Can any radio be connected to Mimer SoftRadio?

Yes, any radio can be connected through microphone, speaker and PTT.  A number of radios can also be connected showing a virtual control head.

See this page for information on which radios.

Is it possible to connect a base station?

Base stations can be connected either through microphone, speaker and PTT or through 2-wire or 4-wire lines 600 ohms, -10dB.

Can more than one user operate the same radio?

Yes all operators can listen at the same time. The first that hits PTT gets control of the transmitter. Since they all share the same radio a channel change from one operator will affect all.

How many users can connect to the same radio?

Locally, in the same sub network, 99 users can connect simultaneously. At the same time one user can connect over the Internet using TCP. If more users are needed over the Internet, you need a Mimer RadioServer or Mimer NetworkRepeater.

How many radios can I connect to one computer?

You can have up to eight devices connected to each computer. A device is a Radio, an Intercom, a Phone or a VoiceLog panel.
A larger version for up to 30 devices is available, called Mimer SoftRadio XL.

Can I listen to all radios on my screen at the same time?

Yes all are monitored in parallel. You can listen to all eight (30 in XL version) radios at the same time. As well as Phone and Intercom.

If I transmit on one radio, can I still monitor the other radios?

Yes you will not loose the audio from the other radios. (Useful when watching for example Marin Channel 16 at an harbour or on board ship)

If I use Mimer SoftRadio for a phone call and I in the middle of the conversation needs to transmit on the radio, what happens.

As in the example above, you will still monitor the radios though you are in a phone call. When you press PTT on a radio your microphone will be switched over to the radio and temporally leave the phone call. When you release the PTT your microphone is back in the phone call. During your radio PTT you will still monitor the phone call.

In later SoftRadio, from 2020, you can set an automatic decrease of the audio volume from the radios when a phone call is ongoing.

Can one dispatcher listen to the other dispatchers transmission?

Yes each dispatcher can be set up either for listening to the other dispatchers or for not listening. Read more in the guide “Monitor Tx Audio” found on the Technical download page.

Can we set up an old dispatcher console with audio and RS232 over the Internet?

Yes you can do this via Mimer SoftLine. It will establish a virtual 4-wireline and an RS232 plus some digital I/O:s.

(Also see this page)

Can we use the radios own control head in parallel with the SoftRadio virtual control head?

Yes with some radios, like the Sepura Tetra, Icom  marine radios or the Motorola MotoTrbo.

But on many radios you need to take away the radios control head and use the remote control head connector for the Network Interface.

Can we use the standard control heads on long distances instead of Windows programs and PC´s?

Yes, through our Mimer SoftLine system, we have made adaptions for a number of radios. These include the Sepura Tetra, Motorola analogue and Tetra and also the Icom marine radios.

Read more here.

Is the IP connection encrypted?

The SoftRadio system itself does not include any encryption. Every user has his own security level need.

It is up to the installer to set up VPN-tunnels or similar with the needed safety layer/encryption on top.

Why can’t I connect more than one computer over the Internet?

Over the Internet TCP is used and the messages can’t be broadcasted in the same way they are in local networks. Locally UDP Broadcast is used.

Through the use of a Mimer RadioServer or a Mimer NetworkRepeater more than one computer can be connected.

With UDP all status and audio messages are broadcasted to all operators in the subnet without the need to log on or log off. You can have many operators to each radio. But UDP can not pass through routers used in WAN or Internet systems.

With TCP you can pass through routers and you need to log on with a password and to set up ports in the routers. The Mimer NetworkInterface can only handle one TCP connection and there for you need a server when there are several operators.

(Also see this page)

There is a strange sound from time to time, sounds a bit sad?

This is the disconnect alarm signal. It is played when an operator PC loses its connection to a device for more than 4 seconds.
If you use the Internet this might happen from time to time since most networks have drop outs.
From version 3.4.9.0 and up there is a setting to disable this alarm sound in the “Settings Menu”.

How much latency and jitter can the system handle over the IP link?

The NetworkInterface can handle jitter up to 500ms. You will hear this as a delay but will not loose any information.

Details about the settings can be found here.

With the help of a RadioServer even worse conditions can be handled.

For systems with very high jitter, typically a satellite connection, we have a special version of the RadioServer that will handle this. Read more here.

How much bandwidth does Mimer use in the LAN?

Mimer will load your LAN with  <100kbit/s when there is audio.

When there is no audio only a “heartbeat” is sent every second so that the application knows that the interface is still there.
Systems with virtual control heads also sends information every time the radio display is updated. The data load for this varies between different radio types.

Will SoftRadio work on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11, 32 and 64 bit versions?

Yes, all of them will most likely work.

We no longer test on other than Windows 10 & 11, so one of those is the recomendation.

What specification is needed on the dispatcher PC.

Mimer SoftRadio will run on any modern Windows PC. It needs to have a network connection and an audio card with the proper accessories. In many cases SoftRadio is run on the same PC as the dispatcher runs other Windows applications. But sometimes it is prefered to have the radios on a separate unit.

The software is made to work well on a touch screen.

Here are some examples of PC´s, when having a separate unit.

Here are some examples of accessories.

Can the microphone audio at the operator be sent over the IP net and/or the radio without the operator knowing it?

No, the SoftRadio system has a doubble safety that only opens the audio path when the operator is actually activating his PTT.

Read more here.

Can I change the alert signal for calls in MarineCalls and RadioCalls?

The calls use an audio file that contains the actual call sound. The name and path of the call audio file is: C:\ProgramData\Mimer\radiocall.wav
You can replace this file with another file with exactly the same name but containing any other sound you want.
There are also other sound files in the same folder. Their names explains where they are used.

In order to do a backup of all settings in SoftRadio, what files do I need to copy on the operator PC.

The executable files for a Mimer installation are installed in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\MimerSoftRadio

There are also audio files and other files in:
C:\ProgramData\Mimer

All settings files and script files are stored in:
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Mimer
(Might also be subfolders with more information)

Positions for windows and other user settings are stored in the register under the key:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MimerSoftRadio

Some settings may also be stored under the key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\MimerSoftRadio

On a Tipro PC the settings for audio and keys are stored in a file with the end .lay. Often called “Mimer.lay”. It is in the folder: 
C:\Users\Public\Documents

We need to change out the PC that runs the SoftRadio operator software. Do we need a new license?

You can do a new installation from the same USB stick as you did at the first istallation. No new license is needed.

But, if you have v3 software and are upgrading to Windows 10 or 11, it is recommended that you purchase an upgrade to v4 of the software.

Before closing the old PC you can export the settings from “Mimer Connections Setup”, and then import them on the new PC.

We run a system with MotoTrbo DM3600, how can we upgrade to DM4600?

Installations with the old radio type can be upgraded to run with the new radio by changing the interface firmware (4.148 or later) and running the latest Mimer SoftRadio (3.3.10.6 or later). All hardware is the same.

Regarding the “Apache Log4j” and the “Spring4Shell” problems.

This was security problems discovered in late 2021 and in 2022 respectively.
We can confirm that the Mimer products does not use any Java code. So this is not an issue.

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I can´t get in contact with my Network Interface with the Interface Setup program?

It does not show up in the list of connected units.

1. You need to be connected in the same LAN as the interface. The setup program can not connect over the Internet or over a WAN.
2. Even if your PC is set to another LAN subnet than the interface, the interface shall show up in the list of connected units.
3. To avoid any IP conflicts, try using a direct cable between PC and interface. In this way nothing on your LAN can disturb the process.
   When connecting directly your PC must have a fixed IP, not DHCP.
4. Check the firewall settings on your PC. It might block the interface.
5. Disable all other network ports on your PC. There has been issues with virtual ports disturbing the connection.
6. If possible test another interface to see that the PC and cables are OK.
7. If possible test another PC, preferably a totally different type of unit with other firewalls and other IP ports.
8. If you still don´t see the interface in the list, go to the step below.

There is still no connection after checking the steps above?

There is an “IP Bypass” button on the interface, behind a hole beside the RJ45 connector.

• Turn off the power.
• Press and hold the key.
• Turn on the power and keep the key pressed for 3 seconds.

The interface will start on IP: 192.168.0.25.

You should now get in contact with the interface on this IP address and be able to set everything to the correct values.

The bypass is only done at that specific start. So the next restart will use the value programmed in the interface.

There is no full reset function on the interface.

Since this is a step that you normally should not need to do. We are always interested in feed back. If possible please send an email with what happened before it stopped responding and the serial number of the interface to mimer@softradio.se

Is the Ping function active in the interfaces, so that I can “Ping” them over my network to see that they are connected?

Yes, the Ping function is active on almost all interfaces. They will reply to a Ping request.

However on one version of the interface firmware the Ping function was mistakingly shut off. This applies to serial numbers 3000-3265. These interfaces will not respond to a Ping request. If needed the firmware in the interfaces can be updated to allow Ping.

When I read the interface with “Mimer Interface Setup”, I get the message: “ERROR! Unknown unit type”

This indicates a network interface firmware that the setup program does not recognise.
Usually this happens when you have an old version of Interface Setup and a brand new radio type.
Please use the latest version of “Mimer Interface Setup”. It is delivered together with the operator software.

The interface does not seem to communicate with my radio. Do I need to do settings in the radio also?

On this page you will find all instructions for setting up radios and also interface settings to match the radio type. They are sorted by the cables article number.

When i press PTT on my touch screen, the PTT is cutoff after a short period of time?

Some touch screens have a setting for how long you may do a “long click” on the touch. Look for this under the touch screens settings.

For example on Tipro computers with ELO Touchscreens, the setting is called “Untouch Timeout”.

I need to connect my radio over a VPN network. Do I need to use a RadioServer or a NetworkRepeater?

If the VPN can be set to forward global broadcast UDP datagrams (destination IP = 255.255.255.255) then it will work without servers.

The UDP ports to forward are 20001-20002 from the Clients to the interfaces, and ports 20010-20255 from the interfaces to the clients.

I save my settings, but when I restart, the application is back as before?

If SoftRadio was set up using an Admin account and later run on a standard user account in some cases the settings are saved in the wrong place.

Start SoftRadio by right clicking on the Icon and select “Run as Admin”. Make the preferred settings and then close SoftRadio.
Restart the application as usual. The settings should now be correct.

I have connected my Network Interface to the LAN and installed the software on my PC, but it does not seem to work.

The Network Interface needs to have a fixed IP address that can be used in the LAN where it is connected. This IP is set up in the interface through the “Mimer Interface Setup” software.

The IP address to the interface needs to be set up in the dispatch PC. This is done in the “Mimer Connections Setup” software.

If this is done correctly you will see the name of the interface in the name bar of SoftRadio, and when you push PTT on SoftRadio the name bar and the PTT key will go red. If they don´t go red you most likely have made a mistake in the IP settings.

More information and examples are found in the basic setup manual that can be downloaded from the Technical download page.

I have connected my Network Interface to the radio but it does not seem to communicate with the radio?

Many radios needs a special setting in the radios CPS to allow remote control. See the radios manual and the setup instructions delivered with the interface and cable kit.

A1: Please note that on for example Motorola GM380 the radios control head needs to be taken off, and the remote mount head installed instead. The Network Interface is then connected to the port for the remote mount cable. Motorola kit nmbr RLN4780. (Also see this page)

A2: Please note that on the Motorola MotoTrbo a setting needs to be done in the radio programming in order for Mimer to talk to the radio. On the Accessories page of the CPS there is a choice for Cable Type. This should be set to: “Rear Data Accy”. (Also see this page)

A3: Also Motorola Tetra radios, Kenwood radios and Hytera radios have special settings that needs to be done to make the interface  able to communicate with the radio.

Instead of speaker symbols on the green buttons there are ordinary letters “A, B, C etc?

This happens if SoftRadio cannot find the special font file with the icons for the green buttons.
This might happen if the operator PC has different logins for the user and for the admin and these two are set up in the PC with different languages.

Either set the same language for all users and the admin or go into: “Control Panel/Fonts/Font Settings” and uncheck the box “Hide fonts based on language settings”.

There is no received audio in the PC speakers or the sound is very low?

A1: Check the PC audio settings. Also check that there are no other audio applications in the PC that might take over the audio control. We have experienced problems with an application called “SmartAudio”, that wasn´t very smart.

A2: Check in “Mimer Connections Setup” that the proper audio device is chosen for SoftRadio.

A3: Check that the audio level for each device in SoftRadio is not at an unnormal low level.

More reading about audio settings on this page.

I can hear myself in the PC speakers when I am transmitting on a radio?

This is a setting in the audio card. When using a headset it can be good to hear yourself, but not when using speakers. Open the settings of your microphone in Windows and untick the box “listen to this unit”.

When using an MTM5400 I can hear my own transmission echo back in my SoftRadio operator PC.

In the CPS of the MTM5400 uncheck “Call Recorder Output” under Audio Settings / Routing.

I can hear the dispatcher sitting next to me in my speakers, when he is transmitting. Can this be changed?

A1: There are many set up variations possible. Please take a look at the instruction “Monitor Tx Audio” found on the Technical Download Page.

A2: If you have several radios connected to your system and those radios have common channels/talkgroups it might be that you have by mistake set two of them to the same channel. You will then get feedback between the radios.

I would like to hear the other dispatchers when they are transmitting. Can this be changed?

There are many set up variations possible. Please take a look at the instruction “Monitor Tx Audio” found on the Technical Download Page.

How do I connect an external PTT to the PC?

Closing pins 7 & 8 in the PC:s COM-port will give you PTT on the selected radio. You also need to set which COM-port to use under “Settings” in SoftRadio.

If your PC doesn’t have a COM-port, you can use a USB to COM-port dongle.

I am trying to set the key “F12″for PTT in SoftRadio, but nothing happens.

The “F12” key is locked by Windows for certain tasks. It can´t be assigned to other software than Windows. Please select another key, or a combination of keys, like CTRL+F8.

I have set the key “F1″for PTT in SoftRadio, when I use it, the help menu keeps popping up.

The “F1” key is locked by Windows for the function to pop up a help text. Almost all Windows programs have this feature. Therefor it is not recommended for use as the PTT key. Please select another key, or a combination of keys, like CTRL+F8.

Please also refer to the setup manual available on the technical download page.

What specification is needed on the server for the NetworkRepeater.

Mimer NetworkRepeater will run on any modern Windows PC or Windows server.

In small systems this server software can be run on one of the dispatch PC´s. In large systems it should be a separate unit. The NetworkRepater and the VoiceLog softwares can also share one common server hardware.

CPU: 1 single core
RAM: Minimum amount needed by the Windows OS chosen.
Storage: Minimum amount needed by the Windows OS chosen (Network Repeater is < 50MB in size.)

Can a Cloud Service be used for the NetworkRepeater.

We have not tested any specific cloud hosting platform but are aware that there are customers that have had success hosting with Azure. However, as long as the requirements below are met, using any cloud hosting platform should be possible.

The NetworkRepeater is installed on any standard Windows installation, so as long as the network traffic needed is allowed then hosting it on any cloud hosting platform that allows you to set up and configure your own Windows server should be possible.
Note that the NetworkRepeater needs to be able to send UDP broadcasts in the same local network as the Operators that are intended to listen to it are in, and needs to be able to receive UDP unicasts from them. It additionally needs to be allowed to set up remote TCP connections to remote Mimer Network Interfaces or Mimer RadioServers.
Due to a known limitation in Azure where UDP broadcasts are not allowed between hosts we have added support in the NetworkRepeater to configure a list of hosts to send UDP unicasts to instead of using any UDP broadcasts.

When trying to connect to the Network Interfaces the NetworkRepeater displays: “Server Error”.

The most likely cause is that the LAN subnet where the Network Interfaces are and the LAN subnet where the NetworkRepeater is, are connected so that UDP messages can pass between the nets, or that the NetworkRepeater and the Network Interfaces are placed in the same subnet. The NetworkRepeater then gets the same Mimer messages from the Network Interface that it is expected to be sending out, and this causes an error.

The NetworkRepeater shall be connected in the same LAN subnet as the operator PC´s. And the Network Interfaces shall be connected to the NetworkRepeater using TCP via at least one router over WAN or the Internet from another LAN subnet.

Please also refer to the setup manual available on the technical download page.

When I try to reboot my RadioServer  it begins to start up, but then stops.

This applies to the Mk2 server (2860/02)
If the backup battery inside the server is flat the server stops at start up and waits for you to push “F1” on a keyboard. You can connect a monitor to the server and verify that this is the case. Please connect a keyboard and press F1.

Exchange the backup battery as soon as possible so that the server can reboot without trouble. If you can´t find one locally, please ask us, and we will help.

The RadioServer will not make connections over the WAN.

A common misstake is to configure the server with two different default gateway settings, or a wrong default gateway.

The easiest setup is to use one IP port for a local subnet, where the Network Interfaces are. And the other IP port for the outside connection to the operators. It is only the outside connection that shall have a gateway specified. This is usually the router that connects to the outside world (WAN or the Internet).

When setting up the RadioServer as VM Ware, what are the requirements on the server.

CPU: 1 single core
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 15GB
System logs are configured to be stored in RAM and erased on reboot (storage=volatile in journald config), but the VM image is preconfigured with a 15GB partition to allow for larger space for customers that wish to opt for logging to disk.

Can a Cloud Service be used for the RadioServer.

We have not tested any specific cloud hosting platform but are aware that there are customers that have had success hosting with Azure. However, as long as the requirements below are met, using any cloud hosting platform should be possible.

The RadioServer is provided as a virtual Debian disk image (VMDK format), so as long as the cloud service allow hosting (or importing) this image format and allow the necessary network traffic needed then hosting the RadioServer virtual image should be possible.
Note that the RadioServer needs to see UDP broadcasts from the Mimer Network Interfaces and send UDP unicasts to them, as well as being able to receive remote TCP connections from a Mimer SoftRadio client or Mimer NetworkRepeater.

Please also refer to the setup manual available on the technical download page.

I have entered all information for the SIP client to connect to the PABX, but nothing happens.

We have noticed that some PABX´s needs to be programmed or needs an option to be used with SIP clients of other brands than the PABX itself. This is for example the case with Aastra. Please check with the PABX manufacturer.

SoftRadio SIP always needs to have a password. It is not allowed to leave this line blank.
If you don´t normally use passwords to the SIP clients, please enter one in the PABX for the SoftRadio SIP client.

The SIP client has connected to the PABX, but there is no audio when I make a call.

This can be a codec problem.

SoftRadio SIP client can use G711u or G711a, which all SIP equipment must support according to the standard.

Since we use G711u coding internaly in Mimer SoftRadio, that is the one our SIP phone will prefere for a connections.

Please check the codec settings in your PABX.

What ports are used by the SIP phone?

The Mimer SIP Phone uses the standard port 5060 for the SIP connection.

Then RTP-ports are enumerated starting from 22000 with a maximum of 24000 allowed.

However, in practice only the very few first RTP ports in the range are likely to ever be used.

SoftRadio will not display my SIP phone as a device.

The Mimer SIP Phone might be blocked internally if the same PC also is running a Mimer VoiceLog or a Mimer RTP Gateway.

Since they autostart and run in the background, you will need to turn them off from the task manager.

Please also refer to the setup manual available on the technical download page.

What specification is needed on the server for the VoiceLog.

Mimer VoiceLog will run on any modern Windows PC or Windows server. It needs to have a network connection and of course it needs a large hard drive. The size of your system matters for how large the VoiceLog server needs to be. We recommend the following:

• A CPU similar to Intel Core i7 or Intel Xeon with at least 4 cores.
• Minimum 16GB RAM
• At least 500GB Hard disk. Larger for systems with much voice traffic and if data is to be stored for a long time.
• Windows Server 2019 or Windows 10.

In small systems the server software can be run on one of the dispatch PC´s. In large systems it should be a separate unit. The server softwares for VoiceLog and for the NetworkRepeater can also share one common server hardware.

Are there any special settings that shall be done on the VoiceLog server?

We recommend that you turn off automatic disk cleanup and automatic disk defragmentation. See the VoiceLog setup manual for more details.

The VoiceLog device window in SoftRadio opens up, but there are no “time bubbles” showing recordings.

A fairly common problem is that when the database grows very big, the response time for requests from the clients can become too slow. When a client connects, it requests information on all the recorded sounds for a certain time back. Especially if many clients connect at the same time this can cause congestions.

Use the database manager in the server to back-up old records and purge the database.
Also make sure that the automatic weekly backup is activated in the server settings.

How can the operator adjust the review time for recorded messages?

In the virtual “control head” for the VoiceLog, at the operator, there is a function called “Set max review time”.

Default is 2 hours. Setting can be made from 1 hour to 168 hours.

How do I access the audio files that are saved, and in what format are they?

As default the files are stored in C:\VoiceLogFiles.

They are standard .wav-files and can be played in all common audio players. Using the supplied Mimer Player, you will be able to easily sort the files and skip “empty time”.

The naming of the files is described in the VoiceLog setup manual.

Please also refer to the setup manual available on the technical download page.

In order to do a backup of all settings in the Mimer MapView Client, what files do I need to copy on the operator PC.

The program files are placed in: C:\Program Files (x86)\MimerMapView\

Icons, sound files and other constant data resides in: C:\ProgramData\Mimer MapView\

Custom Maps, and other user data is in: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Mimer MapView\

Finally, there are some settings in the registry under the key:     \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mimer\MapView\