Batboard

Hi....I am looking for a laptop that I can use to run Motorola RSS and program diffrent radios with....what is the best laptop i should look for? I know I need a floppy drive and at least one rs232 port, but is a pentium 2 okay? some say no, some say yes? 386?486? I dont know what to look for...thanks, David KD6RFS

Depends on the radios.

Older models require sloooooowwww computers or else they'll brick pretty easily.

Sabers (late 80's/early 90's vintage) were designed to work with the computers of the day: 286, 386, slow 486.

and it depends what the software version was designed for. Somewhere there was a software matrix floating around the board here for what RSS / CPS will run on what system base

...and it's even a "sticky" thread:

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=52894

If your going to be using any RSS i suggest you find a slow computer and stick with it, that way if you ever have a need to run something older your already set.

Stay below a 486/33Mhz, i have a AT&T laptop that is selectable between 33 and 50Mhz, everything i use will run at 33 but half of them crap out when running at 50Mhz. Ideally if you can find one go with a 386, but if you go 486 make sure its slow! And if it has options in the bios to turn off the cache then do so, it makes a difference on some older RSS.

The usual suggestion is to get something old like a 286 or 386, but around here i haven't seen one in years. A while back they did a big computer recycling drive and everything under a 486 dissapeared, most of the 486's went to the scrap pile as well but there is a few left. I had to dig deap on ebay to get the programming laptop that i use now.

I use a Dell Latitude CPX Laptop, running Windows 98SE. It is a Pentium 3, I think clocked at around 486, if not a little higher/lower. Works just fine programming my HT1000/Visar/MTS2000. I have also used it on MaxTracs (booted up in real DOS for those) Works just fine with CPS for the M1225/P1225/R1225, and the PRO-Series CPS stuff, but I use one of my XP machines for that.

I basically want to use it to program my D42KMA VHF, Dash Mount Spectra.....my JT1000 I can get the RSS to run on windows ME virtual, but my spectra I cant, and the only other PC I have is a XP machine.....for Spectra what is the best...thanks again...David

sorry, I mean D43KMA Spectra

Basically, it has so many features, its almost impossible to get everything right the first time, so then I have to keep bugging friends to let me come over and reprogram my radio....like when I did my ASTRO Saber, I had to go back and fix little things 3-4 times, I just feel like, If I want it done, I have to do it myself....so, basically, the PC laptop I need should be able to do spectra, radius mobile, jt1000/ht1000/visar...and who know what in the future, I dont think I will need to program anything older then a maxtrac, but who knows....

CLASSIC IBM 510CS LAPTOP IN WORKING CONDITION WITH ORIGINAL USER GUIDE AND SYSTEM DISKETTE

800MB MEMORY

20MB MEMORY

BLUE LIGHTNING 486 PROCESSOR@ 50 MHZ

EXTERNAL FLOPPY WITH CABLE

MULTI-ADAPTER FOR SERIAL PORT/VGA/EXTERNAL MOUSE

BATTERY(NO CHARGE)

WORKING POWER ADAPTER

DOS INSTALLED

WILL THIS LAPTOP WORK FOR DOING THE SPECTRAS? ITS AVAILABLE TODAY? IT RUNS AT 50MHZ PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I SHOULD BUY IT....THANKS DAVID

I use a ibm 390 for the r1225, maxtrac, and gm 300 without any problems.

David, I have a 510 series, and I'd shy away, here's why

(Evidently, you have not seen the computer "in person.")

First, this is what I'd call a compact computer, meaning that the keyboard is shrunk, and would take some getting used to

Second, the hard drive is buried inside, unlike most other Thinkpads, which means that if for some reason (as I do) you'd like to swap different hard drives in and out, you'd have to tear down the computer.

The worst thing is, that all of the ports you'd ever want to use have to be connected via a big clumsy external adaptor that fits to the rear of the machine on a huge, delicate connector. The PS/2, floppy connector, external monitor, and serial port are all on this, and there is NO parallel port. There are NO ports actually on the machine case. They are all on that adaptor.

There is no IR port for whatever that's worth. The PCMCIA slot only takes certain older types of cards, if that is a problem.

I could be wrong, but I'd think a Thinkpad 360 or 755 series would be a better choice. You must be careful with the THinkpads, because the suffix letters can completely change the charactor of the computer, for options, speed, etc. For example, a 360PE was the "PEN" option, and is bigger and more clumsy. Getting "PEN" drivers is next to impossible.

Other letter suffix's change wheter there is a CDROM, speed of the thing and other important options.


EDIT: I was incorrect, there IS a built in parallel port. Here is some pictures of the thing, the port adaptor thingie is shown in the pix just above the floppy

http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~ayase/tp/tp510cs.htm


I think you can see just how darn handy that is.

My programming laptop is a Toshiba T2200SX.. 286 64 Meg Ram..
Works on everything...