Maxtrac Logic board blanking help

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:32 pm

I have a UHF Maxtrac, it has a 16 pin logic board and v5.34 firmware, but it will only do 6 channels using the Version 7 RSS....I can't add any additional channels.

So, since it has the 16 pin logic board and the v5.34 firmware, I figure it is capable of 32 channels. I was going to go in and blank the logic board. I wrote down all the pertinent information from:

http://www.repeater-builder.com/maxtrac ... grade.html

all the tuning values, S/N info, etc.

anyways, when I try to blank the logic board, F2, F8, F8, i get a bus recovery error...i.e. 'trying bus recovery'....

so I thought my computer was too fast, 486/50....so I loaded up on the 386/25....still the same thing, so I whipped out the old compaq lte 286/25....same problem....

I'm using a factory Motorola Rib...

any idea's?

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 8:47 am

Sounds like a problem with the connection from the RIB to radio. Have you tried to read and write the radio? Change a frequency or something else and write it back?

The only time i have had the bus recovery error was when i had a bad RJ-45 connector on the programming cable.

Oh, and thanks for reading the article! Looking to make some slight updates as well as add other info. Thinking about a programming primer like on the batlabs site for over there, you won't believe how many questions i get about computers and RIB's.

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:19 pm

I can still read and write fine with the RSS, problem seems some other reason...I put on a new programming cable for the heck of it, but still does the same thing and that one reads/writes fine also....not sure what the deal is...trying to figure it out...

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:24 pm

I had a simmular problem and found that when I tried to blank the logic using the older software.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:27 pm

Weird...

I don't what would be causing it then, normally if you can read and write to the radio then everything is working fine.

Make sure pin 11 of the DB-25 on the rib is jumperered to pin 4, and they are sitting at about 1.7v.

If your using the Sandy Ganz RIB and the RJ-45 jack make sure the bias switch is on and check for voltage.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:29 pm

Good point Will.

Which version of software are you trying to use elkbow?

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:04 pm

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:13 pm

Well, that's the newest version of lab. Start checking voltages, make sure the rib has a fresh battery or power it with an adapter.

Other than that... Your guess is as good as mine.

It's a HLN9313 logic board with the memory EEprom next to the firmware Eprom?

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:26 pm

kb0nly wrote:Well, that's the newest version of lab. Start checking voltages, make sure the rib has a fresh battery or power it with an adapter.

Other than that... Your guess is as good as mine.

It's a HLN9313 logic board with the memory EEprom next to the firmware Eprom?

I'm powering the factory Rib with one of Monty's Power supplies made for the rib....yes it has I think a HLN9313B logic board

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:41 pm

has to be something with my lab....i had previously read/write the radio with the regular RSS...but I just tried reading the radio with the v5.3 lab that I have and it does not read the radio, gets the same bus recovery errors...

Post by **xmo** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:48 pm

LAB RSS accidently set to the wrong comm port?

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:53 pm

xmo wrote:LAB RSS accidently set to the wrong comm port?

you know what, that may very well be the case...i forgot to check it...i bet thats the problem, its normally the first thing i do when moving it installing it...but....i've been a dumbass before, wouldn't be the first time...

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:01 pm

boy, its amazing how sometimes I look past the obvious....that was the problem, it was on COM 2 instead of COM 1

another question for Mike....on your instructions, it says to write down the tuning number/board number, its a 7 digit number on a white label....well, mine has the white label, but its a 10 digit number....does this matter?

thanks

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 6:27 pm

got the radio blanked and reloaded with tuning data....

Mike, one thing I noticed (sent you a PM), the white label inside of my radio had a 10 digit code, not 7 digits. I did pull the osc. values and when retuning, you enter the values from the osc., but it does not allow you to put data in on the tuning numbers...

everything programmed fine this way and i reset all of the rest of the tuning values as I recorded prior to blanking the logic board. I also noticed that my measured voltage was the same value as what the RSS measured....

thanks for your help and great site with the data...

dave

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:16 pm

Mike is the guy who watches over the website, name here is Scott. But don't sweat the details! LOL

I had assumed that you were using the same RSS for the reading and writing, so it got me too. Stupid LAB, set to Com 2 by default. That got me when i first started using it, but it still wasn't the same error message, it just said serial bus error, not the recovery error.

if the label has a ten digit number then you will use all three rows, three numbers first row, four numbers second row, and the last three numbers on the last row.

What do you mean by it won't allow you to put the data in?

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 8:14 pm

kb0nly wrote:Mike is the guy who watches over the website, name here is Scott. But don't sweat the details! LOL

I had assumed that you were using the same RSS for the reading and writing, so it got me too. Stupid LAB, set to Com 2 by default. That got me when i first started using it, but it still wasn't the same error message, it just said serial bus error, not the recovery error.

if the label has a ten digit number then you will use all three rows, three numbers first row, four numbers second row, and the last three numbers on the last row.

What do you mean by it won't allow you to put the data in?

Sorry Scott, I guess I'm just confused tonight, can't believe I didn't check the com port, as it would be the first indication that would tell me to go check the com port...

as far as the tuning data, what I meant was that I couldn't 'tab' to the next screen, but from your PM, I guess I needed to hit 'enter' instead....

In your PM, you said that if it was 10 digits, to enter 3 if the first row, 4 in the second and the last 3 in the last column, but I believe the last column will only let you enter a '-' or a 'H'...one digit, something like that, I can relook at again, go back through the blanking procedure, etc and do it again, otherwise I can get the radio tuned, but it seems to work...but 'seems' and working properly, i.e. tuned properly are two different things...

update: I tried again, won't let me put in any data for the data tuning values....no matter if I use tab or enter..

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:42 am

You are using the regular RSS not the LAB now right?

When you get on the screen that asks for the Crystal Data, Reference, and Voltage, you can't enter any values??

It usually starts with the cursor on the Crystal numbers first line, enter that then hit enter, enter the second line of numbers then hit enter, do this until your done with the entire screen and then hit F8 to program.

Then hit F10 to go back to the main list, and hit F3 for the next screen, same procedure, F8 to program, F10 to return, then on to the next screen, F4.. etc etc etc Until you went through the entire list.

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 8:57 am

for some reason it won't let me put values in the tuning data fields....it does start out with the cursor in the first row of crystal data, i enter it, hit enter and it goes to the next crystal data, enter it, then to the first 3 digits for the tuning data, hit enter and it resets it to zero....

i'm using the regular RSS ....I blanked the logic board with lab, then loaded RSS 7.02 up for the rest of the tuning....

in the tuning data, like I said, there is 3 digits in the first row, 4 in the second row and the third row only has one digit to put either a '-' or and 'h'...it gives an explanation on the top of the page when the cursor is over this area...the 'h' is if the tuning data number has an 'h' at the end of it, otherwise you select '-'....and my white label has 10 digits..

Max-trac · Post by **Max-trac** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:10 am

You have the wrong numbers.
It is never a 10 digit for the tuning.
Always 7 (3 then 4). But the sticker just has them run together.
And they can only be a certain range. That is why you are not able to enter some of them.
And then "H" only if there is an H on the sticker.

Look around for another sticker near the xtal.
Sometimes they are illegable, or have fallen off.

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:29 am

Max-trac wrote:You have the wrong numbers.
It is never a 10 digit for the tuning.
Always 7 (3 then 4). But the sticker just has them run together.
And they can only be a certain range. That is why you are not able to enter some of them.
And then "H" only if there is an H on the sticker.

Look around for another sticker near the xtal.
Sometimes they are illegable, or have fallen off.

i looked all around, i've heard they fall off sometimes, but didn't see it when i opened, didn't fall out, looked all through it last night....the range of numbers sounds like it could be why it doesn't let me enter any numbers....may just have to do a full alignment, i don't have a service monitor right now, but can borrow one...i think i have the manual...

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:48 am

here is a pic of the board and numbers...it sure looks like that white tag is the tuning data, and a 10 digit number....not sure how to go about this

Post by **akardam** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:55 am

Try 265 3843

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:02 am

i was just thinking of the same thing...I think what looks like a '11' in the front is actually an 'H'....

i'll start over and try it....and report back

Max-trac · Post by **Max-trac** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:04 am

It looks like;
Definately an "H" is first,
then 265
then 3845
Not sure what that last little mark is.
Can you get a little closer pic??

abbylind · Post by **abbylind** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:05 am

See Dave you should have got the UHF Kenwood from me and you wouldnt be playing with this Maxtrac on turkey day!

Fowler

elkbow · Post by **elkbow** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:14 am

Max-trac wrote:It looks like;
Definately an "H" is first,
then 265
then 3845
Not sure what that last little mark is.
Can you get a little closer pic??

I put in the 265, then 3845, then H, and it works fine now....

thanks for everyones help....I'm going to write on the side of the case 'TUNING DATA # 265 3845' with a permanent marker.....

learn something every day