Astro Saber 3 Zone/Channel Programming Question

[themedic66]

If my astro saber 3 is programmed for zone operation, is there any way that I could access a channel by pushing in a channel #, or would it have to be set for channel operation? Also, let's say that my AS3 is set for channel operation. If I am on Channel 43, my channel selector would only go to channels 43-59 right? In other words, how do you use the channel selector when the radio is programmed for channel operation?

Thanks


--------

Hello all!


I have ran the test again and this is the info that I get on my screen:

R 07.01.01
DSP I07.03.09
H04RDH9PW7AN
1 MEG
FLASHCODE 100004-000000-4

I have been told that there are different "firmware revisions" and "DSP", some older and some newer. From looking at the info about my radio, is my radio newer or older? Also I didn't see MDC Signalling or Digital ID Display(both features that I want) when I decoded my flashcode on radioreference. Does this mean that I can't have these features?

Thanks in advance!

[Jim2121]

better try this site: http://www.akardam.net/moto/docs/ by batuser akardam--radioreference is out of date I was told...

someone will get back to you...

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70688

[akardam]

R 07.01.01
DSP I07.03.09
H04RDH9PW7AN
1 MEG
FLASHCODE 100004-000000-4

I have been told that there are different "firmware revisions" and "DSP", some older and some newer. From looking at the info about my radio, is my radio newer or older? Also I didn't see MDC Signalling or Digital ID Display(both features that I want) when I decoded my flashcode on radioreference. Does this mean that I can't have these features?

The Host and DSP firmware listed are fairly new (I say fairly, in that the current newest Host is 07.71.00 and the current newest DSP is 08.03.03, so your firmware is a little out of date, but still usable as is) The DSP firmware indicates that the radio is capable of IMBE digital operation. This is corroborated by the flashcode, which shows the following options:

Q806 ASTRO Digital Operation
H37 SMARTNET Systems Operation

The flashcode does not include the H14 Enhanced Digital ID Display option.

As for MDC, if you're referring to basic features, such as MDC ID, that is generally a feature that is flashcode independant (e.g. all Astro Sabers do it).

[themedic66]

If my astro saber 3 is programmed for zone operation, is there any way that I could access a channel by pushing in a channel #, or would it have to be set for channel operation? Also, let's say that my AS3 is set for channel operation. If I am on Channel 43, my channel selector would only go to channels 43-59 right? In other words, how do you use the channel selector when the radio is programmed for channel operation?

Thanks

[themedic66]

Hello,

If my astro saber 3 is programmed for zone operation, is there any way that I could access a channel by pushing in a channel #, or would it have to be set for channel operation? Also, let's say that my AS3 is set for channel operation. If I am on Channel 43, my channel selector would only go to channels 43-59 right? In other words, how do you use the channel selector when the radio is programmed for channel operation? Here's another instance, I have channels 1-10 in zone 1 and 11-16 in zone 2 and then channels 17-33 in zone 4. Would I just be able to bypass the zones and press a button + the channel number?

Thanks in advance!!

[Tom in D.C.]

I don't think you can do "direct channel access/no zone"
operations on an Astro Saber 3 the way you can on a
standard Saber. If you change the label allocation on the
display menu to zero characters for the zone and all the
remaining characters for the channel you will get red flags
on all of the zone/channel assignments. It's been a while
since I did AS3 setups but in reviewing my old codeplugs I
can't find any way to do direct channel access without zones
being programmed.

[escomm]

Yes, you can access the direct channel number within each zone. You bring up the CHAN menu and then punch it in. My AS radios have buttons that stop at position 16 so it is essential to use the menu to access channels 17 and beyond

[Tom in D.C.]

Jeff,

I think what he wants to do is "channel only"
direct access (no zones) like on a standard Saber.
Of course he can't, because the zone structure
on an AS or XTS3 can't be defeated, at least as
far as I know.

Regards,

[escomm]

Tom,

You're right, I should have noted that the channels have to be assigned within that zone and the channel number will correspond to the channel placement within that zone. His only option to mimic the Saber operation would probably be just to lump every channel in a single zone.

[akardam]

If you want to make an Astro Saber (or a 3k, or a 5k, or any of the other modern Astro products) behave like a Saber with the channel operation only option selected, it's simple:

Lump all channels in the 1st zone.
Remove the ZONE menu item. Make sure you have the CHAN menu item.
Change the selection for the top rotary to something other than "Channel Select".

Of course, the options for the top rotary are somewhat limited (all my radios seem to only have Blank, Channel Select, or Zone Select), but the above would do it.

[Elroy Jetson]

My VHF AS3 is set up for zone operation, and one zone is the marine VHF channels...ALL OF THEM. (Sometimes I go boating.)

Every OTHER zone has no more than 16 channels but the marine zone has something like 50 channels in it.

To access beyond the 16th channel I have to use the CHAN menu and scroll to the desired channel using the arrow buttons.

When a channel is selected by the CHAN menu, be aware that it doesn't move the range of channels available by the rotarry channel knob. Turn it and it'll go back to one
of the first 16 channels. The one that's assigned to that position on the rotary selector.

In contrast, the M/A-Com Jaguar 7100IP has a similar way of getting to systems, groups, or channels above 16, but it changes the entire RANGE of available channels in
increments of 16 and then the rotary selector now works WITHIN THAT RANGE. Enter CHAN 17 and the rotary knob now functions for channels 17 thru 32.

I don't know if any firmware revision for Astros will do the same thing, but it's kind of a nice idea.


Elroy