I am new to this board and have searched but cannot find out how to start a computer in dos only. I know it is critical when programming radios. I can program most radios but computers I am competent not great, at work our computers are either dos only our windows only depending on what needs to be programmed. I have a Compaq 1247 laptop with a 400mhz AMD K6 processor with 160 mb of memory. I have Dos ver 4.0 if I read to screen right. I tried restarting and pushing F8 to go to Dos and I have a choice of Safe Mode or Command Prompt and I get the same results. The problem is when I try to read from a Maxtrac (with Version 7.02) or a HT1000 (with Version 3.03) I get com port error and it lists obvious things such as radio is not powered up or rib is not powered up, or cable problems. Also, I should note that I am using original Motorola SmartRib, and original Motorola Cables, I can program them using the computer at work so I assume it is a computer problem. I have heard of disabling the cache, what is that and how do you do it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Stuck in a Rut,
Firemedic8104
dos problem
Moderator: Queue Moderator
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fire-medic8104
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2002 8:06 pm
HI:
This really has been covered over and over, so
U might want to [ Search ] some of the batboard
mesaages.
1. PLEASE consider a Dedicated 386-486-25 Series
Computer if you plan to do programming on Maxtracs.
The Factory RSS Manual is pretty clear on this issue.
In short, Maxtracs were designed in a time period
when pentiums did not exsist, so trying to run older
Motorola programs on a Pentium can be risky !
Trying Mo'slo, Disabling the External Cache / Internal
Cache, or other setups could disable the Computer,
and perhaps the radio as well.
Pro's on this board already know [ How To ] get around
these problems from time to time, but may not offer to
fix your radio if [ you ] should make a misstake.
You could corrupt the radios code plug...Reason I mention
it, is that I restore alot of them.
2. The Smart Rib ( although is more advanced ) is a bit
of a overkill for the Maxtracs, but IS MORE than ample to
program them.
2a If you should have a Standard 4008B Series Rib box, use
that, and protect your Smart Rib (For sure ! )
3. Just make sure you have it powered up, and if you have
the Battery Pack, use that too !
4. You may find it impossible to program your Maxtraxc with
a Pentium 400, but you can give it a try by [ Restarting ] your
computer in DOS ( If its a option ), but be forwarned, it still
may not work.
Again, FORGET !! using a DOS while your Computer is Operating
in Windows.
4a>Compaqs also have not been very reliable as a Stable
Program Platform from my experience.
If it does, try [ Reading ] the radio several times..If it will read the
radio, it should be able to write to it.
If not, get a Older Series Computer, Install DOS 6.22, Install
the Maxtrac SW into it own directory , and you should then have
no futher problems.
PS: ANY DOS OS under 6.22, throw it away. I have tried DOS 5.0
and lower, and they are useless, and have problems.
Monty
This really has been covered over and over, so
U might want to [ Search ] some of the batboard
mesaages.
1. PLEASE consider a Dedicated 386-486-25 Series
Computer if you plan to do programming on Maxtracs.
The Factory RSS Manual is pretty clear on this issue.
In short, Maxtracs were designed in a time period
when pentiums did not exsist, so trying to run older
Motorola programs on a Pentium can be risky !
Trying Mo'slo, Disabling the External Cache / Internal
Cache, or other setups could disable the Computer,
and perhaps the radio as well.
Pro's on this board already know [ How To ] get around
these problems from time to time, but may not offer to
fix your radio if [ you ] should make a misstake.
You could corrupt the radios code plug...Reason I mention
it, is that I restore alot of them.
2. The Smart Rib ( although is more advanced ) is a bit
of a overkill for the Maxtracs, but IS MORE than ample to
program them.
2a If you should have a Standard 4008B Series Rib box, use
that, and protect your Smart Rib (For sure ! )
3. Just make sure you have it powered up, and if you have
the Battery Pack, use that too !
4. You may find it impossible to program your Maxtraxc with
a Pentium 400, but you can give it a try by [ Restarting ] your
computer in DOS ( If its a option ), but be forwarned, it still
may not work.
Again, FORGET !! using a DOS while your Computer is Operating
in Windows.
4a>Compaqs also have not been very reliable as a Stable
Program Platform from my experience.
If it does, try [ Reading ] the radio several times..If it will read the
radio, it should be able to write to it.
If not, get a Older Series Computer, Install DOS 6.22, Install
the Maxtrac SW into it own directory , and you should then have
no futher problems.
PS: ANY DOS OS under 6.22, throw it away. I have tried DOS 5.0
and lower, and they are useless, and have problems.
Monty
If Windows is the only OS on your machine (which sounds like the case), dropping down to DOS either on start-up or exit won't do the trick, since Windows is not using true (or "native") DOS, but rather a DOS emulation.
You have to do one of two things:
Either get a separate machine and load DOS as the only OS on the machine, or
Install a program called "System Commander" and then create both DOS (true DOS, either MS DOS 6.22 or IBM DOS 7.0) and Windows. System Commander takes control of the machine before boot and gives you a start-up menu for choosing the OS that the machine will boot to. Installation is not quite as simple as the advertising suggests, and it might be something that you'd want to have a qualified computer guy do for you, but once installed, System Commander works quite well.
There are two reasons for using an older machine, say 486 at 25 or 33 MHz: one is the issue of bus speed that others have talked about; the other is that some of the newer machines, which assume that only Windows will be run, do not have the full 16550 UART chipset on board. The UART controls serial communications, and is critical to programming radios (or other off-board devices).
Most serious programmers have a couple of older machines and a box of spare batteries, CMOS batteries, and other parts, and they carefully nuture the machines as they age.
You have to do one of two things:
Either get a separate machine and load DOS as the only OS on the machine, or
Install a program called "System Commander" and then create both DOS (true DOS, either MS DOS 6.22 or IBM DOS 7.0) and Windows. System Commander takes control of the machine before boot and gives you a start-up menu for choosing the OS that the machine will boot to. Installation is not quite as simple as the advertising suggests, and it might be something that you'd want to have a qualified computer guy do for you, but once installed, System Commander works quite well.
There are two reasons for using an older machine, say 486 at 25 or 33 MHz: one is the issue of bus speed that others have talked about; the other is that some of the newer machines, which assume that only Windows will be run, do not have the full 16550 UART chipset on board. The UART controls serial communications, and is critical to programming radios (or other off-board devices).
Most serious programmers have a couple of older machines and a box of spare batteries, CMOS batteries, and other parts, and they carefully nuture the machines as they age.
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mts2000des2
- No Longer Registered
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2002 4:00 pm
Can't stress enough how using a vintage 386/486 is critical for running RSS for radios like Maxtrac, MT1000, Sabers, Spectra, Syntor X 9000, STX, etc...
Motorola always recommends using an "IBM PC/PS/2 or complete compatible". I use a PS/2 model 56 (486-SLC2 at 50MHz) and also have an older PS/2 Model 55 (386/16MHz) and have NEVER had any issues reading/writing to any of the older radios, even with newer radios like Jedi's and GM300/GP350's. You just can't beat what the factory calls for- and one of those factory ribs ensures it too. Sometimes nothing but a factory cable will do.
I had a Saber SI that would fail 01/92 upon writing...turned out the poorly built clone cable had a pin that was contacting another, and would short out and then damaged the radio. If you plan to do this for your department, it would be wise to get a factory RIB, and an old 386 or 486, make sure it has at LEAST 4MB or more of RAM for running newer RSS like MTSX, MCS, Astro, etc. And only MS-DOS is MS-DOS: Win9X booted to a DOS prompt isn't DOS, nor is running in a DOS window. Windows still takes control of serial ports.
Look around and the majority of folks with corrupted codeplugs and dead radios after programming usually have a)-too fast a PC with a NON-DOS OS, b)-poorly built programming cables c)-poor clone RIB setup or a combination of all three.
Motorola always recommends using an "IBM PC/PS/2 or complete compatible". I use a PS/2 model 56 (486-SLC2 at 50MHz) and also have an older PS/2 Model 55 (386/16MHz) and have NEVER had any issues reading/writing to any of the older radios, even with newer radios like Jedi's and GM300/GP350's. You just can't beat what the factory calls for- and one of those factory ribs ensures it too. Sometimes nothing but a factory cable will do.
I had a Saber SI that would fail 01/92 upon writing...turned out the poorly built clone cable had a pin that was contacting another, and would short out and then damaged the radio. If you plan to do this for your department, it would be wise to get a factory RIB, and an old 386 or 486, make sure it has at LEAST 4MB or more of RAM for running newer RSS like MTSX, MCS, Astro, etc. And only MS-DOS is MS-DOS: Win9X booted to a DOS prompt isn't DOS, nor is running in a DOS window. Windows still takes control of serial ports.
Look around and the majority of folks with corrupted codeplugs and dead radios after programming usually have a)-too fast a PC with a NON-DOS OS, b)-poorly built programming cables c)-poor clone RIB setup or a combination of all three.
Verizon Wireless...join in for America's largest and most reliable wireless network, call 1-800-2JOIN-IN today. We never stop working for you.
Well, if your RSS is small, like the Maxtrac, and it can fit on a floppy, do what I did, originally.
Format a disk with just DOS 6.22 on it (http://www.bootdisk.com can help here).
Then, just boot off that floppy, and you get a pure DOS command. Then stick in your RSS disk, and away you go.
Ask Hetrodyne, this is how he does it.
Mike
Format a disk with just DOS 6.22 on it (http://www.bootdisk.com can help here).
Then, just boot off that floppy, and you get a pure DOS command. Then stick in your RSS disk, and away you go.
Ask Hetrodyne, this is how he does it.
Mike
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fire-medic8104
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2002 8:06 pm
Appreciate all the help. I have found this board very informational with programming, etc. I FINALLY got the computer guy at work who sets up all our computers to look at my laptop. He set up the system manager with dos 6.22 and now it programs fine. I looked at his computer and everything is under windows dos and he programs alot of radios everyday. I asked him about it and he said he never has a problem and he has a faster and newer machine than I do. Go figure.
Thanks for all the help
Thanks for all the help
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Tom in D.C.
- Posts: 3859
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2001 4:00 pm
- What radios do you own?: Progreso soup can with CRT
Ulsing Windows/DOS to program...
Your friend who uses the Windows/DOS is living on the edge, and you should heed the advice you've been given. If you mess up your radio it will cost you a lot ot have it un-messed, and sometimes it's not possible to do anyway. Use the straight DOS with a machine which is relatively slow and you won't face any of these problems.
The people who hang out on this board have been there and done it all, or most of it. A few people manage to program in DOS with high-speed machines, but the downside, if and when it happens, is such that most of us choose to play it safe.
Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.
The people who hang out on this board have been there and done it all, or most of it. A few people manage to program in DOS with high-speed machines, but the downside, if and when it happens, is such that most of us choose to play it safe.
Tom, W2NJS
...in D.C.
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Astro_Saber
- Fail 01/90
- Posts: 837
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2001 4:00 pm
if you use a windows 98 boot disk it takes you to the dos prompt, I have programmed a MTS2000 FP with a 700mhz running windows XP. I read the plug then I boot into windows and play with the codeplug and when ready to program I reboot with the boot disk and programs fine.
and thats even with non M ribs and cables
and thats even with non M ribs and cables
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ASTROMODAT
- Posts: 1825
- Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2002 12:32 am
RSS vs. CPS
If one is O.K. with spending the money, is the best way to solve the PC compatibility issue to go with the latest ASTRO CPS? Our UHF conventional XTS portables and ASTRO Spectra mobile radios are programmed with RSS 6.50. Will these code plugs be able to be read into a PC running the current CPS ?
Larry
Larry
Again, don't do what your friend is doing (sounds like you aren't anyway). Use pure dos!!! on a slow machine!!!
Take it from someone who learned the hard way.
BTW: what do you guys think of using the old IBM 360 laptops. I have had good luck so far but thought I would see if there are any hooror stories out there regarding them.
mancow
Take it from someone who learned the hard way.
BTW: what do you guys think of using the old IBM 360 laptops. I have had good luck so far but thought I would see if there are any hooror stories out there regarding them.
mancow