HamGadgets ID-O-Matic III, Assembly, Setup And Use Manual

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www.hamgadgets.com
2014-01-17 ID-O-Matic III 3
Introduction
The HamGadgets ID-O-Matic III is a versatile ID timer and annunciator. It can be used as a
relatively simple repeater controller with some advanced features such as “polite” ID, voice
identification, courtesy tone, time-out timer and much more. While intended as a repeater
controller, it’s also simple to set up for applications such as beacon transmitters, a “fox”
controller for transmitter hunts, link ID and even automatic station ID for HF or VHF/UHF.
Setup is done with a computer equipped with a USB port, and any program capable of emulating
a serial terminal.
The ID-O-Matic III differs from earlier ID-O-Matic versions in several ways. The most obvious
is the inclusion of a USB interface in place of the earlier serial interface. This makes connecting
to most computer systems much easier, and eliminates the need for a USB to serial converter for
laptops and desktop systems lacking a serial port.
While you don’t need a serial port or serial converter, you will still need software that emulates a
“dumb” terminal. A program such as PuTTY that emulates ANSI or VT100 formats is ideal.
This software is available for free from numerous sources; check the HamGadgets web site for
links and more information. The ID-O-Matic III will appear as a virtual serial port on your
system, so software designed to communicate with serial devices is needed.
The setup menu has also changed. In place of the earlier product’s step-through setup procedure,
a series of menus allows you to go directly to the item(s) you wish to change. While changes
you make take effect immediately, no changes are saved to the nonvolatile storage until you
select that option.