Astro Spectra won't take codeplug

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:34 pm

I have a Astro Spectra D04QKF9PW4AN that I'm trying to convert to "R" band and I can't get it to take the "R" codeplug. I keep ending up with FAIL 01/92 bad eeprom data.

When I put back the original codeplug the error goes away.

More info on the radio:
AMR0504
I040100
EMCR0060

I have 3 other astro spectras which look identical in every way that will accept this codeplug without any problem.

All four radios are 512k vocon with vselp firmware.

Anybody ever see this problem?
Thanks

Fuel4300 · Post by **Fuel4300** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 5:22 pm

I have seen this problem when trying to load an invalid archive. Make sure you are getting the "too new" error when openning the codeplug and not the "not a vaild archive."

Also, make sure the donor is also an "AN" model revision.

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 6:22 pm

All the radios I have are the "AN" revision. I am not getting "invalid archive" error.
Like I said this same archive works in 3 other identical radios.
I even tried another W4 archive I found on the net. Same error.
Put back the original plug and the radio works normaly except wrong band.
I am really clueless at this point.

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:53 am

Even though these radios seem identical from the outside the codeplugs are very different.
Any body up for the challange??
If someone knows how to read codeplugs please pm me.
Thanks

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 5:17 am

I can't believe no one on the board has had problems converting one of these.
I sure would appreciate hearing from someone.
Thanks

Post by **wavetar** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:16 am

If you use Astro LAB 3.04, or MTSX LAB 2.00.01 to force in the codeplug, you can get that error. You might try to use MTSX LAB version 3.00.02...or a higher version of Astro LAB such as 8.00.00, which I've heard exists.

Todd

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:51 am

Hi Wavetar
Thanks for the reply. I am using mtsxlab 3.
I have 4 of these w4 uhf astros and this is the only one that is resisting
conversion.
I have compared the original codeplug from this mystery radio with original codeplugs from the other 3 that I have converted and it is different.
I even tried putting one of the others original codeplug into the mystery radio. I was thinking another "Q" band plug might work.
Still 01/92.
Then I put the mystery radios original back in and the radio works nornal.
I don't think my "R" band plug is corrupt because it works fine in the other 3 radios.
At this point I don't know what to think. Maybe this radio is some kind of motorola SP radio or something, but the model number is itentical to the other 3 radios.
I really don't think I should be calling motorola and asking them why I can't stuff a "R" band codeplug into the radio.

I know there are some people on this board that know astro codeplugs and could probably tell me the difference between these plugs but I can't seem to get anyone interested.

Post by **wavetar** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:44 pm

You keep saying the mystery radio's codeplug is way different...in what way do you mean? As a test, have you tried loading the mystery codeplug into one of the other 3 radios & seeing what happens? What's the firmware revisions in the other 3 radios?

Post by **batdude** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:57 pm

i'm thinking your one mystery radio has a different host/dsp combination than the other three....

doug

Post by Pj » Mon Sep 25, 2006 3:26 pm

This is escaping me where I did this and it worked..

After loading in your codeplug and getting the error, read the radio with normal rss then write it back in. I don't remember is that worked with the Spectra or Astro Spectra. Might have been for the spectra..

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 3:58 pm

That was for the spectra.

Jason

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:34 pm

I will try to get the firmware rev's for the other 3.

Is there a way to read the revisions from dos rss? I don't have cps.

Is there a way to make the radio scroll the numbers by slower?
Very difficult to write down the numbers.

I did try to read the radio with regular rss after the error occurs.

I was successful in reading the radio, but the radio won't function as
long as the error is present.

I agree it might be interesting to try putting the mystery codeplug into one of the other radios, but I'm not going to risk one of those radios right now.

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:49 pm

Here are the firmware numbers for the other 3 radio that have been converted.
You are right they are different.

All 3 radios are the same:
AMR0604
I40310
EMCR0100

Hope this helps.

Post by **wavetar** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 5:04 pm

Well, those 3 have a later firmware version than the mystery radio, so it would seem that there's a feature in the codeplug you are forcing in that the earlier firmware doesn't understand.

Todd

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:00 am

Does any one have a "R" band codeplug that will work with this older firmware?

Anyone have any ideas what the firmware doesn't like about the codeplug I have?

Post by **wavetar** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:38 am

Hard to say without seeing them. How about you email me your "mystery" codeplug, and the R split codeplug...I'll compare them & see if anything jumps out at me.

[email protected]

Todd

Post by **wavetar** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:32 pm

Ok, I've taken a look at the codeplugs. First thing that jumps out at me is the fact all your radios have VSELP-era firmware, yet they all have IMBE codeplugs in them. That alone I would've thought would cause issues...but then again, I've never tried it so I don't know. Perhaps because the flashcode doesn't have the actual IMBE capability (even though the fields are present in the codeplugs), you avoided problems.

Your 'mystery' radio is the identical model & flashcode as your 'donor' flashcode, but the donor contains both VRS options, and Status/Message options. All other things being equal, I'd say that must be your problem. Find a codeplug without those options, and you should be set.

Model# D04RKF9PW4AN

Flashcode 000001-000000-9 or some other flashcode which doesn't have digital enabled

No VRS/Status/Message

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:30 pm

Wow this is some really useful information. If someone knows of a codeplug that might work in my radio it would greatly be appreciated.

I sure wish some of this information would be made available in the batlabs page on astro radios. Unless of course that would be taboo.

Thanks wavetar for that very useful info.
Thanks

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:00 am

A question for the more informed astro users.
How does one determine the flashcode of a codeplug without loading it into CPS or something?
Are the flashcode numbers easily found by just looking at the codeplug in a hex editor?

The codeplugs that I am using are in dos rss, and I plan on keeping them there.

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:23 am

Does any one have an old "R" band vselp codeplug?

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:49 am

Is there a reason you are keeping the radios vselp or do you want to upgrade them to IMBE?

Jason

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:24 pm

No reason to keep the vselp I guess. I just need a codeplug that will work in this one problem radio.
I really don't need digital at all. Just need to get it onto "R" band.

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:48 am

No one can figure out what's up with this radio.

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:09 am

Well me and a couple of very knowledgeable people have tried to no avail to get this radio converted.
I just guess there a few of these out there that can't be converted.
Thanks to everyone who helped me.

The Pager Geek · Post by **The Pager Geek** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:24 am

I'll buy it cheap, since it can't be converted. mwhahahaha

saberjerk · Post by **saberjerk** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:33 am

The radio is now up and running. All it took was a new vocon.