Bluetooth Pactor Modem Connection

[patfarrell1949]

Hi all - I have a new IC-M802 and Pactor III modem with Bluetooth. I'm using Win7 on my ThinkPad laptop but am unable to make a connection with the modem. I can see the modem in the Bluetooth control panel but can't make a connection. Any ideas??

[hellosailor]

Does the Pactor modem require you to do anything special to enter a command state, etc. to initiate PAIRING with the BT adapter and your computer? Normally a BT device has to be paired with another device before they will work together, and both may (usually will) need to be manually put in "pairing" mode to do that.

[patfarrell1949]

The modem required a unique code to be entered for the pairing which apparently was successful, however it still shows as not connected.

[SoonerSailor]

So you aren't seeing a virtual com port in the device manager that can be attributed to your Bluetooth conection?


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[hellosailor]

Using a unique pairing code is just standard security practice.
But after you are paired, BT devices do no connect automatically. Typically you would have to select the device from the list of devices available on the computer, and then select the option to CONNECT to that device. Again, from the computer side.
The modem should have a specific process in the docs.

[patfarrell1949]

I'm using WIN7 and in the device list I can see the modem & open same...it shows it's disconnected but the only option is to "control" but I can't do this because it's not connected! On another screen I can see it's using com13 in one direction and com14 coming back.
This is an SCS modem and the documentation says nothing about this.

[hellosailor]

I've never heard of a BT device or a modem using two different COM ports for one connection. Either I've missed something or you may need to delete these connections and try a new installation. Also check that the Pactor modem CAN use COM port settings above COM4, not all devices can. I'd never heard of a BT device being assigned to a COM port at all, either. Do you have the modem connected via a USB>serial emulator in addition to the BT connection?
Was this purchased new, i.e. so there's support on it?

[patfarrell1949]

I've never encountered this type of issue before either! The 2 com connections (13 and 14) are found on my PC for connection to this modem and one says in & the other out. The provided documentations is not at all helpful on the subject & the manufacturer is German so maybe not so easy to communicate with. I think I do have the option of a USB connection so I'll try that first...if successful I'll retry the Bluetooth connection.
BTW, I really appreciate your input...after getting all the rest of the gear installed successfully, this issue is a real downer but should be easy...oh well!

[Rivatar]

Get a mac

[hellosailor]

I'm not familiar with the Pactor so I may easily be missing something. But have banged my head against enough walls with serial connectors in the past decades, almost enough (almost) to appreciate USB instead. USB is great when the magic works, but COM ports still have the mixed advantage of needing no magic software, just a human to flummox around the connection options. Never, with peripherals or mainframes or networks, saw two COM ports used for one connection. I would guess it is possible to design a system where two separate ports were used for full duplex. IIRC Pactor is akin to the NATO STANAG(?) equipment and if you add "military" "NATO" and "German engineers" into the pot...anything goes.
Still...I'd bet someone there can reply to email in Colonial. When I need to gamble on that, I usually send a machine translation (Babblefish or Google) along with my email question, noting that it is just that, and the same tools often produce a useful translation if the reply isn't clear.
Either way, the BT issue and the, ah, unique dual COM port business, should be unrelated. Perhaps. Maybe there's a Pactor user group on Yahoo or someplace that can give you some insight?

[Dsanduril]

Was the "unique code" the last eight characters of the modem serial number? That is the default for the SCS modems. All letters must be entered as uppercase.

While not exactly on point, you may want to take a look at SCS' note on configuring with Bluetooth sticks:

http://www1.scs-ptc.com/download/BlueSoleil-EN.pdf

That's a step-by-step setup guide, may help if you can generalize to the Win 7 built-in functions.

[hellosailor]

"Der PTC-IIusb should now be switched on, whereby the USB cable shall NOT be plugged in. After some time only the center LED of the PTC-IIusb’s tuning display will be on. All other LED’s are off. The modem is now ready to accept connects via Bluetooth."


Ignoring "Der" fine translation and proofreading (G) this sounds like the modem is designed so that the BT connection cannot be used if a hardwired connection is present. Presumably, it detects the hardwire connection and does not allow BT to be enabled in that case.

[patfarrell1949]

Thanks guys...I'm still having some issues but to start with I installed BlueSoleil software and can now make a connection with the modem...$26 later!! Seems Win7 Bluetooth software just wasn't up to the task...now I have only one port (com15) working as a virtual serial port (I think). There's more noddling coming but this gets me thru my first issues I think so I'll close the thread. Thanks again for your help.

[jhstacy]

I had issues with this and spent a great deal of time troubleshooting it.
The pactor dragon documentation says to connect using the last 4 digits of the serial number as I remember.. it does not work. There was a change and now they simply use 0000. Four zero's and you will connect. This change is not in the manual but I called my provider and was told this was to make it easier in the long run.

[hellosailor]

"There was a change and now they simply use 0000. "
Sounds like they figured out that a)Hacking access to a Pactor modem isn't a high priority and b)Anyone who owns and operates a Pactor modem probably can set their own security code if they need or want it.


After all, if you're not actually USING it, odds are the power to the radio(s) has been turned off, huh?