How to update your modem to the professional …
How to update your modem to the professional firmware with PACTOR-III
First check your firmware version. For this, use the Version command or
look at the power-on message of the modem. If your firmware version is
3.3 or later, then you just need to register to enable the professional
features including PACTOR-III. If your firmware version is previous to
3.3 then you have to download the most recent firmware from our
websites
and perform a firmware update to the modem.
Downloading the file:
The firmware for all SCS PTC-IIxxx modems is a file that can be down-
loaded from our homepage scs-.
Click on the picture to enter the homepage. Click on "SOFTWARE"
Verify which of the PTC-IIxxx modems you have and download the correct
file for your modem. The file is compressed and you need to extract it
before you can use it. If you're not familiar with extracting then
down-
load the selfextracting archive and run this .EXE file afterwards.
After
successful extracting you should have one of the following files:
"profi33c.pt2" if you have downloaded for a PTC-II
"profi33c.pte" if you have downloaded for a PTC-IIe
("profi33c.pex" if you have downloaded for a PTC-IIex)
"profi33c.pro" if you have downloaded for a PTC-IIpro
The PTC-IIex is shipped with a version 3.3 or later so that you usually
will not need to update. But it is certainly recommended to use the
most
recent firmware version always.
Then you should download the MANUAL for the professional firmware as
well.
It is on the same site, somewhat below.
Updating the PTC-IIxxx:
You need an updating tool which sends the file you downloaded to your
PTC,
using the serial connection (RS232/V24) between your computer and the
PTC.
Nearly every modern PACTOR-terminal-program you may use on your
Computer
has such an integrated update-tool anyway. Airmail, NCWinPTC, Alpha,
Plus-
term for example provide an updating tool. Refer to the manual or help
of
the program on how to proceed the update. It is described there and
works
mostly automated.
If you do not have one of the programs mentioned above, then download
WinUpdate to your computer from the same page where you downloaded the
firmware.
Unzip and start WinUpdate and proceed the update. First you select the
COM-port the PTC is connected to then you select an appropriate
baudrate.
If your PTC is in Autobaud-condition then you can select the medium
speed
baudrate of 38400. If your PTC is set to a fixed baudrate then select
the
baudrate the PTC is set to, also for WinUpdate. If all is set properly,
WinUpdate will detect the type of PTC connected and displays it.
Then select the firmware-file you downloaded previously and start the
update.
WinUpdate will procede and you will see a lot of lightshow on the PTC
during
that. Do not access the PC or the PTC during this procedure until it
comes
to its end and the light show is terminated. Depending on the baudrate
selected, this process can take some minutes. If all worked well, your
PTC
now has the new professional firmware with PACTOR-III. But you can use
the
professional features for only 20 connects, unless you obtain the
license-
code from SCS and enter this code. If you do not wish to register then
the
professional featured are disabled after the trial period, but you can
use
the modem the way it was before.
How to obtain the license-code:
Go to the SCS homepage and press the "ORDER NOW" button. Go below to
"General Accessories". Click on "Obtain a license for the SCS..."
The procedure of "registering" is dependent on which modem you have and
if your modem has an electronic serial number. If you have a PTC-II you
will NEVER have an electronic serial number. If you have a PTC-IIpro or
a PTC-IIex then you will ALWAYS have an electronic serial number. If
you
have a PTC-IIe then you may or may not have an electronic serial
number.
In any case, if you have an electronic serial number then it is shown
on
the bottom side of your PTC-IIxxx-modem. It is always a barcode lable
which
you can see when you click on the "serial number" hyperlink on the page
you
currently are. If you have an electronic serial number then you need
the
last (right) 16 characters for firmware registration and obtaining the
license-code, which is shown with a red frame of the picture you see
now.
Press the "back" key of you browser if necessary and proceed with the
registration, dependent on if you have an electronic serial number or
not.
You have the choice between online-registration and displaying and
printing
a FAX order form. The online-registration is usually the best ad
fastest
way to receive the license-code. The FAX registration form is for
those,
that do not like to transfer their credit-card information via the
Internet.
If your modem has an electronic serial number, then this number is the
base
of the registration that follows. You need to enter this number into
the
form. If your modem does not have an electronic serial number then the
license-code is associated with the callsign (MYcall) the modem is
operated
with. One license-code can allow 2 callsigns to be registered and
valid. You
may enter one or 2 callsigns to into the form. Enter all required
information
into the fields of the form and submit (or FAX) it to SCS. You will
recieve
the access code some minutes or hours later (depending on the time of
the
day). The license-code ALWAYS comes with an eMail. The price is $149
not
including VAT. Inside the EU 16% of VAT is charged so that the price
then
is 172,84 EURO.
If 2 calls are not enough for you and your modem does NOT have an
electronic
serial number then the electronic serial number can be implemented.
This can
only be done by SCS authorized dealers. The price for that is $99
(EURO).
What to do with the license-code?
The license-code is a small "text" which conists of 12 letters. This
letters need to be entered into the modem to be licensed. To do this,
the modem knows a command called "LICENSE", which is just a normal
command like many other commands that are described in the "red book"
(manual) of the modem. The most common command perhaps is the command
MYCALL, which is used to enter the callsign of the own station into
the modem. The same way the callsign is entered with the help of the
MYCALL command, also the license-code is entered into the modem with
the help of the LICENSE command. For this, a simple terminal program
is necessary which runs on the PC and communicates with the modem
via the serial interface (RS232/V24). As Airmail is such a program
you can certainly use Airmail to enter the license-code. The newest
version of Airmail provides special support for this. But you can also
do it with any other terminal. You can for example also start the
"dump-terminal-mode" of Airmail to do the job. Also Hyperterm, which
can be found on nearly any Windows-PC is suitable.
When the modem is in the condition to accept commands (i.e. via a dumb
terminal or Hyperterminal) then:
o Hit to get to the on screen prompt "cmd".
o Type: license (space) the calls or serial-number to be licensed
(space)
the license-code
This whole line of text is contained in the license-info you received
from
SCS.
Alternatively, you may copy and paste the text into your terminal
program
and just hit the key afterwards:
If you use Airmail, it can do the entry of the license code for you:
Specify that the license-code be sent to your Winlink or Sailmail
address.
When Airmail offers to save the code, click 'Yes'. Then, update the
firmware
to the 'profi' version with Airmail's Update-firmware window (under
Tools
menu). When Airmail's Terminal Window is re-opened then your license
code
is sent automatically to the modem if needed. Be sure to keep a backup
copy
of the code in a safe place.
If this all is too complicated for you:
Please have a look at the list of dealers and distributors on our
homepage. Also have a look at the list of dealers on the Farallon
homepage farallon.us. You will see that there are plenty of
dealers that could do the job for you. Don't mind to consult a dealer
to
get PACTOR-III installed into your modem in a competent and
professional
manner.
Our dealers are there to help you, not free of charge certainly, but
with the guarantee of success.
With regards,
Your SCS team.
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