Motorola MT2000

KG4LHQ · Post by **KG4LHQ** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:22 am

Hey Guys,

Have a MT2000 Full Keypad VHF portable I'm trying to program... I've got an old version of LAB I think created in 1993 trying to program with. I've got the rib and the proper cables and I turn the radio on and it does a small Self Test and then goes to the channel the knob is on.

When I try to read the codeplug using a old 75 mhz laptop from DOS it says TIMEOUT ERROR or something about TX ERROR ( can't remember )

What am I doing wrong?

central150 · Post by **central150** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:00 am

Make sure you have a good cable and rib, and the battery or other power source for the rib is good.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 2:01 am

Make sure the COM port is set to the right port in the RSS (F9) "Set Up". If that is set right, then try another computer (different speed). My old 25 MHz machine is too slow for my Jedi radios, but a Pentium 1 166MHz is perfect (running pure DOS of course).

KG4LHQ · Post by **KG4LHQ** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:39 am

Ok after messing with it more I'm kinda puzzled with it.....

I've checked the battery put a new battery matter of fact made sure all connections are good.

When I go into windows then have the computer restart into DOS mode and I open runtime.exe it says that it can't open runtime.ogb - Whats going on there?

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:08 am

Well, you can't "restart" in DOS mode; you still won't be in true DOS mode.

You have to use a start-up disk, i.e. a DOS boot disk.

Radiogeek97 · Post by **Radiogeek97** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:18 am

Guys

if i am not mistaken don't the later versions of the MT2000 controler have some kind of tool proofing built in? i would be warry of using anything other than RSS (legit of course ) otherwise you could "brick" that portable.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:19 am

No, only the MTS2000

MT2000 is fine.

wa2zdy · Post by **wa2zdy** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 6:59 am

Try an different RIB. I know of a case where a guy needed to buy a newer RIB than the one he had. His worked fine for everything until he got Jedi radios - then, no good.

Just a thought.

MikeOxlong · Post by **MikeOxlong** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:14 am

I'm using an old 75Mhz Pentium which I reboot into DOS mode to program up my Jedi portables..

Don't forget that the earlier version of Windows were basically overlaid on top of DOS. You can do a restart into DOS and you will be fine. No startup disk needed.

Or hit F8 as the computer is first booting up and select "Command Prompt" to boot into DOS.

I would get a proper copy of RSS and dump the lab.

rodell · Post by **rodell** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:35 am

Scott,

I'm sort of surprised you had trouble with your 25 MHz system. I keep a 385/25 laptop exclusively for programming, and, the Jedi's have never complained about it. I'm thinking about storing it in a vault, though!

Some of the lab software is really funky - you might want to get the real stuff, as was suggested.

Also, I can't remember about lab, but, the regular stuff uses Pharlap's DOS extender - you have to have enough physical memory to make it work.

Rob
Northeast Massachusetts

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 7:39 am

What version of windows will function on a 75Mhz processor that requires being "rebooted to DOS"???? I think that would be Windows 3.1 and you can just go to "EXIT" for returning to DOS. That would have real normal DOS on it, and Windows was a GUI that ran on DOS.

Windows 95 & 98 could be booted into real DOS but I just can't picture either running on a 75Mhz processor. Maybe it would work but I can't picture it being usefull

Things required for this old ass software to work right:

1) Old ass computer, slow as dirt with real DOS. You have that.

2) Software that isn't corrupted and screwed up. I'm going to venture a guess that Motorola didn't send you the software you're using. Join the club, however it does open up the possibility that it is messed up.

3) A real RIB or quality clone (sounds like you have that). The eBay crap-boxes are often total junk and never work right.

4) Non-Hack-Job cables. Again, there are a lot of eBay 'specials' that aren't worth the 10 cents the seller spent making them.

5) RIB Power. You should have at least the 9v battery. Even better, the power supply and the battery. Avoid using JUST the power supply since it is interuptable by power outages during read/write.

6) Software settings: Chances are you need to be on COM 1 in the F9 menu. If you have multiple COM ports, it could something else but 99% of the time, it is COM 1.

7) Radio on with a charged battery.

If all of this is in place, it should work.

Post by **wavetar** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:23 am

nmfire10 wrote:What version of windows will function on a 75Mhz processor that requires being "rebooted to DOS"???? I think that would be Windows 3.1 and you can just go to "EXIT" for returning to DOS. That would have real normal DOS on it, and Windows was a GUI that ran on DOS.

Windows 95 & 98 could be booted into real DOS but I just can't picture either running on a 75Mhz processor. Maybe it would work but I can't picture it being usefull

.

We were running Win95 on 486/33Mhz computers w/16MB of RAM back when it first came out. That was with the "turbo" switch on...it was 12MHz without it! One of our guys got a new computer not long after, with a pentium 90MHz processor that we thought was the cat's ass at the time. Also had a 486/66MHz laptop back then running Win95 as well.

Todd

Motorola MT2000

Motorola MT2000

Pure Dos???