Zone Manager Problem?

[G7RVH]

I have been using the excellent Zone Manager programme written by G4EML to keep my TYT MD-380 in order. Today, for the first time, I have had a problem with the updated code plug after I have re-ordered it.

I am using CPS V1.30 with FW D002.032 both before and after I have encountered the problem. The differences between the working and non working code plugs are minimal with the addition of 5 new zones taking the total to 77 with the new one from 72 with the working old one.

When I use zone manager to re-order the file it is truncating the number of zones from 77 to 73 by deleting those at the end. I tried reading and writing via zone manager without any changes and the file was again truncated.

Anybody got any suggestions as I'm at a loss to explain this behaviour?

[Paul-2E0SQK]

This sounds like a software issue with the program, as you know the code writer is G4EML I would advise a message to them about it as it might just be a hard coded limit on the amount of zones its designed to handle at a rough guess though im prob wrong and totally off the mark

I think G4EML is a member here the call does seem to ring a bell if you are a member here G4EML drop me a quick message please

Paul-Admin

[g4eml]

Hello Richard,

There is no intentional limit to the number of zones, but that doesn't mean there isn't a bug!
If you send me a copy of the code plug you are having problems with I will have a look and try to see what's happening. My email address is on the help page of the program.

The only other feedback I have had turned out to be a problem with the MD380 CPS which doesn't like zones with no channels in them.

73 Colin G4EML

[G7RVH]

Colin,

Many thanks. Code plug on it's way!

[g4eml]

Just so the forum has an answer, the problem was found to be due to the code plug having several zones with no channels allocated to them.
The current version of Zone manager does not work properly with empty zones. (some firmware versions of the MD380 also don't like them).
A work around is to make sure every zone has at least one channel allocated to it. The Zone manager will then work correctly up to the radios limit of 250 Zones.

Colin G4EML.

[G0APM]

Just to add ..

Thank you John for your excellent work with the 'Zone' and 'Contact' manager software.

Very good indeed and have save 'time' attempting to re-arrange stuff.

73

[G0APM]

I apologise ..

Should have said:

Colin

[Neil]

I was using zone manager again tonight, it does all the bits the CPS should and hopefully will in the future - thanks for the time and effort you must have put into it.

[Ruyton]

I had a baffling issue with the excellent Zone Manager utility programming my CS700 codeplug.

It's a long story, but I was using Contact Manager, Zone Manager and Channel Manager To get my codeplug up to date. Channel Manager requires a 'blank' codeplug with only one channel in it. You create the 'blank' by deleting all the channel but one and re-saving the codeplug to use as a template. When I used Zone Manager to manage my 'blank' codeplug and although Zone Manager would manipulate the zone order, save OK and reload the saved codeplug and show all the zones, opening the codeplug in CPS 1.25 (for the CS700) would only show the first few zones.

However, when I used Zone Manager on the codeplug with all my channels imported using Channel Manager and contacts added with Contact Manager, everything worked as advertised with Zone Manager working as expected.

I can only assume that I'd 'broken' something deleting all the channels but one to create my template for Channel Manager.

[g4eml]

I don't know anything about Channel Manager but I would check that you don't have any zones defined with no channels in them. The CPS, radio and my program's don't work well if there are empty Zones.

73 G4EML.