Homebrew XTS Keyload cable

515 · Post by **515** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:30 am

Has anyone built their own XTS keyload cable out of an old speaker mic or other cheap cable? I've got the KVL connector, but it's the XTS end I'm having trouble with...

The speaker mics I have lack the necessary pads on the PCB for the contacts to put the radio in keyload mode.

The cheap aftermarket XTS programming cables on Ebay are glued together, so I can't really modify one of those.

(FYI - The common Astro Saber aftermarket Ebay cables are screwed together and have all the pads on the PCB, so they can easily be made into a keyload cable if you have the KVL connector)

The real deal TDN9390D seems to be around $70, which is more than I'd like to spend. Anyone know if a Hirose adapter for the XTS exists that works for keyloading?

spectragod · Post by **spectragod** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:41 am

I have several mic plug ends.

SG

515 · Post by **515** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:30 am

Any idea if the PCB inside them has pads for pins 10 & 12 (near the bottom of the connector)? The Motorola speaker mics I have don't, but maybe you have different versions...

It looks like XTS side connector pins 10 & 12 need to be grounded (to pin 8 ) to put the radio in keyload mode. Pin 13 is the data line, so as long as the PCB has pads for 8, 10, 12, and 13, it should work.

MotoMax300 · Post by **MotoMax300** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:38 am

move some around, or use breadboard and make them in that way.

515 · Post by **515** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:11 am

Good thought on the breadboard, but the XTS pins don't all fall on the standard perfboard holes, so I'd have to glue some of the pins on or something...

Desoldering and moving the pins around isn't a problem, but finding a PCB that has all the necessary pads has been the hard part.

I just found a XTS "data cable" (don't know the part number), which is like an XTS KVL cable, but has a DB-9F connector on the other end instead of the MX one. And it doesn't have all the pads I need on the PCB, either.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:11 am

On the one I built, I drilled holes in the board where I needed them and CAd the pins in place. I soldered the back side of the pins and it works like a champ. The bottom plug lip broke off somehow, but it doesn't affect operation.

n6fnp · Post by **n6fnp** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:38 pm

I successfully built a Jedi KVL cable with a speaker mike cable. Like Scott, I
had to drill small holes in the correct location on the PCB. It was not very easy
getting the pogo pins soldered in. The hardest part was to get the pins to stand
up straight and properly align with the radio connector contacts. It took several
trial and error retrys to get the pins to orient exactly right.

-Thor

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:02 pm

Yep, that's why I had to glue them in place with CA before I soldered them. Works like a champ now though.

n6fnp · Post by **n6fnp** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 2:27 pm

Anyone know if a Hirose adapter for the XTS exists that works for keyloading?

I don't see why a Hirose adapter wouldn't work. I don't currently have one, but
would like to get one some day, but the price is even higher than the $70 for
the XTS KVL cable. The prices for the Hirose adapter range from $80.00 to
$90.00.

-Thor

GEMOTO · Post by **GEMOTO** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 12:43 pm

Hi,

The Jedi/XTS Hirose adaptor (6pin) will work. Attach the adaptor to the side of your radio and hook up the Hirose keyloading cable (same one used for a spectra) and load the key. I have used this setup before and it works fine.

Talk to member "escomm" I ordered the hirose adaptor from him at a good price. He is a dealer and gives 15% off list price to batboard members. It was less than $80.

mancow · Post by **mancow** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 8:25 pm

I just opened one of the aftermarket ribless cables that 515 mentioned. The plate covering the pins is just snapped in. If you pry with a small screwdriver it will pop out. It's actually a high quality fully populated (hole wise) board in there. I just dropped a few extra pins in mine to make a KVL cable. My plan is to make it a dual purpose cable with two connectors (ribless and KVL). My only issue seems to me the fact that the cable uses some of the same pins for programming as it does key loading. I'm thinking that the ribless adapter being in circuit is causing an error with the KVL. If that's the case then I will have to make a quick connect to disconnect the programming circuit while key loading.

I will post a diagram if it works.