you have installed and bring that radio up as a new tab. Not until you have a second radio will you appreciate this feature.

The free in-house software is great. Having/finding/making/buying the cable can easily offset any issue you had with RTS this one time. Once the cable was in their hands they may have offered some kind of relief. Sometime you have to ask for that relief. They are not an Apple with shares at $566 or the internal motivation to take every market share percentage point they can get for the Gates/MS/PC machine.

I agree the cable should have been 100%. Let them know what you found. They need input from the customer to understand what the issues are.

On a very positive note: You found the problem and fixed it.

...snip...

Next time I'll consider Icom or Kenwood with universal cables and in-house software first.

[K7MH]

Many years ago I bought the RT Systems software and serial cable (25 pin) for a Yaesu FT-51R.
I couldn't get it to work at all. I took the cable housing apart and found that not even one pin from the connector was soldered to the board!!
After soldering the pins, it worked fine.
The software had some issues until they came out with a patch and a newer version. I still have the FT-51R and the software which works fine now. It is just not the most intuitive software to use.

For my FT-7900 I use G4HFQ's software;
http://www.g4hfq.co.uk/ftb7900.htm

[AD0AC]

Let me know how that works out after you have a few radio you want to keep synced and the in-house software across radios from the same company and certainly across manufactures does not easily copy/paste or export/import.

RTS just completed a significant software update that aligned all of the programing engines to one version so that one screen will open any other radio you have installed and bring that radio up as a new tab. Not until you have a second radio will you appreciate this feature.

The free in-house software is great. Having/finding/making/buying the cable can easily offset any issue you had with RTS this one time. Once the cable was in their hands they may have offered some kind of relief. Sometime you have to ask for that relief. They are not an Apple with shares at $566 or the internal motivation to take every market share percentage point they can get for the Gates/MS/PC machine.

I agree the cable should have been 100%. Let them know what you found. They need input from the customer to understand what the issues are.

On a very positive note: You found the problem and fixed it.

Sure, the software works great. My Dad has an FT-270 with the software and cable and never had a problem with either. I can understand a defect here and there, my only "real" beef is shipping the cable back to receive a new one. I would have even emailed or faxed my receipt to them to prove I'd actually bought it within the 30 day warranty. I guess that would be the second "beef", 30 day warranty? C'mon, it's almost impossible to buy a cable for any other product nowadays without a lifetime warranty. Sure, don't warranty abuse, but there's no reason not to stand behind the product for at least a year.

I think RT Systems is more of a software company that happens to market some hardware too. I'm not letting Yaesu off the hook either. Where's the native USB built into the radio? It's not like 15 years hasn't passed since the USB 1.1 standard was adopted. I can understand paying a few bucks for software, but having to use clunky cables to patch in an ancient serial interface is beyond ridiculous.

[KC2TCM]

I've stopped using RT Systems software. Their latest version ONLY works with THEIR cables. They program the manufacturer info into the Serial/USB chip and their software looks for it. I prefer to use software that will work with any cable I buy... Chirp, KC8UNJ, G4HFQ are the three that come to mind. I always buy the serial versions of the programming cables. This way *I* can choose the usb-serial converter that works best for me. And, usually the serial versions are cheaper. Plus using 1 USB-Serial adapter will keep the COM port consistent.

[KJ4VTH]

I had a problem with RT Systems cable. After doing some preliminary troubleshooting they sent me another and return shipping label at no cost to me. The replacement worked fine and I shipped the original back to them. I am a happy customer.