A5/A7 Control Head on A9 Spectra?

hobbes · Post by **hobbes** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 9:40 am

I just got my hands on a new toy, a high-power VHF spectra (T83FWA7HA9AK). In the codeplug/RSS, there is a field to select the control head type (currently set on S9000E) but I can't edit the field, as the RSS won't let me select that field. I just don't have room in my truck for another A9 control head (too many radios as it is!) but I could squeeze in a smaller A5 or A7, so....
a) Will an A5/A7 head work on this radio and if so
b) how do I let the RSS know that so I can edit keypad configuration?
Thanks!

Post by **alex** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 10:02 am

You can do it using Spectra LAB software, you'll be able to choose what kind of control head the radio uses. It will be on the same screen as where you see S9000e. You simply need an A5/A7 head (the electronics are the same in these heads, if you get an A5, you can buy the plastic for an A7 from motorola for about $23 bucks last time I checked.

-Alex

USPSS · Post by **USPSS** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 12:23 pm

Can you go the other way? A7 to A9??

I have a brand new A-7 that I would love an A-9 to replace.

Thanks
Stan

Post by **alex** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 12:31 pm

You can in some cases.

here's what I did:

I started with a VHF A7 Spectra.

I baught an 800mhz A9 Spectra, for the head, and control cable.

I wanted to make the VHF Spectra an A9, and the 800mhz Spectra an A7.

Using LAB, I dumped a friends VHF A9 Codeplug into the spectra, and VOLA, it worked.

I then went in and changed the 800mhz Spectra to have an Enhanced head, dumped the codeplug, and It worked with the A7 head.

One thing that was pointed out to me is that after you use Lab, the head will not remember things like the last backlight setting you had on it. Infact, I think the option to change the default is gone in the RSS.

The only reason why I say some cases is that the MLM board contains the information about your radio, and has a certain amount of memory that contains the codeplug. Some MLM boards can't be upgraded, and others can. So, like everything, no warrenty that this will work for your radio...

I have done this before, on 2-3 Spectras, and had success. Just be careful, have backup codeplugs, and pray you don't end up with a brick. I haven't yet *knock on wood*.

-Alex

[ This Message was edited by: alex on 2001-11-12 15:33 ]

hobbes · Post by **hobbes** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 12:36 pm

OK, I went to try and use LAB version to read the codeplug from the radio, but I get an error message to the effect that "your radio is not supported by this version". I have access to ver 2 of LAB and ver 6 of the regular RSS; is there a more recent version of LAB or a way to force it to read the codeplug?
And in reference to the previous post -- are the control heads between the conventional and 800 trunked versions of spectra compatibile?

Post by **alex** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 12:42 pm

On 2001-11-12 15:36, hobbes wrote:
OK, I went to try and use LAB version to read the codeplug from the radio, but I get an error message to the effect that "your radio is not supported by this version". I have access to ver 2 of LAB and ver 6 of the regular RSS; is there a more recent version of LAB or a way to force it to read the codeplug?
And in reference to the previous post -- are the control heads between the conventional and 800 trunked versions of spectra compatibile?

I belive the version I used was version 6. However, I'm not sure. I'd have to check with a friend of mine.

The heads are compatable. They get their programming when you program the actual radio. If you have programmed an A9, you know it takes 10 times longer than an a5/a7. This is because it has to load all the names, and other information into the A9 head. You can actually take an A9 head, put it on another radio, and see the same exact channel names that you had on the old one. I don't recomend it, but you can do it.

now that I think about it, the same doesn't hold true for the A4/A5/A7 heads, as I think they get the names directly from the MLM.

Someone else can correct me if i'm not right on target.

Astro spectra heads will not work on analog spectras - however, someone a little while ago posted about a hack they were able to do and got the head working on an astro radio...

-Alex

chiefops · Post by **chiefops** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 11:31 am

is there a way to recover the backlight default after using lab? i had the same problem a while back, now i have to manually turn it on.

Post by **alex** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 12:09 pm

I am not sure.

My guess the only way to make sure it stays on is before messing with lab, go in, set the backlight, then mess with Lab. That's the best solution I can come up with. However, if you have already used lab, chances are you can't go back...

-Alex

Post by Pj » Tue Nov 13, 2001 1:10 pm

You guys are in the right direction. However, for the lab question, some radios are too new and/or the codeplugs are incompatible with lab. There is really no way around it. Also, with dealing with older radios, the MLM will most likely not support this "upgrading". Trust me, I tried for awhile.

Try to find the newest possible MLM you can, or bite the bullet and order the MLM from Motorola for $220, and it should work properly. Make sure you read the section on MLM here in batlabs, give you a very good idea what you have to work with.

I like the spectra's, but they must be the most inflexable radios to screw with. You can screw with the Syntor's and Astro nicely, but that damn spectra hardware...no thanks!

Post by **alex** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 1:32 pm

For some reason, i've had very good luck messing with them, with the only exception trying to get a UHF one into the ham band. I can deal with messing around with the RSS, but not with the actual hardware...

Oh well. I got my A9 working with Lab 6 (talked with a friend who confirmed that's what we used) and it works rather well.

-Alex

chiefops · Post by **chiefops** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 11:43 pm

alex- when you upgraded your radio to an A9 with lab, did you lose the backlight on the A9 head?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 6:33 am

I upgraded my radio from an A4 to an A9 using Lab 6. I didn't lose my backlight altogether; It defaulted to full brightness. No matter what I have tried in both Lab 6 and RSS 6, I can't get it to default to anything but full brightness. Not a big deal for me; at least it's on.

Post by **alex** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 6:35 am

same here...

I think it's got something maybe to do with what the default was before you used LAB. Maybe before it was defaulted to "off" and that carried over to lab. I have no clue... I don't remember what mine was at first. If I did a lot of digging, i'm sure I could find the origional codeplug somewhere.

-Alex

[ This Message was edited by: alex on 2001-11-14 09:37 ]

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 8:39 am

Guys,

An A9 head doesn't have adjustable backlighting through any RSS. When initially turned on it always comes on with full brightness. I know the ENHANCED a5/a7 heads have adjustable brightness through the rss. A STANDARD a5/a7 will NOT. I don't know if an a4 does.

[ This Message was edited by: JMR964 on 2001-11-14 11:41 ]

chiefops · Post by **chiefops** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 10:19 am

let me clarify this....... i had a spectra A5 that was new from motorola 10 yrs ago- i am the original owner. when the radio powered up both the display and keypad backlight defaulted to bright.
about a year ago i updated it and enabled it to be a zone/mode radio. i used lab because thats what i had at the moment.
after updating it i found that when it powered up the display defaulted to bright but the keypad backlight was OFF. when the dimmer was pressed, the keypad backlight came on but the display dimmed 1 level. i have been unable to correct this since, and i am reluctant to use lab to upgrade the radio to an A9 for fear of the same thing.

are you guys sure i won't experience this with A9 head after using lab?

Post by **alex** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 10:32 am

I personally can't say if it will or will not work.

Mine works at full display brightness, and with the keys backlit after using lab to upgrade the radio to support S9000e.

What you probably can try without damaging the radio is to hook up the A9 Head, turn the radio on, and see if the backlighting comes on. IF it does, then you probably have a good chance of it working. You won't see the normal channel names, probably will see the ones that were programmed into the radio that last had the head on, or just MODE 0.

I can't guarentee it will work. Hacking around with your radio is a risk that you take, usually with the advice of other people (like me and others who have replied). You can always end up with a brick. I personally don't think you will, but the risk is there.

My guess is worse case scenario, you'll hook the A9 head up, and the backlight will work as it has on the other head. Then again, maybe it will work the way you want. You'll just have to try

The best advice - make a backup copy of the codeplug you have now, put it on a floppy (even two, incase one is bad...) and you have a way of going back. I wouldn't mess with any radio without a good backup of the codeplug. If you run into trouble, there are people who might be able to fix it for less than Motorola.

Hope that helps.

-Alex

[ This Message was edited by: alex on 2001-11-14 13:35 ]

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 10:34 am

An A9 head has no RSS programmable backlighting options. The head should work fine. If it doesn't there is a hardware problem not a software problem. Contact me direct if you have any problems. Click the mail icon below.

Jason

JAYMZ · Post by **JAYMZ** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 1:27 pm

I personally own 2 A4 model radios and have programmed my friends A9. Both radios have adjustable backlighting. Bright...not so bright....barely readable......and gonzo, no display(called survelance mode I believe). I don't remember what version of RSS it was....the computer was borrowed from the shop I work for part time.

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 2:27 pm

Speaking of A9 Spectras does anyone have a VHF 136-162 or 146-174 Mhz A9 110w radio around? I need the radio only, no acc and looking for firmware version 6.16 if possible. Model # T83FWA or T83GXA7HA9 and please no ex gov radios with wacky firmware. I've gotten stuck with two like that and they are not what I need! THanks!

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 5:34 pm

Maybe there is some confusion here. What I am referring to is setting the power up backlighting through the RSS. If you have an enhanced A5/A7 head you can set what level the display/backlighting comes up on when the radio is powered up. The A9 head doesn't have this RSS selectable feature (wish it did). After turning the radio on you can change it using the "Dim" button as you can with any spectra head.

Spectra God · Post by **Spectra God** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 8:02 pm

I can only say one thing....... "mo-flag"!!

Post by Pj » Wed Nov 14, 2001 9:32 pm

Ok, lets see what people are referring to as "backlighting"..

On the A4/5/7 heads, the backlight to the KEYPADS can be set to on/off on startup, and I believe the DISPLAY dimmer (the screen) can be set to a certain level on startup as well.

The A9 head will ALWAYS have the backlight for the keypad on, and the DISPLAY is NOT adjustable (in all the RSS and models that I have seen) except by the DIM button. IE: You cannon adjust the A9 head via RSS.

I believe all of the Systems 9000 heads are done this way. If the Astro W9 is the same, it wouldn't suprise me.

Just my thoughts, I could be wrong...

515 · Post by **515** » Thu Nov 15, 2001 3:43 pm

Sorry, but I can't resist sharing my observations to confuse everyone just a little further...

I have a dash mount 40W Spectra with a fully-functional A7 head, but it reads as an A9 model number, and the head type is set to "Standard" in the RSS. How it got this way, I really don't know. (but it works fine)

Anyway, I have no control over the default power-on display/backlight setting. There's no options in the RSS for it. It always powers on with the VF alpha display at max brightness, and the LED keypad backlight off. I can use the DIM button to dim the VF one level and turn on the LED backlight on and so forth....

I wish I could set the default power-on setting like I can on my A4. I want the LED backlight on all the time, except for surveillance mode.

So.... Spectra God, if you're really up there listening, is there any chance you could elaborate on the "Mo-Flags" a bit, if that is the solution? If you did, I would get on my knees and exalt thee.

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Thu Nov 15, 2001 4:23 pm

Okay,

Just so everyone knows there are two types of A5/A7 heads, standard and enhanced. The only difference that I know of at this time is that standard head doesn't allow backlighting setting through RSS, the ENHANCED head DOES!!!!!! To find out what type of head you really have you have to take it apart and get the part number and go from there.

Jason