Batboard

Hi,

I know that Motorola has stopped support for the Astro Saber but I was wondering if it was still possible to get Firmware and Flash updates for them?

When talking about the Firmware update I mean if you buy an Astro Saber with old firmware and want to update it the the last Host and DSP Firmware they released before they stopped supporting it would Motorola still do it or would I basically be out of luck and stuck with whatever Host and DSP Firmware was already in the radio.

Thanks

Dave

Yes you can. You need to contact your nearest Motorola Service Shop (MSS). They can order the software update and upgrade your radio. Look for the large shop that services most of the police departments in your area. They will typically drive service vans with the blue Motorola "service" marks.

Most of the smaller shops that deal in just the radius, CDM, etc lines do not or cannot upgrade the high tier stuff.

Expect to spend between $25-$75 or so for the upgrade.

FLASHport options can also be ordered anytime.

Pj wrote:Most of the smaller shops that deal in just the radius, CDM, etc lines do not or cannot upgrade the high tier stuff.

Not exactly true. They can, just don't know how or don't want to

Thanks for the replies guys I appreciate the information.

Dave

If the MSS does the upgrades, how do they record that the flash feature upgrades are legitimately purchased, as opposed to something that someone with Lab hacked in?

Not only does this matter when selling a radio, but I could see it being an issue if you try to send it into the Depot with a different flash than the radio's imprinted with.

They order an upgrade kit from Motorola, containing an iButton which in turn contains information on what upgrades you're entitled to, for how many radios. They can't add features via FLASHport without one of these.

Pj wrote:You need to contact your nearest Motorola Service Shop (MSS). They can order the software update and upgrade your radio.

Can I just order this software update myself through MOL, or does this have to go through a MSS?

mr.syntrx wrote:They order an upgrade kit from Motorola, containing an iButton which in turn contains information on what upgrades you're entitled to, for how many radios. They can't add features via FLASHport without one of these.

Right, but what I'm trying to ask is, how does someone looking at the radio distinguish between features that were added with the 'iButton' (awful name?), and features cloned in illicitly via Lab?

The average punter can't, but Motorola can.

You have to give them the serial numbers of all the radios you upgrade, when the iButton is ordered. They then have a record of every FLASHport option the radio is actually entitled to, which they can check if you send the radio to the depot.

They also use this information to load your radio with a new codeplug containing the proper options, if your radio goes back with a screwed codeplug, dead vocon or a similar fault.