8-1
RLC-4 V1.79 Copyright © 1998 Link Communications Inc. 9/18/98
Chapter 8: Macros
How Macros Get Executed:
Macros can be executed just like any other commands: you can enter the name of the macro from a
radio and unkey (or press the force execution digit), you can enter the macro name from the serial
port, you enter an 'N' followed by the macro number from the serial port, etc. In addition, the
controller will automatically execute macros at certain times, such as to send an ID or a courtesy
beep. The macros that the controller calls in this way are called "automatic macros" because they
are called automatically. The automatic macros are listed in this chapter along with descriptions of
when they get executed. When the controller is reinitialized (at the factory or if you do it), some of
these macros are programmed with examples of what you might want to do: the ID macros send
sample ID's and the courtesy beep macros send beeps. You can change what is in any or all of the
automatic macros to make them do what you want. Which macros do what is controlled by
command 045.
Macros numbered 163 and higher are not listed with descriptions because the controller doesn't
have a specific purpose for them; they are called "user macros". They are extras that can be used
for anything else you might want to do. You will probably want to keep a list of what you use each
one for so you can remember it later. After you program them, you may want to change their
names and execute them from your radio with DTMF, program the automatic macros to execute
them, or tell the controller to execute them at certain times using the event triggers (see Chapter
20).
What a macro is:
There are at least two common understandings of what a macro is. The RLC-4 currently supports
the more flexible of the two types; eventually it may support both. The kind the RLC-4 supports
could be called a "multiple command macro" because it provides a way to execute a sequence of
internal commands in response to one command from the user. In other words, this kind of macro
contains a list of commands that are executed in order when the macro is executed. If you
commonly want to connect your repeater port to a couple of link ports, turn DTMF muting on and
change your courtesy beep, you could program a macro to execute the appropriate commands all at
the same time. This type of macro is very similar to the macros that many word processors and
other computer programs allow you to make to automate things that you do often.
The other commonly used kind of macro (that the RLC-4 does not currently support) could be
called a "snapshot macro". It allows you to set up the controller the way you like it, take a
snapshot of it, and restore the controller to that configuration at any time by recalling the snapshot.
While this may be convenient, it is also limiting. Consider an example: you have two stand alone
repeaters running off of one RLC-4 controller. You are setting up one repeater today and plan to
set up the other tomorrow. You set up the repeater with a certain courtesy beep and take a
snapshot. You then set it up with a different courtesy beep and take another snapshot. Now you
can easily switch back and forth between the two courtesy beeps just by recalling the appropriate
snapshot. The next day you set up the other repeater port in a similar way, with two different
courtesy beeps. Now you start having problems. Whenever you change the courtesy beep on one
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