Error: 'External Security Housing' with Spectras...

[kc7gr]

Fellow Spectra fans,

I could use a little assistance. I have a UHF 110W package (T84GXA7HA9AK) on the bench that I'm trying to program. It will not let me read or write because it keeps complaining that it can't access the external security housing (yes, it's a retired Fed radio -- Spits errors 28/10 and 29/10 on powerup).

I've tried bit-banging the MOFlags to convince it that the external Securenet feature no longer exists, but it makes no difference. The silly thing still wants its external security housing.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-UPDATE: 31-May-07

The best technique I've since found to bypass this issue is simply to get hold of an external security housing, and connect the thing to the radio while you read out the original codeplug. In order to do so, you will need to construct a 'daisy-chain' cable of D-sub 25 connectors (one male, two female, at least) so that you can connect both the external security box and the programming cable at the same time.

Once you read the radio, you can go in and set the Securenet option in 'Radio-Wide' to either 'Disabled' or 'Internal' (your choice), and write the changes back to the radio. You can then remove the external security housing, and you will no longer be bothered by that annoying FAIL 49/90 message, or whatever the heck it is.

Happy tweaking.

[hvfcadmin]

You will have a problem with blanking the EEPROM where the codeplug lives because the Self Test code is located in this chip also.
I wonder if anyone has tried to clone a new MLM that has never been used, as a "control", and then commpare the data after it has been installed. May uncover some usfull information.