Batboard

yardbirdjr wrote:Hello All!

Quick question?

I have several Syntor X-9000 radios that I am trying to program.

I have the latest software version, but everytime I try and read the radio I keep getting a serial bus error and time out error. I keep getting the same message for both the radio and control head.

I have opened the radio, and the red led on the main board is lighted. I have checked and all eeproms are still in tact and the radio looks almost new.

I tried to read my good working Syntor X-9000 with the same computer and software and I keep getting the same error message. I thought maybe I got stuck with a bunch of junk, since they came from state surplus.

I am just wandering if I need to back down and use a slower computer. I was using a computer that is running windows 98 and a computer that is running straight DOS. I think the computer that is running DOS has a Pentium Processor.

The last time I had one programmed I took it to the local Highway Patol Radio shop and they had no problems getting it programmed.

Any help would greatly be appreciated

Thanks

David

Jim202 wrote:Playing with the Syntor X9000 can become very frustrating. Been there and done that. There is a neat little program
out on the Internet for the finding called "cacheoff.com" and works wonders. What it does is shut off the cache
operation in your computer. Some computers need it and others don't. It's kind of a roll of the dice to say that
you need to run it or not. It won't hurt to obtain it and try running it before you try to start up the "RDPROG.EXE"
or the "CHPRPG.EXE" programs to work the software in the X9000 radios.

I will tell you that there is a version of the X9000 software floating around out there that doesn't work. It will be
labeled as 256 channel software. You will probably end up with this version along the way. There is another
version that may be called the 128 channel software. This should do anything that your trying to do.

The 256 channel software DOES work, it requires W930AASP03 firmware. You WILL NOT be able to use it for higher modes without defaulting to mode names for the control head. It requires 8k eproms.

The 128 channel software ALSO requires different firmware, in this case W930AA (NO SP) which will give you 128 channels in the scan list.

Once you install the new firmware, you MUST create a new codeplug from scratch after reading the radio, the codeplug size is slightly different with this version and the scan mapping is a little different. The 256 channel software will also scan 128 channels with either firmware.

Another problem that may crop up is if the radios had the siren package attached to them. If this is the case,
then you will need to obtain one of the siren packages, connect it up and then get into the software to shut
it off. Another way around the problem is to replace the EEPROM in the radio with a blank one and then tell
the radio software to create a new codeplug.

JUST READ THE RADIO AND ON THE FIRST SCREEN TURN OFF THE SIREN OPTION, NO SIREN PACKAGE NEEDED.

Originally these radios could only have 32 channels in them. If you change out the EEPROM with the larger one
as a couple of the web sites will inform you, then you can have a ton of channels. I currently have 163
operating channels in my radio. The down side to this is that you only get the first 64 channels available to
you in the scan lists.

Depending on which control head you have, you may or may not have to change the EEPROM in it to be able
to get over the original 32 channel ability. The 1073 heads don't need any work. The 1032 heads need the
EEPROM changed. The 1063 head will work fine with the larger channel count.

A default control head with 8k eprom is the HCN1036.

On the computer selection, if you don't go out and purchase the moslo pro for $29 on the Internet, you need
to stay down at the bottom end for speed. This radio likes slow computers. I mean real slow. Like a 25 MHz
clock or slower. Even one that can run slower is better. With that said, I have used the moslo pro on my
1.3 GHz clock laptop. But it does burp and give me an error about every 4th or 5th time in trying to write to
the radio or control head. I just tell it to program again and it will take it.

I am still looking for another low band Syntor X9000 if anyone has one they want to get rid of at a reasonable
price. They can be obtained off of Ebay now and then for between $30 for just the radio to about $100 for
a complete package with the control group.

Jim

Mike B wrote:There is no problem un-programming an X9k Siren/PA without the actual hardware. The radio just gives an error when you power it up, then you reprogram the radio and control head. A Spectra programmed with Securenet usually requires installed encryption hardware to un-program the encryption option.

The HCN1032 head will not work at all with a conventional X9k. It only works with the 800 MHz trunking X9k which is really an older trunking X drawer with the new HCN1032 head. Don't confuse the trunking X9k with the trunking X9kE. However, a complete HCN1032 comes with the 8k EEPROM, which can be moved to any other head like the HCN1033 or later Dual In-line Package (DIP) based heads. The HCN1032 is a good parts donor head.

http://www.onfreq.com/syntorx/syntorx/t ... ml#hcn1032
http://www.onfreq.com/syntorx/syntorx9k ... l#add_info

It is the Astro Spectra W9 head that requires changing the firmware to convert it to an A9 head.

The HCN1062 is stuck with a soldered in surface mount 2k EEPROM and therefore stuck with 32 modes. Still, the head will display a mode number beyond mode 32, so it kind of works in an inconvenient fashion past mode 32.

Here is some X9k programming info:

http://www.onfreq.com/syntorx/syntorx9k ... #pgq_cfast
http://www.onfreq.com/syntorx/syntorx9k/progx9.html