XTL5000 Control Head Upgrade

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W3AXL
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:02 am
What radios do you own?: an unhealthy amount of them

XTL5000 Control Head Upgrade

Post by W3AXL »

Hi all,

So a little backstory, I've had a mystery XTL5000 for a while. She's got no tags but it's been working fine with no complaints. It had a W7 on it, and recently I got ahold of a spare XTL2500 M5 head. From what I read, to make the M5 work on the 5000 you need to block the "secret button contact" inside the head, which I've done.

Obviously this isn't a Mother-M approved method of making things work, but right now it appears I can't get much to happen at all. I know that the head should at least be powering up the radio, but as it stands right now I can't get much of anything to happen at all. I've programmed the radio as an o5, and I've got the proper flex and control head installed, but nothing seems to be happening at all.

Occasionally all three LEDs will quickly blink, and sometimes the LCD will, for lack of a better term, "melt" to all black before resetting itself. Otherwise it appears the radio isn't doing much at all. I've seen a few videos around of the 5000 doing this with a proper control head too, so I think the issue is not with my cobbled-together approach and rather some other hardware issue.

Radio is on R16 so that shouldn't be an issue. I'm using the flex from an XTL2500, but as far as I'm aware they're the same part for both models.

Only things I can think of are a bad control head or a bad flex. The radio was working fine before this with no issues. I'd love some help or some possible solutions.

Cheers!
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W3AXL
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:02 am
What radios do you own?: an unhealthy amount of them

Re: XTL5000 Control Head Upgrade

Post by W3AXL »

It seems like as soon as you ask for help on the internet you figure out your problems yourself.

Turns out the issue was my own stupidity. Situation has been resolved.
N4KVE
Posts: 1647
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:35 am
What radios do you own?: APX XTS XTL TRBO 900MHZ

Re: XTL5000 Control Head Upgrade

Post by N4KVE »

Let me guess. No ign sense cable? GARY
User avatar
W3AXL
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:02 am
What radios do you own?: an unhealthy amount of them

Re: XTL5000 Control Head Upgrade

Post by W3AXL »

No, it wasn't that obvious unfortunately. The "model select" contact needs to be shorted in one of the two options for the radio to power up. I had just blanked over both thinking that was the proper way to do the modification. After I fixed that the radio booted up fine.
N4KVE
Posts: 1647
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:35 am
What radios do you own?: APX XTS XTL TRBO 900MHZ

Re: XTL5000 Control Head Upgrade

Post by N4KVE »

Ok. The other day I cloned a base radio where there's no ign sense from a mobile radio which does use ign sense. Of course after the clone took, the radio would not power up. Had me stumped until a friend asked the "ign sense" question. Right away, I said duh, that's it. LOL. GARY.
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