Downloading and Installing tk8500
on Microsoft Windows Systems

This is experimental software and probably contains defects. It remains under development. When available, newer versions of tk8500 will be made available for download at this web site.

Downloading and Installing tk8500 for Windows

1. Download and run the free tcl/tk software from: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/tcl/tcl832.exe .

   It will ask you to choose a directory in which to install the tcl/tk software. You must install it in a new folder named Tcl on the C partition, i.e.,

   C:\Tcl
   

2. Create another installation folder, named C:\tk8500. It will be used for the tk8500 program and data files.
   
3. Download the zipped version of tk8500, tk85-09.zip into the C:\tk8500 folder you created earlier.
   
4. Unzip the file into the C:\tk8500 folder after downloading it. (Note to Windows XP users: Be careful to extract the zip file into the correct folder. Windows XP defaults to the wrong folder and you must explicitly choose the correct folder.)
   
5. Remove the tk8500.ini configuration file if you have one left over from a previous installation.
   
6. You must reboot Windows before using tk8500 for the first time.
   
7. To start tk8500, run the C:\tk8500\tk8500.bat batch file.

Notes

1. This installation procedure changed and is now the same for Windows XP, Windows 98, and Windows ME. The older instructions required editing the autoexec.bat file, a file not used in Windows XP.
2. If you create a shortcut to C:\tk8500\tk8500.bat, the shortcut works best if it is set up to run minimized and close on exit.
3. Memory channel data files created for tk8500 version 0.4 and earlier will not work with this version. To use these data files, you must add a new Volume field (located before the Label field) to each line. It is easy to insert a new data column using Gnumeric, Excel, Star Calc, or other spreadsheet program. Don't forget to to save the file in .csv format.
4. Before using tk8500, be sure the IC-R8500's "initial set mode" options are set as follows:
   • CIV ADDR = 4AH
   • CIV BAUD = AUTO
   • CIV TRAN = OFF
   • CIV 731 = OFF
   See pp. 31 - 32 in the IC-R8500 instruction manual to learn how to set them.
5. Power your IC-R8500 receiver on before starting tk8500 or else the program will freeze.