Radius M-208 Scan Question

[cranbiz]

I have read the posts that a M-208 with the exit and select buttons is capable of signaling, but not scan. I have a UHF model D34LRA7PA5BK, which is in this configuration. I had no problems adding modes and getting the RSS to allow me to program the scanlist, but I can't get the radio to scan. If I change the control head to the maxtrac 16 or 32 mode model, will that be enough to get it to scan? Also does anybody know how far out of band this will do? I would like to get to 482mhz if possible. If not, no big deal. Thank for your input in advance. This board is the greatest.

Bob

[Nand]

[cranbiz]

Nand,

You're right. I was looking at the wrong radio when I wrote the original post. The correct model # is D34LRA77A5AK. I'm suffering from CRS tonight.

Bob

[Nand]

[Will]

On some M206 and 208 radios if you do not have any scan setup in the RSS for a paticular channel the User Scan won't work.

[cranbiz]

Nand, Will

Thanks for the advise. I tried what was suggested, but to no avail. I suspect that I do have the M206 version after all. Looks like I found 1/2 of my GMRS repeater instead of my moblie. I'm glad this did not cost me alot.

Will, I'll email you later about a repeater module and a duplexer.

Thanks again,

Bob

[515]

I've tried the same thing a while back, without success. I don't have the radio in front of me, but I'm sure the model number was similar. It was an 8 ch Radius Mobile with Mon, Exit, and Select. I hacked it up to 16 channels with the batlabs instructions, but no luck with scan.

I could fool the RSS into thinking that this radio supported scan, and program scan lists into it, but the radio would ignore them. And the Exit button was still an Exit button.

My guess is that the firmware in this radio just doesn't support scanning at all.

[MotoFAN]

Any updates on this? Same here. Hacked channels, hacked Scan, but Exit button is non-functional in case with scan.

[Jim202]

Any updates on this? Same here. Hacked channels, hacked Scan, but Exit button is non-functional in case with scan.

No one mentioned in this tread that the mic hang up button needs to be grounded before the scan will start. Many of us kind of forget this and or mount the hang up clip on plastic and don't ground it. Even I have fallen for this on my own installations a few times.

Jim

[MotoFAN]

Thanks for your input, Jim, but it doesn't help. Mon LED disappears, but scan cannot be started anyway.

[MotoFAN]

---

[MotoFAN]

Got working 32 modes + scan, but only when flashed to MaxTrac 300. With MaxTrac RSS of course.

[MotoFAN]

But also got funny bug with missed horizontal line at left segment. This segment appears well at power on, but disappears at any keypress.



And this is not a HW bug - found an information about the same appearance on another M208 with hacked MDF file.

And both firmware, Maxtrac and Radius, do that.

Any ideas?

[MotoFAN]

And one more bad thing - radio offers 32 modes and 32 scan members, I am able to enter all of them. But actually radio don't deal with scan members greater than 16.

[Satelite]

Hello:
Boy its been way way back since I myself dealt with the M208 and M216 mobiles but I can add some info to this.
The M208 and M216 including the M100 2ch mobiles all used the exact logic bd HLN5173.
I recall way back that I had did a 208 into 16 ch with scan but I didn't do as above I took another approach.
Ill get to that in a bit but be aware as I recall and I'm stretching my brain cells here a bit but I seem to want to say that even though all the models mentioned above used the exact same logic bd that the on board rom chip was different versions per models numbers or at least between a couple of them.
I looked in my Radius M100/M208/M216 repair manual on component build but it didn't list the rom number or version too verify this above statement so use it as info till clarified. ( Actually my repair manual says its for the M100/M206/M214 but later M remodeled as m208 and m216 but found thus far manual to be good on repairs of both)
Ok this I can verify is that on the M216 it DOES use a ROM VERSION OF V21.01 = HLN9499B
So if you look in your M208 in question and see the same above rom then id say your good to go with my way I changed the M208 to a M216 with scan.
I blanked the M208 logic bd and reinitiated with normal Radius mobile rss as the M216 and went through the logic bd setup as you did like any maxtrac radio.
Calibrated tuned set wattage etc and then reprogrammed radio with freqs and then just like a normal M216 Pressed and held the scan button till display flashing and pressed the select button to add each ch I wanted .
So for example if you wanted 1 thru 4 ch in scan youd press and hold the scan button till display flashing then using the ch button go to the channels you wanted in scan list and press select to add it which showed a bar in upper left corner of ch number to show its in list while you were in scan programming mode anyway then after you exited scan programming by pressing scan button once quickly youd exit scan program.
You now wont see that annoying bar in corner as its only used in scan programming mode to show you its added or not so in normal radio use and scanning you didn't see it as I recall.
Then with mike hung up and grounded you could press scan button and you were scanning freqs in the list you programmed.
I didn't do a 32 ch mod only 16ch upgrade with scan From a M208 originally so cant say what youd get if 32 ? a 16 scan with 32ch or 32 scan with 32 ch ?????
Another issue I recall was a M208 used a different front panel that didn't have 5 buttons or maybe it did but only had ch up down and mon and exit buttons like 4 buttons not five as the M216 had as in up down ch mon scan and select buttons ???????
Just don't recall now on that but if you have the exit button with it now being the scan button the other button just to the right if a M208 has it would be the select button now on a M216.
I have a prom burner so I can read burn a V21.01 rom and now that ive read this again I'm sorta leaning towards taking a VHF 45watt M100 2 ch I have on the shelf collecting dust that I may just blank and reinitiate as a M216 with scan swap front out for a 2 meter ham rig to possible get it sold and itll be able to still do national weather service storm freqs with the yet two legal vhf murs 154 meg freqs in 25khz wide band mode and ham 2 meter 144 band.
Might just get some of the M100s moved out this way on ebay or here or elsewhere ?
Satelite

[Satelite]

Hello:
CORRECTION THE M100 DOES NOT USE THE SAME LOGIC BD AS I EARLIER SAID.
My Radius mobile repair does indeed say the M100 used the same 16 pin logic bd HLN5173 but I just went and looked at the m100 mobile on the shelf and its a 5 pin logic bd not a 16 pin the m216 uses.
Don't know if the earlier M206 and M214 mobiles used the 16 pin as my manual says but possibly M when they updated the M206 and M214 to the M208 and M216 they changed logic bds ??????
But anyway my blank reinitiate project just got sunk
Satelite

[MotoFAN]

Satelite, thanks for info.

A few corrections.

M208 has 5 buttons from factory. CHUP, CHDN, MON, EXIT, SELECT. You can see it's photo above. M208 can be easily initialized as M216 (16 ch with scan instead of 8 channels with no scan). In this case Exit will work as Scan immidiately.

When blanked and initialized as MaxTrac 300, M208 can do 32 channels with 32 scan members (but members greater than 16 actually ignored). I can suppose that it's firmware issue. I’m thinking about to replace 21.01 FW with genuine MaxTrac FW version 5.34. I hope that it will fix scan issue and missed segment issue on channels greater than 19.

[Max-trac]

Yes, you need 5.34 FW. The radius chip has the 16ch limitation. Unknown on the missing segment, but it will probably fix that too.

[MotoFAN]

I hope so. Have them ordered from Israel.

[PETNRDX]

There actually is MAXTRAC version 5.36 out there.
It fixes some two tone paging bugs, but I am not sure what else.
I just don't remember.
The best thing to get is acutally the HAM ROM that was being sold on Ebay and other places.
Fixes some of the weirdness when using on the hamband.
Then again, blanking, plugging in 5.34 and initializing as a MAXTRAC fixes nearly all weirdness.

[MotoFAN]

Fixes some of the weirdness when using on the hamband.
Then again, blanking, plugging in 5.34 and initializing as a MAXTRAC fixes nearly all weirdness.

Hi there! Weirdness like what? Could you please provide a few examples?

[PETNRDX]

Like uncontrolled TX output, and inconsistent deviation.

[MotoFAN]

Like uncontrolled TX output, and inconsistent deviation.

AFAIK, it's for OOB only. Right?

[PETNRDX]

Yes, those weirdnesses are OOB.
But 32 scan members, and missing segments may also be the init choices.
I have had weird stuff happen when using Radius ver 21 firmware when choosing to initialize as a Maxtrac.
I pretty much always make them into Maxtrac's with 5.36.

[MotoFAN]

Yes, all looks that Radius firmware a bit differs from Maxtrax one. Waiting for classical Maxtrac firmware to test.