Software Geared to the Shortwave Hobbyist

Smart R390 Control

Smart R390 Control 32 is a brand new addition to the Smart Control line for the Collins R390 communications receiver. Select shortwave stations and frequencies with easy to use windowing to a shortwave broadcast database, an on-line program guide (both included) and much, much more. Includes Servo Motor and Controller, mouse interface and compatibility with SWBC Schedules (requires subscription offered separately and 220 V 3 Phase hook up for the Servo Motor).

Smart R390 Control 32 v3.24 is specifically designed for Windows95, Windows98 or Windows NT.  It uses a user-friendly windowing system and an integrated shortwave database to not only control and display the receiver's settings, but also display the station(s) that you are currently listening to.  The "faceplate" in the software displays everything the radio displays; plus local and UT time, the SW meter band you're tuned to. In addition to these, the faceplate displays the possible stations that use that frequency, automatically highlighting the one that you've heard there previously.

Most of the standard Collins R390s controls (except for the radio's knob controls: AF and RF gain, etc.) can be set in Smart R390 Control 32, with buttons and combo boxesAlthough one will find that each extra servo motor tends to wipe out Reception. The controls can be selected from key combinations or by simply using a mouse to click on the control.  Smart R390 Control 32 also has the benefit of an extra VFO, emulated in software.

Tuning can be done by simply typing in the frequency or by selecting/clicking them from a series of automated frequency database queries. When doing up-down tuning, you can select a set step size to use (e.g., 5kHz for SWBC, 9/10kHz for AM BCB, etc.). It also has slow and fast tuning buttons for up-down tuning. Smart R390 Control 32 also has a tuning offset to account for the filtering used in TTY decoders, in addition to the pre-set offset within the radio.

The database is displayed in various ways. It will tell you what stations are on now. Selecting a station name will bring up their current frequencies in use. Selecting a frequency will automatically tune the radio. If a frequency for that station is hearable in your area, or if you want to come back to it another time, it can be "marked" in the database. This will highlight the frequency in the list, as well as the station's name in the faceplate.

Other database functions are to list other stations that use that frequency as well as a station's full frequency schedule. The full schedules can be printed or saved to a text file for later use. All frequencies listed in any window can be clicked on with a mouse to automatically tune the radio. The database also has a list of SWBC programs, that when one is selected, will bring up the current frequencies for that station. The program also has an integrated logger and a fully functional band plan enunciator. Smart R390 Control 32 has the additional capability to capture and/or load all or some of the radio's 199 memories and manage them effectively. It also has the ability to drag frequencies from a sidebar frequency listing and drop them into the receiver's memories.

Registered users get the capability to modify the database, import updates to the SWBC Schedules (requires subscription offered separately), publish the database in a two-column newspaper style (a la Monitoring Times), and a MiniMUF-like HF Propagation Predictor. Once you register, you get future upgrades for that version free of charge.