Instructions for using an Anytone 878 code plug on your 868 Radio and still retain your personal settings ("Optional Setting" in the CPS)
Version 20191202
I'm no longer maintaining an Anytone 868 code plug. Bryce, N7BTS, and others are maintaining a code plug for the Anytone 878 for Whatcom County DMR users. Read on if you'd like to use that code plug on your 868.
As of this writing, code plugs made for the Anytone 878 DMR radio will work on the 868 radio provided the 878 code plug file is in Data Conversion File (DCF) format. Anytone 878 code plug files in the Data File (RDT) will not load into the 868 Code Plug Software (CPS). Fortunately, the maintainers of a popular 878 code plug for Whatcom County save their code plug in both DCF and RDT formats.
The following instructions are for 868 users who want to use the an 878 code plug DCF file in their 868 radios, and still retain their personal settings.
Several web sites have instructions for doing this. For example:
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Connect your radio to your PC with the programming cable.
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Run the 868 Code Plug Software (CPS)
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Transfer your radio's programmed data to your PC.
- Set the COM port as needed
- Click Program > Read From Radio
- Click OK in the "Read Data Completed." window
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If your radio's personal settings (called "Optional Setting" in the CPS) are to your liking, save this code plug to your PC. Otherwise, modify your personal settings ("Optional Setting") and then save.
- Click File > Save
- Set File Type to "Data File (*.rdt)"
- Specify the location and name the file, then click Save
- Click OK in the "Save File OK" window
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Open a web browser and go to N7BTS' GitHub DMR page and download the most recent DCF file. DO NOT download the RDT file!
- Click the newest *.dcf file name
- Click the Download button
- Follow your browser's prompts to save the file.
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Start your 868 CPS if it's not already running
- Click File > Open
- Select Data Conversion File (*.dcf) as the File Type in the lower right corner
- Go to where you downloaded the 878 DCF file in the previous step and select the DCF file
- Click Open
- Click OK in the the "Load File OK" window
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Change the DMR ID and Call Sign
- In the left pane, click Digital > Radio ID List
- In the right pane, double-click the Radio ID to edit it
- Replace the Radio ID with your own DMR ID and change the Call Sign to your own
- Click OK
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Export the Data to a List (LST Archive)
This step will export all of the code plug data EXCEPT for your personal settings ("Optional Setting")
- Click Tool > Export
- Click the Export All (Default CSV File Name) button at the top of the window
- Give your export a name. The CPS will append ".LST" to the name you provide.
- Click Save
- Click Yes in the "Export &All(Default CSV File Name)" window. This will take a minute or so to complete. A window saying "Export Complete!" will pop up indicating the export is finished.
- Click OK
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Locate the file you saved from the "Backup your Current Code Plug" step previously.
- Click File > Open. You can click No if it prompts you with a "File has been modify, save it now?" window since you've alread exported the data you need as an LST.
- Change the File Type in the lower right corner to "Data File (*.rdt)"
- Select your 868 Code Plug RDT file, click Open to load it. It will take a few seconds to load.
- Click OK in the "Load file OK" window.
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This step will import the 878 data, but will retain your 868's personal settings
- Click Tool > Import
- Click the Import from File List button at the top of the window
- Locate and select the 878 .LST file you saved earlier.
- Click Open
- Click Yes in the "Import from File List" window. This will take a couple of minutes to complete.
- Click OK in the "Import Complete!" window
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Open a web browser and go to the Radio ID database dumps web page
- Left-click or right-click (depending on how your browser handles downloads) on the user.csv file to download it
- Save the file to your PC. If you already had a user.csv in your Downloads folder, your browser may rename the file. Note the name it assigns to the file.
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Using your 868 CPS software, import the Digital Contacts list.
- Click Tool > Import
- Click Digital Contact List and locate and select the digital contact list file you downloaded in the previous step.
- Click Open
- Click Import at the bottom of the window (NOT Import from File List at the top of the window!) to import the contacts. This will take some time.
- Click OK in the "Import Complete!" window
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Save the file as a Data File (RDT)
- Click File > Save As
- Name the file and location as desired.
- Select Data File (*.rdt) as the "Save as type". The APS will automatically append ".rdt" to the file name.
- Click Save
- Click OK in the "Save File OK" window
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Make sure your programming cable is connected between your radio and PC
- Click Program > Write To Radio
- Click OK in the "Write data to radio. Do you wish to continue?" window
- Check both "Digital Contact List" and "Other Data" in the "Read or Write Objects" window
- Click OK. This will take a couple of minutes or so to complete.
- Click OK in the "Write Data Completed" window
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Wait for your radio to restart, then disconnect the programming cable and close your CPS (save your code plug file if prompted to do so).
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Enjoy your new code plug!