Importing Data Into link700



link700 imports data in the TravelPlus* .TPE format.  Many hams have spreadsheets of frequencies that they would like to import into link700 or other programs.  Fortunately, a good tool to convert data in columnar formats is the spreadsheet itself.  Here is an example of using a spreadsheet to convert a format from a Yaesu FT90 into a .TPE format that can be imported by link700.  The spreadsheet shown is Calc, part of the Open Office Suite, available free online, but almost any other spreadsheet should be able to do the functions involved.  Since we are talking about generic spreadsheets here, there will not be any instructions specific to a given spreadsheet.  You are expected to know your spreadsheet well enough to do these basic functions.

Starting with version 1.1.4.6, link700 will tolerate more variations in input format, so that it will read .CSV files written by most spreadsheets.  If you are trying this with an older version, and have problems, download the latest version.

The first step is to load the file into your spreadsheet program, as shown here:

Imported FT90 Data



There are too many columns to display easily in one view, so here is the right side of the list:

Imported Data, right half


Next, create a sheet that will contain our target format, the .TPE.   The first row, shown here, contains only headers, and is really not necessary,  but you must include a blank row if you don't use them, as link700 will not allow you to copy  the first line of data it reads.  They are included here so that files exported  to .CSV format will be easier to read.

 Here are the headers for the .TPE file:

Headers for .TPE file


and the right side:

Right side, .TPE headers


The column headers are listed here, for reference:


Now it is necessary to create the formulae that link the input data to the output data sheet.    Start with the Output Frequency, which is the repeater output frequency. Once you have established that you have transformed the data correctly, copy the formula to the whole column:

Translating Output frequency
In this case, all that is necessary is a strait copy of the data from the "Receive Frequency" of the input data.  In order to get the 4 decimal places, the column's formating functions were set.  When saving as a .CSV file, Calc will round off trailing zeros, but link700 will reformat the data when it gets it.
Similarly, the CTCSS tones were copied to the output data sheet, using the cell formating to obtain 1 decimal place, which is needed for specifying the CTCSS tone frequencies.  In this example, the tone frequencies are all specified as 100.0 Hz, so they are probably not valid.  Regardless, the column was treated as if it were valid, so that the spreadsheet could be reused.

Transfering CTCSS


Call sign is similarly a simple copy:

Call sign



So much for the "simple" conversions.  

The input file contains the following:
The input frequency column for the .TPE  has to contain the following:

The Calc formula to create the proper entries in the output table ( for Row 2 ) is:

=IF(Sheet1.D2="Minus";"-";IF(Sheet1.D2="Plus";"+";IF(Sheet1.D2="Odd";Sheet1.B2;"")))

In addition, the numeric format for the column was set to 4 decimal places in order to get the desired output format.  Here is a section of the output table showing all possible results:
Input Frequencies


At this point, there is really no more data we can import from this file into the .TPE    Save the spreadsheet in the regular spreadsheet format in order that you can come back to it, and possibly reuse it.  Then output table in CSV format, and rename the file extension to .TPE

Here is the same file,  imported into link700, and copied to a TM-D700A profile:
link700 Imported data


In order for the callsigns from this data file to be placed into the "Name" field of  the memory channels,  in link700 click on Files/Preferences/Import ( or F2 ) and select "Call" under 'Import into "Name" '.




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