Spectra vs. Astro Specta? I Need your imput - Please

[wa8iqo]

Ok so my current Spectra project is about to be scraped as I’m frustrated with the whole RSS and DOS on an old computer thing.

My question... Does the Astro Spectra use RSS on an old DOS machine or can it be CPS on a new windows machine. If it’s CPS on a new machine I selling the Spectra to get a Astro Spectra. Also, will the Astro spectra work with my Spectra's system 9000 DEK's (Status/Message/Mode ect) or do they be come obsolete too?

Also, I newly licensed ham trying to get on the air and people (locally here in Mid-Michigan) are telling me to go with the Astro Spectra due to some sort of Narrow/Wide band change that’s coming up in the next few years by the FCC.

I went with the Spectra (off ebay) as they ere in my budget (about $100 or so each) but I’m tired of trying to get an old computer to run DOS and unzip the darn Spectra RSS just top program them so I can get on the air for the first time..

So If I have to ditch the VHF and the UHF Spectra to just get a VHF Astro Spectra that I can program from my modern day computer I'll do so because my patients have warn very, very, very, thin...

What do you think?

[KE7JFF]

I've programmed my Spectra with my modern PC in DOS without a problem. But the ASTRO Spectra does have CPS available for it.

There is no FCC mandate for the change to narrowbanding on the ham bands. Thats only for land mobile radio users.

[wa6jbd]

Ok so my current Spectra project is about to be scraped as I’m frustrated with the whole RSS and DOS on an old computer thing.

My question... Does the Astro Spectra use RSS on an old DOS machine or can it be CPS on a new windows machine. If it’s CPS on a new machine I selling the Spectra to get a Astro Spectra. Also, will the Astro spectra work with my Spectra's system 9000 DEK's (Status/Message/Mode ect) or do they be come obsolete too?

There is a Windows CPS version of software for the Astro Spectras.

Not sure about using the Spectra accessories. I belive no, but I could be wrong.

Also, I newly licensed ham trying to get on the air and people (locally here in Mid-Michigan) are telling me to go with the Astro Spectra due to some sort of Narrow/Wide band change that’s coming up in the next few years by the FCC.

The FCC mandated switch to narrow band does not apply to amateur radio. I've not heard of any amateur coordinating bodies urging a switch to narrow band, so your Spectra should work just fine unless you intend to use it outside the amateur band.

I went with the Spectra (off ebay) as they ere in my budget (about $100 or so each) but I’m tired of trying to get an old computer to run DOS and unzip the darn Spectra RSS just top program them so I can get on the air for the first time..

Have you asked for assistance if getting a DOS computer running? It's actually quite easy, computers capable of running the RSS are in abundance, and quite cheap. DOS is readily available, and so is information on how to configure things.

It seems to me to be a case of tossing the baby out with the bath water.

[Jim202]

The Spectra is about the most stable radio that has been available to the hams in many years. You really have
to work to do any damage to them both in the hardware or software side of things.

I Don't understand what the big fuss is by you over the computers and the RSS. Yes you need to run the computer
in pure DOS. Yes you need something in the order of a 600 MHz clock or less, give or take some. It is not that
big of a deal to get it working.

Yes you need a true RIB to interface the radio and the computer. Yes you need to obtain or make an interface
cable to match the radio you have. Yes you need to learn your way around the RSS to be able to get the
radio to do what you want it too.

You might find the Astro Spectra more of a challenge to get it programmed. I just spent a good part of the
morning yesterday to massage a VHF Astro into the operation I wanted on the 2 meter ham channels. There
are a number of confusing steps and hard to find single check boxes to locate to make the radio conform
to your desires of how you want it to function.

I have been playing and servicing radios for well over 45 years now and find the Spectra the most friendly
radio to deal with. On the Astro Spectra you have the ability to set the control head dim setting when it
powers up and to have it stay at that setting each time. You have the option to have the mic hangup clip
stop the scanning when you go off hook. You have to set up the scan list for each channel (mode) you
put in the radio (same as Spectra). You can set the different buttons on the control head to do
different things. You have to find the check box to make the del key work on a channel that is
making noise and you want to take it out of the scan sequence. The list just keeps going on.

The same control heads do not work between the different radios. You need an Astro head to work
with the Astro radio. A W7 head from a Spectra won't work on an Astro. You need the W7 Astro head.
You can use the same control cable though. The speakers and mics are the same.

The only major issue with the Spectra radios is changing out the capacitors in them. The small electrolytic
filter caps are at the age where they are all starting to leak. It takes some good soldering talent to be able
to remove and replace them. The early symtoms are a popping in the audio, distorted audio, strange
scan issues and the like. Once the caps are changed, the radio will work fine. Don't forget the control
head also has caps.

Hope this provides just a little insite into the differences between the 2 radios. I will take a regular Spectra
any day over the Astro. But given the Astro, I would use it also. If you take one of the 100 watt trunk
mount Spectra radios, put a W9 head on it, load a valid zone codeplug into it, you will have a radio that
will do at least 128 channels (modes). Have one in my truck that I use every day on the 2 meter ham
band. I have mine set up in zones, so as I travel around the country on trips, I can pull up the channels
for that area. Have them labeled for what area so it is easy to locate the zone I want.

Jim

Ok so my current Spectra project is about to be scraped as I’m frustrated with the whole RSS and DOS on an old computer thing.

My question... Does the Astro Spectra use RSS on an old DOS machine or can it be CPS on a new windows machine. If it’s CPS on a new machine I selling the Spectra to get a Astro Spectra. Also, will the Astro spectra work with my Spectra's system 9000 DEK's (Status/Message/Mode ect) or do they be come obsolete too?

Also, I newly licensed ham trying to get on the air and people (locally here in Mid-Michigan) are telling me to go with the Astro Spectra due to some sort of Narrow/Wide band change that’s coming up in the next few years by the FCC.

I went with the Spectra (off ebay) as they ere in my budget (about $100 or so each) but I’m tired of trying to get an old computer to run DOS and unzip the darn Spectra RSS just top program them so I can get on the air for the first time..

So If I have to ditch the VHF and the UHF Spectra to just get a VHF Astro Spectra that I can program from my modern day computer I'll do so because my patients have warn very, very, very, thin...

What do you think?

[wa8iqo]

All of my current problems are trying to get the DOS computer running. I can run my old MT1000 RSS from it as it runs from the disk. The Spectra RSS is on a ZIP-ed floppy. I can enter the "dir" command and see the files but that’s as far as I can get. Plus I don’t think my DOS machine is running form the hard drive as I have to have a boot disk to get it to go into DOS mode.

I’ve kind of at a stand still and can’t figure it out. I would like to find someone in the Mid Michigan area who could/would be interested mentoring me. I’ve asked around and no one in my area (Flint/Genesee County Michigan) knows anyone who use Motorola’s for HAM use according to the local clubs. I’ve been trying the online post and chat rooms but it’s not helping.

Its just frustrating not to have someone to turn too for help, and not being on the air yet my ability to be introduced to other HAM's is limited outside of the web.

[Batwings21]

You say you are booting to dos from a floppy. Why are you using a floppy? What operating system is on the pc you are using?

[N6LAU]

If you're having trouble getting you DOS machine to work or if you just aren't too familiar with DOS in general here is a an excellent website that might help enlighten you: http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm

Hope this helps.

[Jim202]

Real simple, the Spectra software doesn't like running in a Windows DOS control. Generally need a slow computer for it to work. Most of
the time you run into serial port issues. I have even run into some computers that booting directly into DOS still gives problems on the
Spectra software. Been playing with Spectra radios since they first came out. Most of the time the slow computer and the DOS software
play well in a pure DOS environment.

Many people have an old version of windows on some of these old computers and find it is easier to just boot from a floppy and use the
hard drive for the storage of all the files when trying to run these "OLD" Motorola radio software programs. But one thing to remember,
the hard drive must be in the FAT or FAT32 format and you have to use the DOS format of file names (only 8 characters long).

Jim

You say you are booting to dos from a floppy. Why are you using a floppy? What operating system is on the pc you are using?

[wa8iqo]

Figured out the problem. The computer didnt have full DOS installed on it. Got a new fresh install of 6.2.2 of ebay it all is well now.