CDM1550LS+ Failure

-Adam · Post by **-Adam** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:43 pm

I have a used (ebay) CDM1550LS+ with a remote kit which was said to have been a desktop unit and it arrived in great shape. It was programmed without any problems and operated fine. During a subsequent field program the radio did not reboot after sending the codeplug and after a very long wait I was forced to terminate the program. It powered back on and seemed to be OK. Radio was powered off and I returned to the car several hours later to find the radio itself overheating. I quickly pulled the power. After letting it cool down I plugged it back in but it failed to power on. It would make intermittant click sounds from the speaker. I tried to troubleshoot but at the time wasn't too educated on moto and did so with the power plugged in. I had disconnected the ribbon from the radio and radio end remote plate and reconnected it with power to the radio but radio was "off" causing a pop sound from the speaker. Off to depot with it! Now back from the depot my question is: Should I replace the remote kit and control head before testing the radio in the car? Could they have been damaged to the point they would re-brick the radio?

-Adam · Post by **-Adam** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:56 pm

*bump*

HLA · Post by **HLA** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:17 pm

the only bad thing that i've heard about the remote kits is not to program the radio using it, put the head back on the radio to re program the radio. what did the depot write down as the problem and what did they do to fix the radio?

giguchan · Post by **giguchan** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:56 pm

i'm interested in this one too..
i have not heard anything bad about programming the radio via the mic connector. do tell?
I have my cdm twins remotely mounted and thats how i always progeam them. The 2nd half is mounted in the rear of the vehicle(chevy frailblazer) in the sunken section in the rear of the cargo area with lotsa crap on top, So i thought it was best to do it from the Mic connector. too much gargabe to move everytime i want to do some programming.
I hope that i am not causing any problems.

-Adam · Post by **-Adam** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:04 pm

I don't have the paperwork off hand but I seem to remember they replaced the controll board. I can look for it if you need more information.

HLA · Post by **HLA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:01 pm

motorola put out a release note a while ago that states to put the head back on the radio to program it or to program it from the rear connector.

giguchan · Post by **giguchan** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:16 am

Did they?
oh brother..... thats such a P I T A.... but of they say so then so beit... they know more than i!
thanks for letting us know.
Gig

-Adam · Post by **-Adam** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:55 am

I could just be imagining it but when I connect the radio to power again it seems to start to get a little warm. Then again, this may be normal since, as I understand it, they are always on and mearly 'sleep' when they're not on.

giguchan · Post by **giguchan** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:01 pm

I think i heard something like that.... well the actual radio is in the rear of the vehicle i was always curious about just how hot then will get during a normal "QSO".I think i will unload all the crap i have in the back start a conversation and see how hot they really get hopefully not hot at all... my old school maxtrac's used to get very hot....

-Adam · Post by **-Adam** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:12 pm

So from what everyone says it sounds like it'd be safe to reconnect the radio to the existing remote kit, right? Just making sure to program it at the radio itself?

And thank you for the input! I'm nervous after that flat rate bill...

giguchan · Post by **giguchan** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:47 pm

well for me... i can tell you that it would be a R P I T A to connect the head to the radio everytime i had to do some progamming.I have not had any issues so far... just using the same cable i used to program
my maxtrac's so far i have not had any problems..
Gig

Post by **HumHead** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:02 pm

Remote programming of the CDMs is one of those "it usually works" things. You'll be OK 99.8% of the time, but once in a while...

I did a lot of remote CDM programming without any problems. Then, one day, I got the dreared "EEPROM CS ERROR". Not good.

You do not necessarily need to put the head back on the radio. You can also program through the rear accessory connector on the chasis. You can use the RLN4853 adapter with a regular mic jack cable. Alternatively, you could just install an appropriate female modular type jack on a short pigtail to your existing accessory connector, and just leave it there permanently. Safe no muss / no fuss programming without having to relocate the head.

Even if you decide to live a little and program through the mic jack, firmware upgrades MUST be done through the rear accessory connector.

giguchan · Post by **giguchan** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:59 pm

THAT makes sense.. about the firmware...i mean granted it it's more than just programming it's the firmware.. that i would do the proper way. Thanks.
"EPROM CS ERROR"
Ok i'll bite... it does not sound good either.. what did you have to do to fix it? what did it do to the radio? brick? boat anchor? Door stop?
i used to have the cable(rear connector) that my local shop ordered me from moto, but i think i traded it for something else, because i was using the Mic cable and i have never had a reason to update the firmware anyhow...
if it's a good idea to update the firmware then perhaps i might RE order one of those cables... actually IAM thinking of ordering from MOTO a ribless cable for my cdm's and my ht1550's AARKN4081A And RKN4075A i just might get me one of those rln4853
thanks

-Adam · Post by **-Adam** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:54 pm

I have an extra control head that I can pop onto the radio when I need to reprogram it and it's mounted in a way that I can easily pull it from the mount and do so.

Hopfully there was no damage done to the remote kit that would rebrick the radio with just normal use.

Andreas · Post by **Andreas** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:38 am

It´s easy to fix the checksum error with the modified ENVN4019A upgradetool and a lab codeplug (in S-Record format).You can get the lab codeplug from the internal RAM of the PC,when you upgrade such a radio.

Andreas

-Adam · Post by **-Adam** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 4:42 pm

The radio rebricked (I think)

Operated fine for several days. I remember the first time it bricked I noticed an alternator whine from the dash area. When the radio failed to power back on this time I again noticed the whine which immediately stopped once I pulled power from the radio.