Swapping boards in XTS3000s

[justintime1806]

Hello all,

This is my first post. I have started into the world of Motorola radios and I think I'm already hooked. I have some quick questions for you experienced people. I have a Model 2 VHF XTS3000 with a bad controller board, and a good Model 1 UHF XTS3000. Could I swap controller boards and have a good VHF and a junk UHF? Would that change the Flashcodes? Or if I could come across a cheap Model 3 UHF swap RF boards with the VHF, and end up with a Model 3 VHF? I may be out in left field, but I figure I would ask before I pay $450 to have it sent in.

Thank you in advance.

[gatekeep]

You could theoretically do it, and after they are switched force in a VHF codeplug into the UHF controller and retune the radio. But I'm not sure.

[justintime1806]

Hmmm, ok well thank you for the quick response. I guess I'm going to hold off and see if anyone else has done anything like this. If not I may have to be the guinea pig. I do know $165 sounds a lot better than $450. Again thank you for the reply and thank you to everyone else in advance.

[justintime1806]

Ok, well what I did is take a model 1 VHF controller board and put it in the model 2. What I now have is a functional radio, well it passes self test, transmits, etc... However, I am in need of some more help. The radio basically is functioning as a model 1 in a model 2 case. The display just shows self test, but when I turn scan on the scan icon shows up and when I transmit that indicator shows up on the screen. The limited keypad is being picked up also. When I push those buttons it gives the "not programmed tone." CPS is still seeing it as a model 1 though. I did try my very amateur hand at editing the model number in a test codeplug, but it just says "File header has invalid checksum." after I changed the model number and try to open the codeplug with the CPS. If anyone can please help me out with the software side of this I would really appreciate it. I feel like I've actually accomplished something and have the ball rolling and I don't want this to be a wall so close to the finish line. Thank you in advance to anyone that can help me out with this.

[ka8ypy]

You need to push a Model 2 S-Rec into the radio, (can't be done using CPS). Do a search on the board for forcing a whoreflash into a radio and it should give you everything you need.

[Batwings21]

You need more than just standard cps or rss to do what you are trying to do. Let me get this straight, you took a uhf model 1 controller and put it in a vhf model 2, correct? If so, your radio is in need of some help. First, you need a way to read and write s-records from the radio, second if the bad controller still reads and writes, I would read the s-record out of the bad contoller and dump it into the vhf model 2 with the good model 1 controller in it. That will get you your model 2 functionality back, and probably get your tuning pretty close. To read s-records from that radio, you will probably need to get MTSX lab 3.00.02 dos rss ( just so you know, this is illegal to ask for here, and illegal to have anywhere but can be found on the net.) The older mtsx lab or astro lab may work, but there have been issues with using them on newer xts and astro sabers so I would stay away from them.
Lastly, you really should know if the host/dsp or each radio was the same, if not then more work will need to be done to them.

[akardam]

To read s-records from that radio, you will probably need to get MTSX lab 3.00.02 dos rss ... The older mtsx lab or astro lab may work, but there have been issues with using them on newer xts and astro sabers so I would stay away from them.

This myth has been perpetuated for far too long. If you're reading/writing SRecords, any version of lab capable of doing so will work.

To the OP: I will echo Batwings21's statement that you'll need some help. Since the XTS3000 uses a seperate controller and vocoder, it's likely you have a Host/DSP mismatch, and that by itself can cause all sorts of whacky things.

[Hightower]

I will echo Akardams statment by adding, make sure you use the read/write radio using the no Pack/Unpack option.

[justintime1806]

Thanks all who replied. I am still working on this problem with some help, but it could definitely still possibly be resolved without a trip to the depot. YIKES!!!! Some of the stories about sending things in sure are scary. The battle continues on. I will keep updating as it goes. Again thank you all who took the time to reply and help out.

[Pj]

Well..think of it this way...

If you spend the $$$ to Motorola, it will come back as a 100% functional properly flashed, aligned with the newest firmware in the radio. Depending on the cosmetic nature of the case, may even come back "like new" with a new housing knobs/buttons. At the min, it will come back with new/proper internal parts and will be working 100%.

The depot is the best bet if you cannot or do not have the ability to reconfigure that radio as mentioned above.

[Batwings21]

This myth has been perpetuated for far too long. If you're reading/writing SRecords, any version of lab capable of doing so will work.

Thats good to get confirmed, I personaly had not had an issue with it, but I beleive some had said it would cause a odd failure, 01/82 maybe on newer radios. Glad to know thats not true, as astro lab and the older mtsx are more common.

[justintime1806]

Radio is working!!!!! Thank you to everyone who helped out, and I would like to say a special thanks to Batwings21 and akardam for their assistance. I would also like to thank everyone who keeps the site going. What it ended up being was converting a VHF model 1 back into my vhf model 2. With the help I received it was a simple process. Some had said impossible without sending it in, but I don't agree much with impossible. It helps to have someone to pull the wool back, and lead you through. In the process I even found a toy inside the model 1 that nothing was mentioned about. Overall a huge success, and it couldn't have happened without everyone's help. Just the thought of sending it in was stomach turning after hearing all the flashcode and other horror stories. Thanks again everyone.