Bob Parnass

tk7 - Experimental Software for
the ICOM IC-Q7 Walkie-Talkie

Overview

tk7 is open source software designed for the ICOM IC-Q7 walkie-talkie. Though tk7 is intended chiefly for Linux, MacOS X, and BSD users, it will work on Microsoft Windows (95 and later), too.

The current, experimental version of tk7 works with both the IC-Q7A and IC-Q7E models and can:

Read a memory image from an IC-Q7A/E transceiver or a disk file. tk7 can read a native tr7 file or a Q7 file created by Goran Vlaski's IC-Q7 Programming Utility.
Using a graphical interface, display data from a memory image and let a user change various settings.
Sort memory channels by frequency.
Import memory channel data from a csv (comma-separated values) file.
Export memory channel data to a csv file.
Expand reception below 30 MHz.
Write the results back to the radio.

I implemented tk7 in the Tcl/Tk scripting language which enables it to run on a variety of operating systems, including Linux, MacOS X, Microsoft Windows (95 and later). I have not tested it on other platforms, but it will probably work on them after little or no modification. The free Tcl/Tk interpreter software must be installed on your computer prior to using tk7.

tk7 is distributed free of charge, but it is neither shareware nor in the public domain. tk7 is a copyrighted work released under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation. tk7 is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

Memory Channel Files

tk7 can export memory channel data to a file. The memory channel data file is formated in csv (comma-separated values) format. The first line of the file is this heading:

Ch,MHz,Mode,Step,Offset,Duplex,TSQL,TxCTCSS,RxCTCSS,Skip

All the other lines will contain these fields:

Channel number (0 - 199)
Frequency in MHz (.005 - 1599.995)
Mode, case insensitive (optional: am, nfm, wfm)
Step in kHz (optional)
Offset in MHz (optional: 0.000 - 159.995)
Duplex (optional: + or -) 
Tone Squelch (optional: tone, tsql, or pbeep)
Transmit CTCSS in kHz (optional: e.g., 141.3)
Receive CTCSS in kHz (optional: e.g., 107.2)
Skip (optional: skip, pskip, or hide)

This is a sample memory data .csv file:

Ch,MHz,Mode,Step,Offset,Duplex,TSQL,TxCTCSS,RxCTCSS,Skip
0,146.0100,NFM,15,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,skip
1,460.5250,NFM,12.5,5.000,+,tsql,127.3,127.3,
2,460.5750,NFM,12.5,5.000,+,tsql,127.3,127.3,
3,460.3750,NFM,12.5,5.000,+,tsql,127.3,127.3,
4,462.9750,NFM,12.5,5.000,+,tsql,127.3,127.3,
5,155.4750,NFM,5,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,
6,155.5800,NFM,5,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,
7,145.1700,NFM,5,0.600,-,,88.5,88.5,
8,146.5200,NFM,5,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,
9,146.4750,NFM,5,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,
10,154.9500,NFM,5,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,
11,155.4600,NFM,5,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,
12,453.1000,NFM,12.5,5.000,+,tsql,127.3,127.3,
13,463.9500,NFM,12.5,5.000,,tsql,151.4,151.4,
15,155.9550,NFM,5,0.600,,,88.5,88.5,
	...

You can use a separate text editor or spreadsheet program to create, edit, and print memory channel files.

Computer Interface Adapter

You will need a suitable TTL-to-RS232 level adapter to connect the radio to your computer serial port. A direct cable connection won't work and could damage the radio and/or computer serial port hardware. I use an RT Systems CT29A cable and CT28A 4-conductor adapter. RT Systems sales staff may be contacted at sales@cloningsoftware.com. (Note: I am not affiliated with RT Systems).

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Vojtech Bubnik for documenting the IC-Q7 memory structure from Goran Vlaski's IC-Q7 Windows software. Thanks to BlakkeKatte@yahoo.co.uk for publishing detailed information about the IC-R2 protocol and file layout on the web. I am indebted to Debbie Fligor, N9DN, for testing tk7 on MacOS X 10.2.1 and to Juan Skinner and Tobias Kaboth for IC-Q7E testing.

tk7 is undergoing development. To download a beta test version, including source code, click on the appropriate link to the left.