This page contains frequently asked questions and answers about CTR software.

Software Installations

PC installation fails

If the PC versions of CTR fail to install with a message that you need to install the .NET Framework, click here to download and install the .NET 1.1 Redistributable package.

Why don't the hardware buttons on my Pocket PC control my radio?

Hardware button control was added to CTR-Remote starting with v2.20.06 and CTR-Rcvr starting with v1.10.06. This option only works if the CTR program is the last program started. Other programs may re-map or reset the functions of these buttons. If you have problems getting the buttons to work, close the program and restart it.

NOTE: This feature may not work on all Pocket PC models.

Having problems running CTR-Remote or CTR-Rcvr?

Before installing CTR-Remote or CTR-Rcvr, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you install the latest .NET Compact Framework v1.0 drivers on your Pocket PC. Many of the older 2003 Pocket PCs had buggy versions of the .NET drivers, particularly HP and iPAQ machines. The program will appear to start (circle icon appears for 1-1/2 turns) then the icon disappears and the program doesn't start.

Click here to download the latest .NET v1.0 SP3 drivers.

Which CAB file do I install?

There are two CAB files shipped in the distribution zip file to install CTR programs on your Pocket PC.

• Install the ARM CAB file if you are installing the program on a Pocket PC 2002 device
• Install the ARMV4 CAB file if you are installing the program on
  Pocket PC 2003 or 2005 (Windows Mobile 2003 or 2005) device

Will CTR programs run on a Pocket PC 2005 device?

Yes, with one minor problem. The internal keyboard will pop up at odd times requiring you to close it manually. This seems to be a problem with the .NET v1.0 software we use. One day we will upgrade to v2.0 and eliminate this problem.

Why can't I connect to my radio?

There are many reasons why your PPC may not be able to connect to your radio.

1. If you are using a serial cable interface check these possible problems:
   • Verify that you have selected the correct com port on
     your CTR program. Click on the Comm -> Com Port menu to
     change it.
   • Verify that you have the proper serial adapter cable
     for your PPC
   • Depending on your radio, you may need a specific cable from
     the manufacturer to adapt the serial cable to your radio
   • You may also need a gender changer and/or a null modem adapter to roll the TD and RD lines on your serial port.
      
2. If you are using the CTR-BlueLync interface, check the Hardware Problems page for hardware troubleshooting information.
    
3. If you are using TCP/IP, check the following:
   • Are the serial port properties properly configured in
     CTR-Server?
   • Do you have CTR-Server running in Listen mode on the
     host PC?
   • Do you have a network or ActiveSync connection from the
     Pocket PC to the PC?
   • Have you entered the correct TCP/IP address and Port  #
     into CTR-Remote's Comm menu?
   • If you are using Wi-Fi, check the following:
     • Is the Wi-Fi network operating properly?
     • Is the Wi-Fi radio in the Pocket PC turned on?

Why does the Bluetooth connection fail to reconnect after the Pocket PC power cycles?

This is a bug in many of the Pocket PC Bluetooth stacks. They don't handle power cycles very well. When power is cycled while you're on-line, the program will switch off-line. When you try to reconnect, your Pocket PC will tell you that it can't find any services on the interface.

To fix this, go to the Bluetooth Manager on your Pocket PC and turn the Pocket PC's Bluetooth radio off and then back on again. You should be able to reconnect to the radio.

Why doesn't CTR-Remote read the tone mode, tone freq, and Tx offset from the radio in FM mode?

Only the Icom protocol supports reading these values. To keep the program as generic as possible it was decided that these values would not be read. To work around this problem, enter your frequencies, tones, and offsets in the Frequency List and recall them from there to setup the radio.

Why won't the S-meter graph display my radio's S-meter reading

There are several possible reasons for this...

1. Your radio's protocol doesn't support S-meter reads. Check the user manual for your radio to see if it does.

2. You may have the Polling or Scanning speed set too short. Try making these values longer, 500 milliseconds or more. The Polling Speed is found in the Comm menu and is set before going on-line. The Scan Speed is set in the Scan-Options menu (visible on the Control tab). This is especially true with Yaesu radios.

Can I get radio audio to and from my Pocket PC wirelessly?

Yes! Download Microsoft's Portrait software and setup a two-way Wi-Fi audio connection between your PC and you Pocket PC. Plug your radio's speaker output into your PC's Line In jack and the radio's mic input into your PC's Speaker Out jack and your ready to go. You can also use other PPC/PC audio programs such as Skype.

If you are looking for a Bluetooth solution, try using a Jabra A210 non-Bluetooth cell phone adapter and a standard Bluetooth headset.

Click here for additional details on this exciting mode.

The Beacon Scan mode is interesting, but it requires the Pocket PC's clock to be synchronized with a time standard. How do I do that?

The Beacon Scan mode introduced in v2.02.08 displays which NCDXF/IARU beacon is transmitting on the 20 to 10 meter bands at any given time. To do this, the Pocket PC's internal clock must be set to a time standard (such as WWV). Fortunately, there is an easy way to accomplish this using vxUtil, a free utility for the PPC. Click here to download this utility.

Why can't I select a List entry using the cursor control keys in CTR-PC and CTR-PCRcvr?

This occurs when you are on-line with the radio and you have the LIST...Track selected option selected. Moving the selected list entry with the cursor keys does not fire a key_pressed event in the code so the program doesn't realize you've move the selection. On the next poll the program resets the frequency back to the original selection.

To work around this, use your mouse to select frequencies on the List. You must click on the gray box to the left of the entry to generate the mouse_click event.