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spectra error code 81

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 12:21 pm
by kg4pzj
ok here we go !! i have a spectra trunk unit fresh off ebay now i know why !! when reading the radio I get error 81 cannot access ext security housing message on my rss also on power up i get codes 28/10 and 29/10 the model # is TA9GX+079W T84GXA7HA9AK S/N 671AVS5092 UHF my manuals doesnt cover these so please help !!

Re: spectra error code 81

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 12:43 pm
by kc7gr
kg4pzj wrote:ok here we go !! i have a spectra trunk unit fresh off ebay now i know why !! when reading the radio I get error 81 cannot access ext security housing message on my rss also on power up i get codes 28/10 and 29/10 the model # is TA9GX+079W T84GXA7HA9AK S/N 671AVS5092 UHF my manuals doesnt cover these so please help !!
There are, to the best of my knowledge, two ways to attack this problem.

(1) Get hold of an external security housing. Period. Without one, the radio will not, in its current state, permit the codeplug read or program cycle to complete.

(2) Replace the MLM. The bad news is it'll run you about $225 to do so. The good news is that you get the latest/greatest firmware version.

I know I said earlier to remove and blank the EEPROM. As another user reminded me, that won't work because newly-minted MLMs have a tiny amount of factory-programmed code in them that allows the radio to boot and program. I'm getting ready to investigate the nature of this code, but don't have the data just yet.

Outside of that, you're pretty much stuck. The other thing I would mention is that, based on the fact that your radio is even looking for an external security unit, it is very likely to be on the UHF Range 1 split (government band), and as such is pretty much useless for hamateur purposes (unless, of course, Will cares to share with the rest of the forum just how he's managed to convert them to Range 2 without major surgery).


Happy tweaking.

Re: spectra error code 81

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:30 pm
by Jim202
That unit probably had a SIU (Serial Interface Unit) attached to it during the original life of the radio. Proabably also the second radio connected was a VHF. The security unit was connected between the radio and the SIU. Then there was the A3 HHCH (hand held control head) that rounded out the package.

If you managed to obtain the SIU and the HHCH, your almost there to getting the radio to function. If you don't have all the pieces, good luck in trying to bring that radio to life.

I have taken about half a dozzen of these dual radio packages and made them into plain VHF trunk mounts using the SIU. It takes remaking the cable that goes between the radio and the SIU.

The SIU is prone to going bad and won't power up the radio. Found the cause and it's a simple cut one pin loose from one of the surface mount IC packages. Have had to do it to several units.

Jim


kc7gr wrote:
kg4pzj wrote:ok here we go !! i have a spectra trunk unit fresh off ebay now i know why !! when reading the radio I get error 81 cannot access ext security housing message on my rss also on power up i get codes 28/10 and 29/10 the model # is TA9GX+079W T84GXA7HA9AK S/N 671AVS5092 UHF my manuals doesnt cover these so please help !!