Batboard

I know RSSI isn't really a big thing, but I was just wondering something.

According to some websites, Motorola Spectra (non-astro) firmware 6.15 or greater supports the RSSI feature. My Radio is a 6.15. The Model Number is T83GXA7HA9AK.

Is there any reason why the RSSI wouldn't work? Is there an actual piece of hardware needed for RSSI or is it just firmware? Is it possible to bit bang it? (While searching, I haven't found where this bit is located).

I cannot select RSSI for the ANY of the A9 Control head buttons. In Service mode, under advanced adjustment, there is something called SMARTNET RSSI adjustment, and when I go to it, it says not supported by Radio firmware.

Does this mean because I don't have a smartnet-capable radio (according to my model number), that it won't do RSSI? But does having smartnet capability restrict you from having normal conventional channels?

Any ideas? I have searched the board and Google and most say that any radio with Firmware 6.15 or greater should have RSSI. My Band split is 146-174 if that helps. Any response is appreciated!

RSSI is usally found on 800 trunking spectras..

FireCpt809 wrote:RSSI is usally found on 800 trunking spectras..

Ok, so does this mean that RSSI is used for just telling you the quality of the Trunking Control Channel or what?

You need spectra lab RSS. Go into control head settings and there will be a way to set a button for RSSI. If you read then write the radio with regular RSS the RSSI feature will go away.

You do NOT need Spectra lab.
Read your radio FIRST, the Spectra RSS allows you to select one of the buttons on the control head as the RSSI, received signal strength indicator.

Press this button when receiving and it will indicate an number from 40 to 110 as a relative signal strength.

Ok, I went into the latest RSS (R06.00.05) and loaded it directly from the radio (did not load codeplug from harddrive). I tried the top buttons, the DTMF buttons of the A9 head, and even the DEK and I scrolled through all of the choices and no RSSI.

So then I used Lab (R05.03.00) and downloaded the Codeplug from the radio to the computer. This NOW let me select a button as RSSI. So I choose one of the top buttons on the A9 head as RSSI. Then I saved the LAB-codeplug to a separate file than the RSS-codeplug. I then used the RSS and loaded the LAB-codeplug into it. When I went to Control head, RSSI was there and it told me that it was viewable only and not changeable (just like the Rcl, Sel, Del buttons are on the A9 head).

Since I am not going to load a LAB-codeplug into the RSS and write to the radio, nor am i going to write the radio with the LAB, then I guess I am not going to use RSSI. It isn't a big deal, I kind of ran out of buttons anyways, but it was weird that only the LAB software let me see the RSSI option and let me save it to a codeplug.

Does the LAB-codeplug actually save more information than the RSS-Codeplug? That is why I don't want to load a LAB-codeplug into the RSS and upload it to the Radio. Is that a bad idea to do or what?

I am sure there are people here that have experimented with the Spectra countless numbers of times, so I was just curious on the subject at hand here.

Thanks for replies in advanced!

FireCpt809 wrote:RSSI is usally found on 800 trunking spectras..

Not necessarily. I've had 900 Privacy Plus Spectras that would do it too, and on conventional channels to boot.

I at one time had a UHF Spectra (D44KXA7JA5AK) that had RSSI display functionality, but I parted it out for an Astro Spectra conversion long ago so I don't have the MLM/controller board from it anymore. I'm pretty sure that the firmware version was 6.22, however. Either way, if LAB RSS will let you select it as a control head button, then go ahead and blow it into the radio.. you haven't really "hacked" the codeplug per se, just selected something that legit RSS won't let you select. Only when you get into things like serial number modification and MoFlag editing do you run the risk of the dreaded FAIL 01/90 loop.


edit: What might happen, however, is that the button will show up in RSS but won't actually do anything. That's usually a good indication that your MLM firmware won't support that particular feature.

To satisfy curiosity, I pulled out an old 800 C9 radio with Ver 5.23 firmware and tried it.
-Normal RSS won't allow selection of RSSI on any control head button.
-Lab RSS allows selection of RSSI on only the above-display buttons. You can't select it on any of the numeric keypad buttons.

When set to a control head button, it works as advertised.. shows "NO SAMPLE" on a quiet conventional channel and "RSSI xx" when it goes active.

motorola_otaku wrote:To satisfy curiosity, I pulled out an old 800 C9 radio with Ver 5.23 firmware and tried it.
-Normal RSS won't allow selection of RSSI on any control head button.
-Lab RSS allows selection of RSSI on only the above-display buttons. You can't select it on any of the numeric keypad buttons.

When set to a control head button, it works as advertised.. shows "NO SAMPLE" on a quiet conventional channel and "RSSI xx" when it goes active.

Ya, it did the same thing for me about the RSS and such not letting you do it, but I didn't try to upload it yet.

So it would be ok to read a code plug from the radio using LAB, then change a button to RSSI, then PROGRAM the Radio using LAB software? As long as I don't change anything else in the LAB software then i shouldn't mess anything up right?

linkinpark9812 wrote:So it would be ok to read a code plug from the radio using LAB, then change a button to RSSI, then PROGRAM the Radio using LAB software? As long as I don't change anything else in the LAB software then i shouldn't mess anything up right?

It's not a MTS2000. You're not going to get a FAIL 01/93.

Just save your codeplug before writing as a backup (good practice regardless) and program away.

motorola_otaku wrote:

linkinpark9812 wrote:So it would be ok to read a code plug from the radio using LAB, then change a button to RSSI, then PROGRAM the Radio using LAB software? As long as I don't change anything else in the LAB software then i shouldn't mess anything up right?

It's not a MTS2000. You're not going to get a FAIL 01/93.

Just save your codeplug before writing as a backup (good practice regardless) and program away.

O ya! I always backup all my stuff, not just my radio code plugs lol.

Out of curiosity, how prone is the Spectra to corrupt code plugs? Like if there is a fail during the uploading process, such as power loss. Does the Radio just stop working and as long as you have a good codeplug, will the RSS write it? I was just curious. I think i heard that the radio doesn't brick easily just because of a failed codeplug, but rather bit banging or forcing code plugs into a radio. Just curious on that or what others have experienced.

Thanks.

Out of curiosity, how prone is the Spectra to corrupt code plugs? Like if there is a fail during the uploading process, such as power loss. Does the Radio just stop working and as long as you have a good codeplug, will the RSS write it? I was just curious. I think i heard that the radio doesn't brick easily just because of a failed codeplug, but rather bit banging or forcing code plugs into a radio. Just curious on that or what others have experienced.

VERY prone. You can't blank and initialize a Spectra (like you can do to a MaxTrac). Depending on what gets corrupted during programming, the radio CAN get stuck in the dreaded FL 01/90 loop where it can not be recovered. That's when you start mixing the bag of cement...

Bob M.

Codeplug or otherwise, that firmware simply will not support the RSSI function. You may be able to program a button, but you will not get any results when you press the button, I know I've tried it. No dice on 6.14, worked on 6.15 and 6.16, 5.23 as well.

-Josh

kcbooboo wrote:

Out of curiosity, how prone is the Spectra to corrupt code plugs? Like if there is a fail during the uploading process, such as power loss. Does the Radio just stop working and as long as you have a good codeplug, will the RSS write it? I was just curious. I think i heard that the radio doesn't brick easily just because of a failed codeplug, but rather bit banging or forcing code plugs into a radio. Just curious on that or what others have experienced.

VERY prone. You can't blank and initialize a Spectra (like you can do to a MaxTrac). Depending on what gets corrupted during programming, the radio CAN get stuck in the dreaded FL 01/90 loop where it can not be recovered. That's when you start mixing the bag of cement...

Bob M.

I figured it was quite prone as there is no way to "redo" the EEPROM. I know that if you get that loop, you can recover from it sometimes.

Now this hasn't happened to me, but if you got in the dreaded loop and had no way to recover, would the worse thing be that you need to get a MLM board?

From what I read, you would take the bad one out, put the new one in, go into lab software, change the model number and serial number of the MLM EEPROM to match the original radio's, and everything should work right? Just curious! I hope it never happens!