SPECTRA Question

[mfdeng5]

Hi guys, i have a UHF A-9 Spectra, i took off the front of the chassis and put an A-5 head on it....it powers up but only says mode # and so on....will this work as a regular A-5 if i program it up? Kevin

[OCSD117]

You would need lab software and bit bang it for an A5 head. An A9 head stored the mode names on the head not the radio. So it is looking to the head for the info. You CANNOT just change heads. If you had an A7 head originally you could change to an A5 and just change the type in RSS but because the a9 head is more complicated you can't just change it.

PS you should really search and read the batlabs website as this info has been posted many times!

[Mike B]

It depends on what the individual radio's MOFLAGs are set to. The MOFLAGs set the type of control heads the Spectra RSS can select. The possible analog Spectra choices are Standard, Enhanced, Rotary or S9000E. The S9000E is for the analog Spectra A9 head, Rotary is for the analog Spectra A4 head, while Standard and Enhanced can be for analog Spectra A5 or A7 head. The A5 or A7 setting is internal to the MOFLAGs. The available keys on the RSS control head programming screen will tell you if an A5 or A7 is set in the MOFLAGs. You can use an A5 head with A7 MOFLAGs, but you will not be able to use all the keypad keys that are missing on the A5. You can use an A7 with A5 MOFLAGs, but none of the extra A7 keypad keys will work (you can change the control head front plastic and add new keys to convert an A2 or A5 into an A7). There is also an A2 head that has really reduced functionality for low cost radios (fewer keys than an A5 with fewer MOGLAG options enabled).

BTW, I didn't mention the HHCH because it takes a special code plug. The single radio HHCH without the SIU hardware also has special command board jumpering and a special interconnect board (i.e. there are many significant hardware differences).

First backup and save your current code plug. Your current RSS control head type is S9000E. See what you can change it to. If it will change to Standard or Enhanced then it will work with an A5 head (the A5 is an incomplete sub-set of an A7 head). If MOFLAGs are set to an A7, then it will work with an A7 head and all the extra A7 keypad keys (see your RSS control head programming screen).

If the RSS will not allow you to select Enhanced or Standard control head type, they you need to change the MOFLAGs to allow these to be selected.

Enhanced A5 or A7 heads have additional settings on the RSS control head programming screen menu. The control head firmware must be an enhanced type to actually use these additional settings. If you do not have an actual enhanced control head, then setting Enhanced and programming the additional enhanced settings will not have any effect. Using an external DEK also requires an actual enhanced control head. BTW, the DEK(s) works with all A9 heads.

The problem with the difference between the A9 and A2, A4, A5 or A7, is the A9 stores the mode names inside the head while the A2, A4, A5 and A7 store the mode names inside the radio. This means the radio tells an A9 head to display mode 27 and the control head has an already stored alphanumeric mode name for mode 27. For the A2, A4, A5 or A7 the radio sends the actual mode name alphanumeric characters to the control head. So, the S9000E setting A9 head doesn't know what to do with the A2, A4, A5 or A7 alphanumeric characters and just gets confused. The Standard or Enhanced setting A2, A5 or A7 doesn't know what to do with A9 mode numbers when it needs the actual alphanumeric characters instead and they just get confused. The Rotary setting A4 has this same problem. These confused control head states are not usable.

When you change from an A9 to an A2, A4, A5 or A7 you will loose all the programmed RSS mode selection mode names. Tbatboard.batlabs.come old names. This is just one small but important reason for keeping a backup of your original code plug. If you ever want to change back to the A9 control head, you will have to reprogram all the original A9 mode names unless you have a backup. You will have to reprogram all the new A5 mode names anyway, so make another backup of this code plug when you finish. By keeping a backup, I mean make a separate floppy with the backup code plug on it.

[mfdeng5]

Thanks Guys!!! RPDM313, sorry for taking up your time.......

[OCSD117]

Not a huge problem. People forget about the search before you post rules. Like I said no big deal.

[Will]

If the radio was set for the Advanced/X9000/A9 head you will not be able to read the radio without the A9 head on it. The RSS will start to read the radio then will display that it can not read the X9000 head.

Let us know what you find.