How to program a Syntor X

[MB]

OK I am new to all this stuff so bear with me. I have spent hours researching on how to program a Syntor X, but I am really confused.

I purchased a Syntor X recently and need to program it. Here is the info:

ID# T73VBJ7D04BK
Model # T99VB+008W
Serial # 483HMW1505

I understand I can program it with a PROM burner and a computer program? It also looks like I need a key to get into the box.

What would be the easiest and most cost effective way to program this radio? What do I actually need and where is the best place to purchase the supplies?

Any help would be great. I would hate to waste a good radio..

[Batwings21]

Is it a Syntor x, or x 9000? A 9000 will have an alpha-numeric display and a x will have push buttons. The 9000 is programmed via pc software with the proper cable and a rib. If it is an x you need a special r-1800 programmer. Are you sure you want to program it yourself? For what it will cost to buy the equipment to program it you could have the local motorola shop do it 4 or 5 times. They would also probably give you a 2135 key so you can open the radio, which is necesary to install it and program it.

[MB]

Is it a Syntor x, or x 9000? A 9000 will have an alpha-numeric display and a x will have push buttons. The 9000 is programmed via pc software with the proper cable and a rib. If it is an x you need a special r-1800 programmer. Are you sure you want to program it yourself? For what it will cost to buy the equipment to program it you could have the local motorola shop do it 4 or 5 times. They would also probably give you a 2135 key so you can open the radio, which is necesary to install it and program it.

It is a Syntor X, with push buttons.

I thought you could program it with a special computer program and a PROM burner?

[k2hz]

Here is a link to a description of what is required to program it:

http://www.open.org/~blenderm/prom.html#top_prom

[Mike B]

Check out the links page:
http://www.open.org/~blenderm/links.html

You can use the information here and a hex editor to bit bang your own program from scratch (yuck!) using an EEPROM programmer to write to the EEPROM:
http://home.xnet.com/~pakman/syntor/syntorx.htm

You can purchase Syntor X programming software. I have to update the Ries Labs link. Things changed and the Syntor X link now points to a Syntor software page. You will need an EEPROM programmer to do the actual programming. There are multiple links.

BTW, the K3JIS page looks like it got hacked when I checked it.

There is Unix/Linux based programming software on the KB8ZQZ pages.

The original Motorola programming methods are briefly described here:
http://www.open.org/~blenderm/syntorx/progx.html

You can buy a PIEXX memory replacement module with programming interface (no EEPROM burner needed) and programming software (Syntor X FLASH memory upgrade).
http://www.piexx.com/index.php?main_pag ... e308dd2d46

[mmckenna]

MB,

I've got two VHF High band Syntor X's, and recently purchased the Piexx unit for one of them to try it out. So far, so good.

I have not installed it yet, but I did have it up and running on the bench, and it worked well.

The Piexx gives you some additional functions, like being able to add more banks of channels.

I'm pretty happy with it.

[kb0nly]

If you need to just program some Syntor X's and don't want to change over to the Piexx, which is nice but a bit spendy when you have to buy one for each radio, then an Eprom burner is the way to go.

Yes, you need a key if the radio has the mounting plate still latched to the radio, otherwise you can remove the bottom panel by removing four screws but if you plan on using it mobile your going to need a key anyway to lock it on a mounting plate. The key needed is the 2135 Chicago Lock, unlock and swing down the handle then remove the mounting tray if it's attached. The release button behind the handle is to remove the top cover, the memory module is accessed from the bottom.

Have you looked inside the radios yet? Pull off the bottom cover and see if the memory module has an orange label on it. If it does than you have the later style with the EEprom inside.

I've done a lot of them, i just programmed two of them the other day as a matter of fact. Pull the module, remove the EEprom from the socket, drop it in the Eprom burner and write a new image to, put it back in the memory module and reassemble.

Once i have the image created with all the channel info it only takes about 5-10 minutes to program the radio. There is some free versions of the Syntor X programming software, it was mainly geared towards ham's wanting to use the radio, but it will take commercial frequencies as well and you can set up all the normal functions needed.

[MB]

If you need to just program some Syntor X's and don't want to change over to the Piexx, which is nice but a bit spendy when you have to buy one for each radio, then an Eprom burner is the way to go.

Yes, you need a key if the radio has the mounting plate still latched to the radio, otherwise you can remove the bottom panel by removing four screws but if you plan on using it mobile your going to need a key anyway to lock it on a mounting plate. The key needed is the 2135 Chicago Lock, unlock and swing down the handle then remove the mounting tray if it's attached. The release button behind the handle is to remove the top cover, the memory module is accessed from the bottom.

Have you looked inside the radios yet? Pull off the bottom cover and see if the memory module has an orange label on it. If it does than you have the later style with the EEprom inside.

I've done a lot of them, i just programmed two of them the other day as a matter of fact. Pull the module, remove the EEprom from the socket, drop it in the Eprom burner and write a new image to, put it back in the memory module and reassemble.

Once i have the image created with all the channel info it only takes about 5-10 minutes to program the radio. There is some free versions of the Syntor X programming software, it was mainly geared towards ham's wanting to use the radio, but it will take commercial frequencies as well and you can set up all the normal functions needed.

As soon as I get a key, I will open it up and see what memory module I have. Is it true that you can only "burn" or program the EEprom once?
What kind of Eprom burner should I purchase and where can I get one. Also, what do you use for software and the burner?

Thanks for the help!

[Mike B]

Is it true that you can only "burn" or program the EEprom once? What kind of Eprom burner should I purchase and where can I get one. Also, what do you use for software and the burner?

Did you bother to check any of the web links you were given above???? Your burner and software questions were answered in those links.

ROM or PROM is a burn one time only device. Typically EPROM can be erased by ultraviolet light and programmed again. EEPROM is electronically erased by the EEPROM programmer and reprogrammed. Most EEPROMs from the Syntor X era can be reprogrammed around 10,000 times before the cells wear out and the chip fails (modern EEPROMs have at least 100,000 programming cycles before failure).

So, what you heard about EEPROMs is not true. However, only being able to program the chip one time is true for the PROM or ROM in the original Syntor (before the Syntor X) and Syntor X radios with white label memory modules. The Syntor X with the orange label memory module has a 2816 EEPROM that can be reprogrammed over and over again.

[kb0nly]

The EEprom used in the orange label memory modules is programmable as many times as you want. Hence Electronically Eraseable, EE on the beginning. The older Syntor X memory modules, the white label units or no label at all on some of them, have a one time programmable PROM, totally different.

The only way to tell is open it up and check. And if the memory module doesn't have a label then you need to pop it open and verify the actual chip number to see which type it is, EEprom or Prom.

The original Syntor before the Syntor X also used a one shot Prom, but later on a socket adapter was made by some enterprising guys to put an EEprom in there.

Also, just to continue the memory lesson.. There is also the Eprom, which comes in two varities, the OTP One Time Programmable that is basically like an older type Prom, or the UV eraseable variety that has a small window on top that is covered with tape or a printed label after programming to protect it. The UV type requires a lamp to erase, the most common of which uses a small germicidal UV tube that looks like a flourescent lamp, and it's enclosed since it can be damaging to the user otherwise. You put the chips in, close it up and turn it on, the better ones have a timer to set the time needed to erase it, but you can also get a cheaper one and an egg timer.. lol Yep, that's what i have.

The Eprom programmer, burner as it's commonly called, that i use is the Willem Universal. There is plenty of sources online for them, and they usually sell for around $20-$50 on eBay, depending on if it includes the cables, etc. The software is freely downloadable from http://www.willem.org and it's a quick and easy to use package.

Here is an example of the burner that i use.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2732-Dual-Power-Wil ... dZViewItem

[MB]

Is it true that you can only "burn" or program the EEprom once? What kind of Eprom burner should I purchase and where can I get one. Also, what do you use for software and the burner?

Did you bother to check any of the web links you were given above???? Your burner and software questions were answered in those links.

ROM or PROM is a burn one time only device. Typically EPROM can be erased by ultraviolet light and programmed again. EEPROM is electronically erased by the EEPROM programmer and reprogrammed. Most EEPROMs can be reprogrammed around 10,000 times before the cells wear out and the chip fails.

So, what you heard about EEPROMs is not true. However, only being able to program the chip one time is true for the PROM or ROM in the original Syntor (before the Syntor X) and Syntor X radios with white label memory modules. The Syntor X with the orange label memory module has a 2816 EEPROM that can be reprogrammed over and over again.

Thanks Mike...
I was just curious as to what program and burner you used. As soon as I get a key I will let you know what PROM / EEPROM I have. Hopefully it doesn't have a white label..

[Mike B]

For general purpose use (like 2816 Syntor X programming), I use a BP Micro model EP1 rev. 4 that I got at the Dayton HAM swap meet for $ 20 years ago. The EP1 product has been obsolete for a long time, but still works just fine for the older chips.

This solution worked for me, but its obviously not something you can just tell someone else to go out and do.

I use an old P130 vintage IBM Thinkpad laptop with Win98SE and DOS to support the EP1. The EP1 requires DOS to run its PC interface software. As a bonus, the EP1 fits nicely into the laptop carry case.

[kf4sqb]

OK, I've just gotta' chime in on this one, too. I've programmed a few of these as well, and it's really not that hard. I'm using an older version of the Willem burner that Scott (KB0NLY) is using, and the software to drive the burner is Windows-based. I'm not sure, but I think it supports all flavors of Windows, except maybe 3.1, and I use it in XP.

For writing the codeplug, I use a program I got off of one of Mike B.'s links. I don't remember the name of the program, or which link it came from, but it is a bit of a bear to use if you intend to use a scan list. The software seems to get everything else right, but buggers up the scan list. I just use the software to write the codeplug, then go in with a hex editor to fix the scan list.

[Mike B]

There used to be a free Syntor X software program available that buggered up the scan list. Its web site went away and I never found it again, so it has been missing from my web links page for quite awhile.

I forgot to mention last time that I use Win98SE to run the Syntor X programming software and then switch to DOS to burn the output file to the EEPROM with the EP1.

[kc7gr]

Keep in mind that programming the radio is just the beginning. If this is a VHF Range 2 radio (150-174), then it will roll off very sharply in receiver sensitivity below about 149MHz.

Besides the programming, the receiver's preselector will need to be retuned to accomodate the 2m band (if you plan to use it on amateur 2m). If you only want to get 2m coverage, and you don't care about reception over the business band or weather channels, you can do a rough retune with just a signal generator and a little patience.

HOWEVER -- If you want the receiver to cover the entire 2m band, AND continue smoothly up into the commercial range, the RF deck must be retuned using a spectrum analyzer and tracking generator.

(Shameless Plug Alert) I can provide both programming and retuning of the front end if you wish. Feel free to PM me if you want to set something up.

If you have access to the right test gear, and want to try and tackle it yourself, I will be happy to provide guidance.

Happy tweaking.

[MB]

Well after 2 years I finally broke the Syntor X out and am trying to program it.

I have a Top2005+ EEPROM Burner and I am using the SPROG program to program commercial frequencies into my radio that have a SEEQ DQ2816A chip.

The programming seems a lttle fishy with the SPROG program. I had to read the .hex file from the original EEPROM and change things around because the .hex file that I created with SPROG didn't seem to work right. With SPROG the scan lists are all mixed up example (mode 9 seems to actually be mode 17, mode 10 = mode 18, etc...) Is this a flaw with the original SPROG? The Talk Back Scan option doesn't seem to work correctly either.

Now I am not sure if my programmer is messing things up, or it is actually the SPROG program that is messing things up? I kind of think it is the SPROG program, because when I burn the original .hex file onto a different chip it works the same as it did with the very original chip in the radio.

What do you think? Are there problems with the SPROG program created by KD6LVW and KD6ALI, Version 01.01.98, Full Band Alpha? Or is it my programmer?

[WB6NVH]

I gave up on SPROG and just use Paul Bennett's software with an eeprom burner. In my case that's a Data I/O 29B with Unipak 2B and Promlink comm. software. Paul's software is DOS and does not provide for options such as MPL or user-select NP scan boxes, which may be a problem for some people, although using the Blenderman web pages you can figure out what those files should be and manually edit the eeprom on those lines.

[MB]

Well I gave up on SPROG. The scan lists are messed up and there is some other flaky issues with it. It may be OK for HAM applications, but not for mine.

I ended up using N7OCS Paul Bennett's great Syntor X program. It works great.

http://www.sites.onlinemac.com/pbennett ... ftware.htm

I also ended up using the program Notepad++, and did some Hex editing with a
little help from Mr. Paul Bennett himself.

http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm

I programmed the radios with no Talk Back and a few other options and it works great. Perfect for
my application.

Also, with no Talkback there is now no 3 second "hang time" delay after the
channel losses the carrier.

So the radios seem to be perfectly programmed now.

Wow, I never thought there would be this much involved in programming a radio! However, I did have good time figuring it out and learned a lot, especially from Mr. Bennett. I can program these radios in a flash now.