Saber programming laptop, is a slow PC REALLY needed?

[Bowlieweekender]

I ask this question as a confused intended Saber programmer. Everyone here says MUST be 386 or 286, MUST be MS DOS, not a DOS window, but on eBay I see mobile radio programming laptops for sale, the one I'm looking at today is really expensive but it is a Pentium I and the radio programming menu is clearly in a DOS window. It shows Saber and all the usual suspects.

So the question is, does it absolutely need to be in a pure DOS environment on a super slow machine or can you get away with it on a faster one?


Cheers Nigel

(Edited to delete a WTB item which is not permitted while you are on moderated status.)

[Tom in D.C.]

Just because it appears that something you've been warned about works doesn't mean that you won't "brick" your Saber, so be conservative and careful, which means:

1. Windows OS DOS boxes can sometimes be used to read a radio, but odds are that you will not able to write to the radio with the setup, AND you may brick the radio as well.

2. True DOS, version 6, will always work fine on any standard Saber.

3. Computer speed of 25 mHz is safe; higher speeds may or may not work properly. I run a Pentium I/586 with a native speed of 60 mHz but I run it at 25 mHz and have never tried the higher speed because there's no need to take the chance. An old 286 or 8088 will also work but are so slow they'll drive you crazy. If you buy a programming laptop try to get a return privilege just in case it doesn't work on the software.

4. Use a Motorola RIB if you can get one; aftermarket RIBS vary in quality although I've used them and they did work okay.

Welcome to the Board. Let us know how you do on getting your Sabers up and running.

Regards,

[Bowlieweekender]

Thanks for the very helpful reply Tom

I actually work at Intel and had folk rolling about on the floor when I said I was on the lookout for a 386 laptop running MS-DOS!

Even our local Goodwill doesn't both putting such relics out on display.

Good to know that MS DOS 6 is the version to get.

My search continues and yes I'll let you know how the first programming goes and whether I brick it or not.

I'll be in DC next week so hope for mild weather

Cheers Nigel (G1HOI)

[Zack08]

I program my sabers with a 1GHZ PIII laptop (edit: but running true DOS, of course) and haven't bricked one yet. I'm not necessarily suggesting that you should try it, I'm just saying that its possible.

The sabers are usually very forgiving as far as programming mistakes are concerned. You can disconnect the programming cable during a write and then go back and force the codeplug back into it. (Dont try it, YMMV. I'm just sayin...)

[escomm]

My laptop does Sabers just fine it has a 1.5ghz processor...just needs dos from windows 98 or earlier

[escomm]

Honestly the only Motorola radio I've ever touched that abso-friggin-lutely required a slow computer was the R100 repeater. Can't think of anything else I've come across that didn't work. Pretty sure the biggest issue is FAT32 vs NTFS but I am guessing on that one

[wavetar]

Honestly the only Motorola radio I've ever touched that abso-friggin-lutely required a slow computer was the R100 repeater. Can't think of anything else I've come across that didn't work. Pretty sure the biggest issue is FAT32 vs NTFS but I am guessing on that one

I've never been able to get MCX1000 to work on anything faster than a 486 @ 33MHz. Mostar/Traxar & i20R controller also a no-go beyond that as well. Sabers I've done with a 1.7GHz Celeron based laptop with no issues...but a co-worker's 1.3GHz Pentium 'M' based machine would corrupt them everytime on the write cycle...would read with no issues. All in either pure DOS or Win98 'real DOS mode for games'.

[kf4sqb]

As with many other flavors of /\/\ software, which revision of Saber software you have determines what speed processor it will properly/safely run on. RVN-4002K, released November of '93, or anything later will work on a Pentium-class (or faster) system. Any version release prior to that will not work, and needs a slower computer, like a 386 or 286.

To find a slower laptop like that, try going to a computer shop that has been in business for many, many years. You may get lucky and find one with an older system gathering dust in a back room somewhere. Chances are, if they have one, they may give it to you.

[escomm]

Let me urge all members here to run far and fast from the POS Kawa cables. I had a saber cable and it corrupt every damn radio I wrote to. Error 1 D or 1 C or something like that. Did some reading here on the boards, turns out Kawa left out a pin or two. Went rummaging through the shop and actually found an OEM service cable (didn't even know I had it) and the radios magically came back to life.

[GlennD]

When I was first put into the screen room the programming computer was a pentium 100. This sorta works with Sabers. It would program but it would not transfer the tuning info properly.

I went into the junk room and found an old DEC 486-50. I now use this as my DOS programming computer. We have moved away from Sabers but it programmed and aligned them perfectly.

SLOW is better!

[KE7JFF]

Let me urge all members here to run far and fast from the POS Kawa cables. I had a saber cable and it corrupt every damn radio I wrote to. Error 1 D or 1 C or something like that. Did some reading here on the boards, turns out Kawa left out a pin or two. Went rummaging through the shop and actually found an OEM service cable (didn't even know I had it) and the radios magically came back to life.

Thats interesting as I have a ASTRO Saber RIB to Radio cable from KAWA and all the pins are there. It reads and writes to radios just fine.

As for a computer; my experience is that if the RSS was written for Pentium/586 CPUs in mind, you should have no problem to run it on a modern PC. Serial Port might be a problem; I've had good luck with the WinBond chips that are in 99% of most modern PCs out there.