[Modifying Maxtrac/Radius for more channels]

[MB]

I hacked my radmbl.mdf file on my M214 from 16 channels to 40 channels by following these instructions:

http://www.batlabs.com/maxrad.html

And using Hex Workshop:

http://www.bpsoft.com/


I only ended up programming in 31 channels. I haven’t loaded the codeplug back into my radio yet though for fear that I might brick the radio. Is there any chance I could brick the radio by changing the .mdf file?

I noticed that it will only let me add 16 channels to the scan list. Does this mean I will be unable to add any channel over 16 to my User Programmable scan list? So does this mean I can only scan the first 16 channels?

If so, is there something I could change in the .mdf file that will allow me to add more channels to the scan list?

[Grog]

Except for the GP68, I don't know of any modern /\/\ that will allow more than 16ch to be scanned.

[rrfd43]

Syntor X9000. It'll scan em all.

[Grog]

Syntor X9000. It'll scan em all.

Except for the GP68, I don't know of any modern /\/\ that will allow more than 16ch to be scanned.

Like I said

[Rayjk110]

One thing to watch out for -

If you program anything above 16 for RX only, and try to key up (you still get the low "booooop" tone), the radio kinda just locks up and freezes. You'll then have to just power cycle it, but this can get annoying. This happened on the 3 GM300s and a few Maxtracs I've done this to. I have not tried the Mxxx series, but I would think it'd return the same result.

[MB]

What about hacking the EPROM (firmware). That is where the scan-
channel count is limited, right?

Anyone know what bit I may be able to change in the EPROM that will change the scan-channel count? And how I would go about changing it?




Would this blanking procedure increase scan-channel count? (looks kinda risky)
http://www.kb0nly.net/max_chan_upg.html

[wavetar]

Would this blanking procedure increase scan-channel count? (looks kinda risky)
http://www.kb0nly.net/max_chan_upg.html

No, that procedure does not affect the firmware at all, merely the contents of the eeprom, allowing you to initialize the radio as whatever model you wish.

You might be able to hex edit the RSS to allow entering more than 16 channels, but if the firmware doesn't understand it, it won't work. So, ultimately it would be a firmware change needed as well. I do not recall anyone ever posting that they had modified the firmware to enable features. You'd need a prom reader to dump the contents of the firmware into, then modify the code & burn it back into a new prom.

Todd

[xmo]

"...You'd need a prom reader to dump the contents of the firmware..."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then you would use a disassembler to reconstruct the assembly language source code - from there you edit your changes.

Then you need a compiler to recreate the binary [object] code. You probably also need a debugger, an emulator development station and a logic analyzer.

Good clean fun!

[MB]

I was able to load 32 channels with no problem. I can receive and transmit on all frequencies. I even added a few frequencies out of band by using the shift key when entering the numbers in. Everything works fine except for the fact that I can only scan the first 16 channels.

Is there some way to scan more then 16 channels. Or some way to set up two scan lists?

If I use the blanking procedure and initialize the radio as a model that allows 32 "full feature "channels, will I be able to add all these channels to the scan list?

Would this blanking procedure increase scan-channel count? (looks kinda risky)
http://www.kb0nly.net/max_chan_upg.html

No, that procedure does not affect the firmware at all, merely the contents of the eeprom, allowing you to initialize the radio as whatever model you wish.

You might be able to hex edit the RSS to allow entering more than 16 channels, but if the firmware doesn't understand it, it won't work. So, ultimately it would be a firmware change needed as well. I do not recall anyone ever posting that they had modified the firmware to enable features. You'd need a prom reader to dump the contents of the firmware into, then modify the code & burn it back into a new prom.

Todd

[k2hz]

I believe one of the limitations of the number of channels in a user programmable scan list is the size of the memory allocated to this function. Like Todd and xmo said, changing this would involve some serious firmware code changes which probably would need to include re-allocating memory from some other function.

[Max-trac]

If you have the HLN9499A ver 21.01 eprom, try plugging a Maxtrac HLN5569 5.34 chip (without blanking or anything)
I experimented swapping those before and noticed the scan list limitation in the radius chip.

[AlexR]

About Radius GM300:
Seems impossible to have more than 16 chan
in scanlist due to a fact that only 2 bytes of codeplug's
memory are allocated for scanlist on each channel.
The bit installed means the channel is included in scan.
Therefore only the first 16 channels can be scanned,
though more than 16 chan could be programmed.
The codeplug's memory is allocated dynamically and
limited by 40 channels' entries max.