Spectra Service problem

Max · Post by **Max** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:09 pm

Hi
I have a couple of Spectra radios,UHF,800Mhz.
I also have several different versions of RSS,when I start in the main menu and hit F-2 for service menu,it flashes loading overlay for a split second and nothing happens,it will not go into service menu.When I try lab,and try F-2 ,the computer boots back up into windows.I have tried loading the RSS in DOS and get the same problem.
I have tried everything I can think of and have run out of ideas.
Can anyone please help me with this problem.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance for any help.
Max

Jim202 · Post by **Jim202** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:41 am

First, you need to run the Spectra RSS in a pure DOS mode.

Second, you need a fairly slow computer, 500 MHz or slower.
There are some that will work with a faster clock.

Third, you need the serial port to work under control of
the DOS and RSS software. Some computers have a hard
time with this.

Fourth, why are you hitting the service menue? You need
to read the radio first. This is the F3 button and then the
F2 for read. Once you have read the codeplug, then you
can go into the service menue for tuning the radio.

Fifth, I have seen some radios with hacked codeplugs
exhibit a serial bus failure just trying to be read. It will
probably take forcing in by cloning a good codeplug to
get the radio back into a condition that the RSS will read
the radio.

If by some chance you have one of the government
dual radio packages with the HHCH and the SIU box,
you will fight the issue of the DES box. It needs to be
connected before you can take it out of the codeplug
and start to have a normal radio.

Jim

Max wrote:Hi
I have a couple of Spectra radios,UHF,800Mhz.
I also have several different versions of RSS,when I start in the main menu and hit F-2 for service menu,it flashes loading overlay for a split second and nothing happens,it will not go into service menu.When I try lab,and try F-2 ,the computer boots back up into windows.I have tried loading the RSS in DOS and get the same problem.
I have tried everything I can think of and have run out of ideas.
Can anyone please help me with this problem.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance for any help.
Max

Max · Post by **Max** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:22 am

Hi
I have a 266Mhz running win95 computer and the RSS for the Spectra woks fine pogramming for all other featues in the radio.The computer works fine on all my other radios,just when i try to get into service menu on the Spectra.
Thanks Again
Max

RKG · Post by **RKG** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:53 am

The Spectra RSS will not write (including the Service writes) when running under a so-called "DOS Window" in any flavor of Windows. You must be running native DOS (as far as I am aware, MS-DOS 6.22 and PC-DOS 7.1 work fine).

Will · Post by **Will** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:16 pm

Oh goodie.. another Brick in the making.....

Spectras do not do windows!

Max · Post by **Max** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:23 pm

I am runinng the RSS in DOS.
Max

RKG · Post by **RKG** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:10 pm

Max wrote:Hi
I have a 266Mhz running win95 computer and the RSS for the Spectra woks fine pogramming for all other featues in the radio.The computer works fine on all my other radios,just when i try to get into service menu on the Spectra.
Thanks Again
Max

I interpreted this to mean that you were trying to run the RSS in a so-called "DOS Window" under Win95. No can do. Must be true native DOS.

com501 · Post by **com501** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:16 pm

You can still use your win95 machine, search the net for 'bootGUI' mod. You can change the variable in your BootGUI statement on bootup, and the Win95 (and WIN98) OS will load to DOS and not load the windows GUI. That way you can use DOS 7 reliably.