Identifying an old Saber...

[Tom in D.C.]

I have a VHF Saber 1E in nice shape which works as it should, but it's housed in a Securenet case and had a Securenet escutcheon on top before I changed it (the escutcheon, not the case).
Also, it has the usual do-nothing 1E interior display but it also has what looks like a set of three Saber II flex switches below the display. Does anyone have any idea as to what this radio was originally? My idea would be that some crafty person changed a Securenet Saber II into a non-secure Saber 1E, but the question then would be, "Why?"

Tom in D.C.

[radioEd]

Hi Tom, I'm not awake yet, but just a guess, wondering if that "E" means it was a Euro version? hum...someone will jump in here & post a comment! later Ed

[RadioSouth]

Tom,
From what I remember the 'E' in this case means extra feature, in the case of the Saber 1E this extra feature is EITHER a 2
zone operation (2x12) with the top switch being the zone switch OR for the radio to have a display (still just 12 ch's.) As far
as determining what this radio was originally
what model # does it read as and is the electronics for the secure board in there ?
Jim

[Tom in D.C.]

Thanks for the replies. The "E" stands for "enhanced" which means the radio has 24 channels, which program and work as they should. I have not yet taken the front plate off of the chassis to see what's inside, and except for the longer case I don't know how to identify the "insides" of a Securenet radio.

Tom in D.C.

[Elroy Jetson]

Saber IE's have either 24 channels or repeat/direct operation as selected by what's usually the encryption switch. In no case will the display be operational on a Saber IE.

Any long chassis Saber is encryption capable. The bottom module, which is the full width of the circuit board or frame, is the encryption module or bypass module. If that module is a piece of plastic, or the module has just two (or is it four..?) pins in it, it's definitely a bypass module. A Saber that is not secure capable is shorter by abou 5/8ths of an inch because there is no provision on the circuit board for that encryption module.

In the case of a secure capable Saber IE, the radio's operating mode (secure or clear) has to be strapped via the RSS on a per channel basis.

Elroy

[Tom in D.C.]

Elroy: Thanks for the info. Your conclusion makes much more sense than mine does. I guess it is a secure-capable 1E after all, since it had the Securenet escutcheon and still has the long case. I'll pull it apart and see what's in the bottom of the unit, probably a bypass module I'm willing to bet.

Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.

[Tom in D.C.]

Elroy: There's a big white piece of plastic in the bottom cavity of the radio, so I guess it IS a Securenet unit.

Thanks for your and everyone else's interest.

Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.

[Elroy Jetson]

Yep, that's a bypass module. Swap it for an appropriate encryption module and you should be good to go.

Elroy

[Tom in D.C.]

Elroy: Only problem is that I can not find what would be a Securenet 1E in the RSS listings.
Closest thing is a QXJ which says it's a
3-button radio but when you run out the setup it turns out to be a 120-channel radio. Would you think that putting in the secure module would magically make the XL selector on each channel appear? This is all
academic at this point because I have no need for encryption, but for future reference I'd like to know the capabilities of the radio.

Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.

[Elroy Jetson]

1E's are SAG and QXG types. I'm reasonably sure that secure 1E's do exist. It'd be ridiculous if they were only available in non-secure configurations but I guess it is possible. I don't have my Saber software handy right now so I can't just look in the software and verify it.

Elroy