libpgtcl and encoding

While trying to connect to a db w/ SQL_ASCII encoding, from tcl I get:
"ERROR: Conversion between UNICODE and SQL_ASCII is not supported"
this happens after an upgrade from 7.1 to 7.2 on a debian woody, connecting
to a database on a RedHat 7.1 w/ postgreSQL 7.1.

What I cannot understand is that while

1. trying to connect to other db (SQL_ASCII encoding) on my box (debian)
everithing works (so I would think "my libpgtcl *can* connect to
SQL_ASCII db),

2. if I dump the db and reload it w/ UNICODE encoding I can connect to it

3. from psql I can connect to RedHat SQL_ASCII db from debian woody and SHOW
CLIENT_ENCODING shows it is SQL_ASCII

How can I force libpgtcl to get SQL_ASCII encoding or be sensitive to
PGCLIENTENCODING environment variable? or how else should I solve the
problem?

Thanks in advance
sandro
*:-)

[ I don't know how to get compile option, I couldn't find an option to look
for]

--
Sandro Dentella *:-)
e-mail: sandro(dot)dentella(at)tin(dot)it
http://www.tksql.org TkSQL Home page - My GPL work