Batboard

Does anyone know what the part number is for the connector which attaches to the Saber II .I would like to build the cable which is diagrammed here on BATLABS.
Thanks

JD: You don't want to work inside that connector trying to connect wires to those lousy gold pins, believe me. Get a connector with wires already attached. The going price for a complete RIB-to-radio cable with the Saber connector on one end and the DB25 on the other is between $50 and $75 which is outrageous but it really makes your life a lot simpler.

Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.

Do you have an address where I could purchase a connector and cable? If they are made after market, there is a connector available somewhere besides Mot.
Thanks

JD, this place has a saber "radio to pc" cable. but I don't know if you want to spend $125. for it? What's "Mot's" price?
http://www.air-comm.com/index.html
Anyway I sent two people to the above place. and they now have working cables! Sorry I can't find a saber mic! Maybe someone else will post a better deal? good luck....

Hi:

Sorry to report, but Motorola does NOT
supply " Any " of the individule parts
in the Saber Connector Shell.

Even if you purchase the whole cable, depending on which one you purchase may
or may not have all the pins in the connector
shell.

If you desire, I do make " Premium " grade
Clones for 85.00+ 8.00 for Pirority Mail
Shipping and handling, or I can supply the
Connector head with the Pins already in place
for 50.00+ shipping.

Due to the Nature ( and difficulty ) in
soldering to these contacts, I would NOT
be able to warranttee Just the Connector.

You would be " On your own " in that case.

I do have a few left.

Monty

JD, I would go with Monty's deal! The man has done some good work for a friend of mine! See! were up all nite workin on radio-projects! or we can't sleep? later Ed

Hi:

Do you really wish to deal
with these contacts?

A poorly made cable can / sometimes can
corrupt a radio, but if you have good
constuction ( and soldering ) skills, you
can make one, but dealing with these contacts
can be tough.

<img src="http://www2.4dcomm.com/metrotech/sab_mic.jpg">

Monty

JD: Polaris has Saber programming cables on sale this month for $59.95. 1-800-752-3571.
Their ad is in MRT for December and you have to mention the ad to get this price. This is the best price I've seen for this cable.

Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.

Thanks everyone for the help. I will check out the options. I found out Mot. wants around $250.00 for their cable.Must contain alot of gold in !!!
Again, thanks to everyone.
Happy Holidays

Here is the Link to the cable that "TOM in DC" was referring to. Looks like Polaris has manufactured their own as I have not seen one of this type before.

http://www.polarisradio.com/cgi-bin/vie ... late_id=24

And like Monty said, reworking one of these Saber accessory connectors is very challenging. I was lucky and happened to find a Saber Mic cable (with the necessary gold pins...this is important) minus the mic head at a Hamfest and was able to fabricate my own programming cable. Just getting the connector head back together without pinching the wiring was a task.

Good Luck !

Eddie

Hi:

I took a look at the polaris style Saber
Connector....I would strongly urge caution
on a Program Connector that one has to
" Adjust " the Pins to alighn with the contacts on the radio.

Also, having the radio " Powered Up" while
attaching the contacts is not a good idea.

One reason Saber Radios become Corrupt is due
to " intermittent " contacts on the Programming Connector while in the Write
Process.
================================
They Quote:
STEP-3

Use the arm bar brace of the Model 17 cable to adjust the contact pins so that they align with the contacts on the radio.
=================================

Why should one have to " Adjust" Pins?

Anyhow, I would get a Known good factory Cable, or a suitable clone that uses the
proper connector.

MS

On 2001-12-17 11:59, msisco9939@aol.com wrote:
Hi:

I took a look at the polaris style Saber
Connector....I would strongly urge caution
on a Program Connector that one has to
" Adjust " the Pins to alighn with the contacts on the radio.

I don't think they are talking about individual pins on the connector, I think they are telling you to take your time to properly line up the connector body with the radio socket. You know as well as I do that it's easy to screw a Saber accessory cable on crooked if you are in a hurry and not careful, even with the Motorola factory connector.

Also, having the radio " Powered Up" while
attaching the contacts is not a good idea.

That's why Step-1 says "Make sure the power is turned off."

--z

Hi:

Some of my complaints with polaris
industries are as follows:

1. They will NOT sell replacement Parts.

( Only way you can get a Polaris Fixed is
by returning it to the factory for a Flat
Rate Repair ! ) period.

2. They will NOT supply any support diagrams
such as a schmatic or a parts list.

( Although Motorola Ribs are a little more
expensive, at least they supply a Schmatic,and a Parts list for both the Series
" B "and " E " Models.

3. The Cost of a Flat Rate Repair many times
is the same for the Price of a New One.

4. The older Series Polaris Ribs tend to
fail pretty often.

4a. Only their High-End Model supports both
battery and Aux power support, and if one
has a low battery or a intermittent DC connection you could be in trouble.

5. If this should happen during the Write process of a High-End Motorola Radio such
as a Spectra, Astro, Saber lll, MTS2000, one
could be out 200.00-300.00 for a Code Plug
restoration.

All in all, its truly not worth the Risk in less the company can back the product with
a least something other than a policy and
return receipt for a flat rate repair.

Have Questions? Try and call the customer
service department. Only thing they will
gurantee is the price being offered or their policies. If you don't like it, buy elswhere. ( period ) If you
radio blows up or if you have a problem, its
your problem to deal with.

Its only due to the horrible amount of horror
stories that i mention this. I am sure if you are a very good service tech, one can avoid all the Atipical short comminmgs of Clone style ribs, but with these newer radios, heck its tough enough risk just to program them.

MS

The best way to go is pick up a hirose connector and open it up pull out all the pins and rewire it up. You can pick them up for a few $ on ebay or email me and i can them for you for $55.00 used & 65.00 new.

I would opt for the Monte version, as I can atest to his excelent craftmanship and his dedication to his work. And Monte stands behind all his work.
His prices are very reasonable in todays shop rates.

Here's an entirely differnt approach...
I recently saw a few Astro Saber Programming cables on ebay for decent $$, and with a simple kit from radio shack. You take that $5 or $10 kit which is simply a db25 male which plugs onto your astro cable and the other end plugs into the rib box. This same metod is how people usually make the standars saber cable work with an astro saber radio.
Just look @ the pinouts for the saber and for the astro. If my memory is correct, there is only one wire difference and just think about it, would you rather now have a cable that can do astros and standard sabers and at least if you sell the cable in the future, you have a real motorola cable to sell which people will pay $$ for, not some home brew.

I am in NO way condemming MOntys cables or workmanship as I have never dealt with him, just wanted to tell you all about another method that I used a long time ago.

Thanks for the link Astro_saber, Monty is the man to work with when it comes to cables. He is a assest to this board. I guess it is time to add the switch for programming the Saber I,II,III or Astro. I can only see a difference on the busy line pin 8 for system sabers and busy line pin 6 for Astro.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: radiokaos on 2001-12-30 14:46 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: radiokaos on 2001-12-30 14:48 ]</font>