Astro Saber programming question

[Ronin1985]

Firstly i'm an absolute new kid on the whole radio business, so i hope you can see over some of the mistakes i will do.
I would like to know if it's possible to program an Astro Saber with the same kit(Cable,programming box, etc......) as with the one you can program the normal sabers, because i have seen one on ebay and a bloke i know can program sabers.

Thanks in advance
Thomas

[txshooter]

Same RIB, different cable and software. There is a adaptor that can be made to go in between the cable and rib that turns the cable into a Astro cable, but it is still a different software package.

[smokeybehr]

You can take an Analog Saber cable and make it usable for both by adding a SPDT switch and a couple of wires. Solder a wire from DB-25 Pin 6 to one side and Pin 8 to the other. Solder the wire going to Pin 6 of the radio connector to the center of the switch. The Pin 8 side is analog, and Pin 6 is Astro. For about $3 in parts, you can save having to buy another cable.

[alex4659]

You can take an Analog Saber cable and make it usable for both by adding a SPDT switch and a couple of wires. Solder a wire from DB-25 Pin 6 to one side and Pin 8 to the other. Solder the wire going to Pin 6 of the radio connector to the center of the switch. The Pin 8 side is analog, and Pin 6 is Astro. For about $3 in parts, you can save having to buy another cable.

hi i have a question about adding a SPDT switch... can you post a picture or illustration of what i looks like when finished? it does not have to be very detailed, just something to show me what it looks like

thanks,
Alex

[Tom in D.C.]

It looks like an Alco toggle switch (SPDT) mounted in the DB25 connector housing through a hole that you cut in the housing. Alco switches are very small and usually fit okay inside these types of connectors. You get these switches through electronics supply houses online; they're not usually found in electronics stores like Radio Shack. If you think you have a space problem then you could possibly use a small switch, still SPDT, but of the slide variety instead of the toggle type.

[alex4659]

It looks like an Alco toggle switch (SPDT) mounted in the DB25 connector housing through a hole that you cut in the housing. Alco switches are very small and usually fit okay inside these types of connectors. You get these switches through electronics supply houses online; they're not usually found in electronics stores like Radio Shack. If you think you have a space problem then you could possibly use a small switch, still SPDT, but of the slide variety instead of the toggle type.

oh... i see; thanks tom... one more thing, would a dremmel, (i think thats how you spell it) work for cutting the hole? if not what, would work the best?

[Tom in D.C.]

A Dremel would work okay. Drill a hole and then ream it out to the size of hole needed to get the switch through it. Check clearances carefully before you drill; you want to be back and away from the connector inside, and away from the center where the cable enters the plug assembly. I like to use a very small round file for plastic work like this.

[alex4659]

A Dremel would work okay. Drill a hole and then ream it out to the size of hole needed to get the switch through it. Check clearances carefully before you drill; you want to be back and away from the connector inside, and away from the center where the cable enters the plug assembly. I like to use a very small round file for plastic work like this.

ok thanks tom, and sorry for asking so many questions... as im new to this stuff and still have a lot to learn... well any way, what i was going to ask was is can i make a ribless cable for an astro saber from scratch using a ribless ht1000 cable or from a ribless cable for a maxtrac? i have both and i i have a plan for the radio plug so that is not a problem but other than that... is this possible tom

let me know the pin-outs for this so i can start on this project

thanks,
Alex

[Tom in D.C.]

No such thing as a true ribless cable for either kind of Saber, regular Saber of Astro Saber. Either you need a separate RIB inline OR the RIB is built into the cable. I don't know if what you have will work or not; someone else can answer that and hopefully will do so. RIB diagrams are at www.batlabs.com under Model Specific Information. You should probably read that section if you haven't already done so, as well as the Saber section at www.repeaterbuilder.com.