Maxtrac - How many channels are too many? (HLN5172A)

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:32 am

I'm trying to max out the channels on a radio that has one of these logic boards in it.

How many is too many?

If I can get 32, then what should I select in the "board replacement" section?

Thanks!

EKLB · Post by **EKLB** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:29 am

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:36 am

It's a 42-50 MHz radio and has a removable EPROM. I noticed on Batlabs that the board is the same as the 9913 other than the 5 pin limitation.

Snip (from Batlabs)
HLN9313A Full Options and Signalling Capable, 16 Pin Accessory Connector, Expanded Board
HLN9123A Basic Limited Board, No Signalling, 5 Pin Accessory Connector, Limited Channels, Masked Board
HLN5173B Signalling Capable, 5 Pin Accessory Connector, No External EEPROM (Limited Channels), Expanded Board
HLN5172A Same as HLN9313A, Except 5 Pin Accessory Connector

I've put in a 5.34 chip and have only been able to get 16 channels. I did get it to take 32, but got all kinds of crazy channel displays.

Oh, well... I guess it's 15 channels

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:10 am

The 5172 can be blanked and reinitialized as a 32ch radio, but, you have to put in the 32 mode firmware, as mentioned by EKLB the HLN5569.

I've done a few of them now without problems. Did you replace the firmware? What did you select for radio type when you reinitialized?

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:16 am

I put in the 5.43 chip and have tried several different setups, each resulting with "Beep-Boooooop"...

Which setup should I choose?

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:36 am

Did you try initializing it as a Maxtrac 300, or Maxtrac High Sig?

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:37 am

Both...

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:48 am

Wow....

Bad firmware perhaps??

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:51 am

Maybe a bad board, 'cause the chip work fine in another radio...

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:53 am

Also, radio works fine as a 16 channel model.

When making it a 32 high-signal radio, I get 32 channels, but when scrolling through them, I get 1,2,3,4,5,6,17,19,32,65,8,9,32,6,32 and so on...

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:53 am

At this point i wouldn't rule out a bad board. I initialized a couple of them as Maxtrac 300.

EKLB · Post by **EKLB** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:23 pm

Wow i must have been stupid thinking above on my posting of the 5172 being a masked bd.

I was so sure that i just popped the cover off a 5172 bd and yes KB0nly is corect = it does have the removable prom.

My bad and i stand corected.

I cant say ive tried converting one of these to 16ch or more but it does have a 5 pin logic bd rather than the 16 pin logic bd found in 32 ch maxtracs.

EKLB

EKLB · Post by **EKLB** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:28 pm

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:19 pm

I tried for 2 months solid to make that hack work on a vhf.
expanded the memory, moved the jumpers, swapped the eproms, hacked the mdf. wouldn't take for me.
has anyone had success with a non-lowband 99 channel hack?

Post by **wavetar** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:56 pm

Zap wrote:I tried for 2 months solid to make that hack work on a vhf.
expanded the memory, moved the jumpers, swapped the eproms, hacked the mdf. wouldn't take for me.
has anyone had success with a non-lowband 99 channel hack?

Yes, I was going to ask the same thing. I had understood you could only initialize the unit as a low-band model with the 99-ch firmware...and hacking the bandsplits didn't allow it to work in other bands. Does someone know something else?

Todd

RADIOMAN2002 · Post by **RADIOMAN2002** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:52 pm

If you have the 5pin board with the removable prom, you can make it a 32chan or more by adding the memory chip that goes next to the removable eprom. I did many for my FD. They had 4 different versions of logic boards in one order of 40 radios. Go figure, Motorola. One thing though, with the 5 pin radio, you do have to go into the options screen( internal and external options for the back connector) and turn them all off, or you will get the beep/bonk tone. Now as far as the Canadian 99chan radio, has anybody verified what size EEprom is located next to the firmware prom. The holes look as though it can hold a larger EEprom.

EKLB · Post by **EKLB** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 7:30 pm

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 7:41 pm

RADIOMAN2002 wrote:If you have the 5pin board with the removable prom, you can make it a 32chan or more by adding the memory chip that goes next to the removable eprom. I did many for my FD. They had 4 different versions of logic boards in one order of 40 radios. Go figure, Motorola. One thing though, with the 5 pin radio, you do have to go into the options screen( internal and external options for the back connector) and turn them all off, or you will get the beep/bonk tone. Now as far as the Canadian 99chan radio, has anybody verified what size EEprom is located next to the firmware prom. The holes look as though it can hold a larger EEprom.

That's what i forgot to mention! I was going to ask if it had the memory EEprom next to the firmware Eprom. Some do, some don't.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:51 pm

Not usre about the memory. I'll have to look later as I'm cleaning up shop and seeling off a bunch of stuff.

I think I'm just going to keep a couple for HAM and get rid of everything else.

EKLB · Post by **EKLB** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:38 am