A runnable firmware for the RT-880, it doesn't do anything other than a hard coded scan of the airband.
This is obviously not meant for use, it's to compare the behaviour of different radios.
There is no AM "Fix" on this, so strong signals will likely distort.
Press PTT to skip/ignore a frequency.
You'll need my firmware flasher to load this onto the radio. You should already know where to get this and how to use it.
2025-06-30 20:02:33 +0000 UTC View PostProgress is moving along steadily, more and more core functions are getting knocked out each day. That said, this is a full rewrite, so don’t expect Barry Allen-level speeds just yet. 😅
Since I’m rebuilding everything from scratch, I’ve taken the opportunity to overhaul the skinning system. In previous versions, a lot of UI objects shared colours and used predefined fonts. The new approach introduces a proper tree structure of UI elements, everything on the display is now its o...
2025-06-30 11:29:54 +0000 UTC View PostWhen you're working with unknowns.
GPIO 4 when set HIGH engages the filter not LOW,
I meant that GPIO-5 engages the UHF filter.
2025-06-29 01:03:44 +0000 UTC View PostNote: The frequency the radio is tuned to is 433.55000 not 430.55000 which is why the H3 is showing 433.55000. Sorry about that, the text on the 880 is just printed and I forgot to change it.
Although I've not yet figured out how the UHF/VHF Filters are engaged. I have a feeling they're on the BK4819's GPIOs and I have no information for those.
Well that was a journey, had to write a whole separate app to convert fonts to something usable. But now, we're sporting a 24x32 font right there.
I know right now it doesn't seem like a much, writing text to a screen? But when you have no fonts, no docs, no reference, no idea how the LCD controller is mapped to the LCD module etc... Getting to here is not easy.
Now I need to tackle the BK4819s, to begin I think I'll make a test firmware, just a fixed frequency, basic RX and TX, n...
2025-06-28 16:43:14 +0000 UTC View Post
One of the advantages of being a coder is that you can make a computer do anything you want it to, it just takes a little bit of effort. But damn, why isn't there a single app out there that can convert system fonts to bitmapped fonts? I mean sure there are a few that "claim" to do so, but they all suck at it.
Anyway, I should be OK for the larger fonts now I have some reasonably easy method to generate them.
2025-06-28 02:48:24 +0000 UTC View PostThis is a better display, 240x320, and its physical width is about the same as the RT-900's screen which is 160x128. This means the RT-880 has a finer dot pitch, as a result 16x16 fonts will appear considerably smaller. We are going to need 24x24 / 24x32 fonts, which is going to be a pain to create.
I've not gone digging in the SPI Flash backup file to see what's in there, but almost certainly the fonts Radtel use will be formatted completely differently to what I need, but we'll have t...
2025-06-27 16:05:37 +0000 UTC View PostStill far from a usable firmware but I'm getting peripheral usage down one by one. Remember I have absolutely no reference at all to work from, so this is way more of a grind.
Update: Now got the communication protocol down too.
2025-06-26 18:28:08 +0000 UTC View PostThis may look pretty trivial but it's not, getting to this stage is a huge relief.
The TD-H3 was an 8051 based device, not exactly difficult to work out, it's a very simplistic MCU compared to ARM. For the 890 and 900 I had already working code to use as a reference. So getting a working binary for those models wasn't too problematic.
The 880 however is a different story, we know the MCU, so that helps, but we know very little else, what the boot loader offset is, how much RAM is...
2025-06-24 08:06:46 +0000 UTC View PostI do not like the self contained application firmware flasher Radtel supply at all. The biggest worry I have about it is that it requests Admin rights to run.
So here's a proper user mode flasher (doesn't need admin) and the latest V1.14 firmware extracted into a .bin file.
The source code for this simple flashing app is here. You can check for yoursel...
2025-06-23 13:43:18 +0000 UTC View PostTo review change logs, please read all prior release posts, each one has release notes that describe new features, changes and the like.
There is nothing of note to detail in this version other than background tweaks and the inclusion of the same PTT-ID tone chirp system recently implemented on the TD-H3. This release is to synchronize my code to a binary version before I move to another radio.
2025-06-22 19:53:47 +0000 UTC View PostThis release is just the firmware file. To obtain the compatible programmer, download the one supplied with release 2.52.15 [Click Here]
To review change logs, please read all prior release posts, each one has release notes that describe new features, changes and the like.
There is nothing of note to detail in this versi...
2025-06-22 19:49:49 +0000 UTC View PostDevelopment Update: Transitioning Focus to the RT-880
As I shift my development efforts to the RT-880, it’s time to draw a line under the TD-H3 and RT-900; at least for now. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to give the RT-890 the same level of attention as the H3, but it’s still on my radar. Just a reminder: I'm one person doing all this in my spare time, not a team or a company. Thanks to your support here, my day job is now part-time, which definitely helps...
2025-06-22 09:28:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Use with previous programmer released [HERE]
Single feature release, request made by roachslayer as explained in the video above.
Please check previous releases for changes and updates before asking questions that have already been answered in release notes. I'm not fond of repeating myself.
2025-06-18 15:48:02 +0000 UTC View PostHere are the online TD-H3 tools for firmware flashing and codeplug burning/backup.
I have also included the default codeplug (required to be written first time) as a download here and it is also available on the Github page hosting the tools.
To open the tools click [HERE]
To view the Github project click 2025-06-18 10:12:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Use with 2.52.15 Programmer [HERE]
Fixes a bug reported in community chat that locks the radio up after turning bluetooth off.
Includes an AM AGC option to help with strong AM signals that overload the demodulator.
Incorporated the same lcd/exnoise cooldown system from the RT-900, to address stuttering.
Here's the email I just sent to Radtel. Hopefully they'll respond positively. If not we've got a bit of a journey figuring out the IO on this RT-880 and I'll likely need to ask for community support.
Greetings,
My name is Marcus Dudley, also known as nicsure. I develop custom firmware for HT radios under the name nicFW, which has gained popularity for several models, including the TIDRADIO TD-H3, Radtel RT-890, and RT-900. These firmwares are original...
2025-06-16 13:07:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Use with previous release SPI App [HERE] This update includes just one change, but it’s a meaningful one that improves both reliability and
Use with previous release SPI App [HERE]
This update includes just one change, but it’s a meaningful one that improves both reliability and the longevity of your radio.
Recently, someone in the comm...
2025-06-16 11:22:34 +0000 UTC View PostSince Patreon's posting system is woefully bad for posting code, I've included this info as a downloadable txt document as well.
The RT-900 uses a baud rate of 57600, No Parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit. Version 4.00.22 or later
The TD-H3 uses a baud rate of 38400, No Parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit. Version 2.52.17 or later
To request the status of the currently active VFO, send the following two bytes to the radio:
0xAA 0x60
The radio w...
2025-06-15 09:50:27 +0000 UTC View PostThis is a specific release; a request by member: เอกชัย ทรัพย์ทิพย์
Use with 2.52.15 Programmer [HERE]
Incorporates a VFO status system in the serial protocol.
Documentation for how to request and decode the VFO status is [HERE].
Just some info that might save a few headaches.
2025-06-15 00:46:37 +0000 UTC View PostThis is a specific release; a request by member: เอกชัย ทรัพย์ทิพย์ notifications have not been turned on. Incorporates a VFO status system
This is a specific release; a request by member: เอกชัย ทรัพย์ทิพย์
notifications have not been turned on.
Incorporates a VFO status system in the serial protocol.
Documentation for how to request and decode the ...
Added User/Advanced menu split.
Note: Since the 900 does not need a CRC check I used the bottom side button to switch between user and advanced menus on that radio. But on the H3, that button is used for a CRC check while the menu is open so I needed to use another button. The key to swap between user and advanced on the H3 is '#'
Added Noise Ceiling system as per the 900. (Advanced Menu #1)
Note:
2025-06-13 07:38:52 +0000 UTC
View Post
First of the RT-900 backport releases.
Added Scramble feature and DTMF decoding/fleet ID.
Check the Scrambler menu after flashing to make sure it doesn't set itself to a random value.
See the RT-900 releases for details of these features.
2025-06-12 07:17:02 +0000 UTC View PostUse with SPI Flash App V4.00.20 [Previous Release] This is a minor, single-feature update. Notifications have not been enabled for this post
Use with SPI Flash App V4.00.20 [Previous Release]
This is a minor, single-feature update. Notifications have not been enabled for this post, as the update is unlikely to be of general interest.
Hi everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts on the current direction of development and what's coming next. There are several exciting possibilities on the horizon, and I’m carefully evaluating how best to move forward.
At the forefront is the Radtel 880, which is currently in my sights for nicFW treatment. However, progress is being slowed by a lack of publicly available technical documentation, specifically around the internals, GPIO mappings, and other key h...
2025-06-09 17:37:06 +0000 UTC View PostA quick demonstration of how DTMF Speed Dialing works.
2025-06-07 18:01:47 +0000 UTC View PostPlease read the pre-release post [HERE] for the new programmable key action defaults. Since I had to insert two keys into the action tables,
Since I had to insert two keys into the action tables, it will have shuffled existing long-press settings around, even when loading in your saved CSV...
2025-06-07 03:37:53 +0000 UTC View Post