Highfields Amateur Radio Club
PC Help Pages.

PC and Radio help at the same time! Excellent!

This refers to a problem I had with DStar Comms by Matt Miller M0DQW, (software for communicating text messages via the serial port on D-Star Amateur radios), I know at least one other user that has encountered this problem and this solution seems to have worked for him too. It is not a problem with the DStar Comms software, rather Windows failing to register a component so that, when the software tries to use that component, things don't go according to plan!

Firstly, I will only deal with Windows XP and Vista here as DStar Comms does not seem to work on 98SE (I know, I tried to get it up and running for a week before giving up!).

The Problem:

DStar Comms seems to have installed OK on the system, connects to the radio and sends any message that you type into the message box but fails to receive any messages that are transmitted to you.

When testing with the CS-2820 memory cloning software data flowed both ways through the same com port, data lead and radio port so there was no problem with the hardware (well there was initially with a lead for the other person, but that was soon resolved and the lead turned out to be just one of his problems).

Possible Cause:

The msvbvm50.dll file is not registered within Windows (version 5.1.43.19 is the one that seems to work), my Vista laptop had a newer version that was incompatable with DStar Comms (giving loads of error messages on receiving the data communication, but no data) so I downloaded version 5.1.43.19 from the DStar Comms website FAQ page, where it is available in zip format (toward the bottom of the page) and, after renaming the newer file that I had, unzipped the downloaded file to the correct folder. That was when I started to get the symptoms described in The Problem, above. Also when I tried to use the Beacon feature I had an error message relating to an ocx, this problem dissapeared after registering the dll.

Possible Solution.
For Both Versions of Windows:

Use the Search to check that msvbvm50.dll is in the C:\windows\system32 folder. If it is not then get it from the FAQ page as mentioned above and unzip it to C:\windows\system32.

Once the dll is in the system32 folder we can register it. From here on bold is what you type, anything in ( ) brakets are key presses, don't type the word! Anything in [ ] is a clarification to help.

1. Click Start, select All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt. A window will appear with a DOS prompt (C:\[some directory or other]\>_).
   
   
2. If the prompt is "C:\windows\system32\>_" then go to step 3, if not follow this:
   • Type cd..[that's 2 full stops](enter), repeat if required until the prompt looks like C:\>_
     
     
   • Now type: cd(space)windows(enter)
     
     
   • then: cd(space)system32(enter)
     
     
   • The prompt should now be C:\windows\system32\>_
   
   
   
3. Now type [carefully!]: regsvr32(space)msvbvm50.dll[don't miss the full stop before "dll"](enter)
   
   
4. You should get a window message box like:
   
   
   
   If so, all is well. Click on the OK (on the info box, not the ones in the picture above!), close the DOS Promt box (X in the top right corner) and try the Dstar Comms software again.
   If you got an error, check your typing, the prompt and the fact that msvbvm50.dll is in the system32 folder.

This has resolved the problem for me and, after posting the info on the Help forum at the DStar Comms site in the Help > com port thread, for Dave, 2W0RUH (we have been working together for a while to try to get him (and me!) sorted with Data).
He reported back: "Thanks Brian your instructions were perfect. All followed and went according to plan just need some d star comms communications to test and I will post the results accordingly. a.s.a.p."
Followed a few hours later by: "All working fine. Thanks again to Brian MW0GKX".

Thank you, Dave, For the feedback!