Next, you will align the radio using the functions provided in the "SERVICE/ALIGNMENT"
menus. While you are aligning the radio, the alignment values are stored in the RPF. Finally,
when you have finished the alignment, you will again write to the radio. When prompted to
select F2 or F6, you will again select F2. Remember, the results of your alignment were
stored in the RPF, so it no longer contains the default values placed there during personality
creation, but instead contains the results of the alignment.
Now, assume that you want to put the same personality into another radio. This time,
however, the radio to be programmed is already properly aligned; it just has a different
personality. When prompted to select F2 or F6, you will select "F6 - Extract Alignment Value
From Radio." If you had selected F2 instead, the radio would have been programmed with
the alignment values of the previous radio and you would have had to align it again.
Selecting F6 instructs the RSS to "extract" (read) the alignment values from the radio to be
programmed, and put those values into the RPF. The "new" personality has been aligned to
fit the second radio, and the resulting personality is converted to codeplug(s) and written to
the radio.
The above example is only one instance where extraction is useful. There are several other
cases where extraction is appropriate, and also several cases where extraction is not
appropriate. To simplify the decision-making process, a flowchart (Figure 16) has been
provided. To use the chart, start at its upper left corner, answer the question, and follow the
line that matches your answer to the next question or action.
Figure 16. Extraction of Radio Alignment Data
If you use extraction (or even if you don't), it is good practice to bench-check the radio after
programming. It only takes a few minutes, and it assures the radio user of the highest
possible performance.
Extraction is only accurate and valid provided that frequencies in the RPF lie within the range
of frequencies present in the radio. If a frequency in the RPF is higher (or lower) than the
highest (lowest) frequency currently in the radio, that new frequency will get the same
alignment values as the highest (lowest) frequency in the radio. For example, if you were to
use extraction on a radio that was programmed with only one frequency, then after
extraction, every frequency in the radio would have the same alignment values as the
original frequency in the radio. Get/Save/Program Codeplug Data 41
Was the radio
just aligned?
Yes
No
Is the current radio
personality from
DISK?
Yes
No
Does this radio
personality belong
to the radio?
Is the current radio
personality from
the RADIO?
Write
without
extraction.
Select [F2]
Write
without
extraction.
Select
[F2]
Yes
Write
with
extraction.
Select [F6]
Any new or modified
channels or
frequencies?
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes