Batboard

Hey guyz, I got this 'spectra' and it's doing crazy things! Anyway when i first got it it worked fine for about maybe 45mins. then I get the 'fail code 01/90' serial BUS failure-may be crontrol haed-command baord-etc. So I waited for abut 15 mins and it worked fine[ps- I checked all the 'rear wire's connections etc] Then I turned it off [because I programmd 'ch1-ch2-ch3-etc.] So when I strated it back up and hit the 'home button 5 times] and went to the service mode, I went through the [ch1-etc] and just put the regular freqs into it instead off the ch1-...stuff] Turned it back on and it worked for hours 'no problem' i shut it down about 3am this morning and it worked fine again.[ I also have a scanner and when I was on this computer it sounded like just the scanner was working] So when I looked at the 'spectra-it had the FL 01/90 fail code I checked everything out again but I still get the code. The model is:DA5KM+067W it's a VHF one of those 45-50 watt jobs and it's just a mobile unit with everything thats 'hook's up in the back...any Idea's???? Strange thing's always happen to me! KA3OLA Mike

01/90 means you got problems with your control head. check all of your connections.

HLA wrote:01/90 means you got problems with your control head. check all of your connections.

It means the control head is not communicating with the radio. Could be the head, the radio, or the connection between them. Having power to the head (ignition sense) but not to the main radio power will often cause this, although it sounds in this case like it's probably something else.

I would imagine the old spectra leaky capacitors trick could cause it, there are 2 caps in the control head that will cause all sorts of problems when they leak.

you can do a forum search for something like "fail 01/90" and "spectra caps", you should be able to find quite a few discussions.

Trunk mount Spectras are prone to intermittently do this FAIL 01/90 thing when the green wire is not connected to the same source as the large red wire, especially if the alternate source is MotherMoto's nemesis, the fuse panel. It can also happen when the ground wire has a poor connection. Ask me how long it took my hair to grow back after troubleshooting one a few years back that had both. Refer here to the Homer Simpson "Doh!" and forehead smack.

The most common "01-90" cause I have found is in the power amp section of the 50 watt version. The now famous leaky cap syndrom strikes again in the 50 uf cap near the power/control connector. Leakage gets under a couple chip caps next to it. Those caps are on the 9.6 volt line and that leakage crap is conductive which causes low, or more likely, no 9.6 volts to operate the radios brains. Take a look there and if you find a dark stain around the area, you have probably found your problem.

LE