<< Back to Downloads

1.  Introduction

PorkControl is a Java-based software controller for the Yaesu FT-817ND (and older FT-817) radio transceiver. It is currently in beta and released under the GNU GPL v2. PorkControl supports all platforms that the RXTX serial library supports, this includes Windows, Linux and MAC OSX.

PorkControl is used to control frequency and other features without using the fiddly controls on the unit itself. It currently also supports automatic radio control to access repeaters based on text search. Other features including call logging and PSK31 are planned, but no date for completion is set.

2.  Warnings

Please note that PorkControl is released in an incomplete state, and some features may be missing or broken. The program is believed to work OK as provided, but the source code includes unimplemented features that are incomplete and untested. If you want to use the control class in your own programs, it is strongly recommended that you test carefully or contact the author first. If you won't be touching the source code, you can probably ignore this warning.

The FT817ND is capable of receiving and transmitting on frequencies that may require a license, may require specific equipment and/or where unauthorised use may be illegal. In particular, use of amateur radio frequencies requires training and a license in most countries. Some frequencies (such as those used by CB and marine radio) are intended for use by specific equipment and as such the FT817ND is not legally suitable and may also present a safety risk to yourself and others. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the software/hardware is used properly and legally. The author accepts no responsibility whatsoever. You have been warned.

The FT817ND is software-calibrated when leaving the factory. It is theoretically possible to corrupt these settings when using software control - although this should not normally happen. It is strongly recommended that these settings are manually backed up up BEFORE connecting the radio to a computer. To do this, hold [A], [B] and [C] whilst powering the radio on. Copy all 76 settings carefully. To move between settings turn the [SEL] knob. Switch off the radio when done, do not press the [F] key. Corrupted calibration will result in an un-optimised radio, poor performance and the possibility of damage. The radio will have to be sent back to Yaesu. You have been warned.

Although the FT817ND will receive when powered from the battery charger alone, it will not transmit. Do not click the transmit button unless you are using the internal batteries or connected to a power supply providing at least 2 Amps. Failure to do this will break the CAT connection, which might be dangerous to the radio, PC or any USB bridges. Also, the PTT might stay down, causing problems if remote controlling the radio. You have been warned.

3.  Installation

• Install Java 6. It might work in Java 5.
• Download the zip file below.
• Unzip into a folder. Keep all the files together.
• Download the CSV version of the UK Repeater List, from http://www.ukrepeater.net/ and save it as repeaterlist.csv in the folder.
• Check that repeater list is properly formatted, the current version has an error near the bottom. When you try to open it, search for the four digit number shown in the error.
• If you are running MAC OSX, see MAC OSX section below.

4.  Radio Config

By default, PorkControl talks to the radio at 38400 bps. You might need to configure this on the radio (Option 14 "CAT RATE").

5.  Use

• Double click the PorkControl.jar file.
• If it does not run, try running:

java -Djava.library.path=. -jar PorkControl.jar

• If you get port access problems, try running as root/administrator (ie. using sudo).
• If you are running MAC OSX, see MAC OSX section below.

To set frequencies, use the frequency button. To tune frequencies:

• Left click a digit to increment.
• Right click a digit to decrement.

To set features, click relevant parts of the display.

6.  Mac OSX

The RXTX driver currently uses lock files which need to be in the directory /var/lock. If this directory does not exist, create it first and set the permissions.

Run the following commands to create the lock directory:

sudo mkdir /var/lock
sudo chmod 755 /var/lock

Make sure to run the software as root. This problem is expected to go away in the next version of the RXTX driver.

If you dont want to do this, you might want to consider installing VirtualBox and use a cut-down version of Linux. You can then redirect the USB port to the virtual machine and control the radio from Linux.

7.  Modules

PorkControl is supplied with two working modules:

• UK Repeaters. This allows searching for repeaters and automatic configuration of the radio to use the repeater. This requires the UK Repeater List csv file.
• Bookmarks. This allows the radio settings to be stored. For example, particular frequencies or stations.

More modules are planned to support call logs, bandplan browsing and PSK31. There is no current time frame for completion.

PorkControl modules are classes implementing a specific interface. Modules need to provide a JPanel getter (which appears in a tab) and a constructor that takes the PorkControl object. This allows for GUI access and radio control. For more details, contact the author or see source files in package net.tonychung.ham.porkcontrol.modules.

8.  Supported Features

Not all features are yet supported. Click and see, nothing should break (hopefully).

9.  Copyright

Copyright (C) 2008 Antony Chung

PorkControl - An interactive radio control program for the FT817ND

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program 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.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, U

10.  Download

This contains all the required files, including the RXTX library and native libraries. It does not include the UK repeater list: download that from http://www.ukrepeater.net/!

Download (ZIP)

MD5: 310197e8f7e5a764e002499fbec04c66