Batboard

Good day everyone: I hope this is the correct location for this post.

I have over the years been using an old ( and I do mean old ) brick( gross understatement) IBM thinkpad from the mid to late 90's for programming my HT1000's. With a lot of tlc and 'ductape", it has always done well untill now. . It has been a few years since I have needed to make any changes but as I now need to make a change I got the thinkpad up and tried to fire it up and it is stone cold dead.. It was always on borrowed time. My question is as follows:

Can anyone recomend a "newer" or similar replacement type of laptop to get for programming the HT1000? I was always under the impression that you needed to stay very old school as the software would not work well on a laptop running a newer processor ( I think mine was either a Pent 1 or similar and only running dos) and say Windows XP or newer. Is that still the case? Additionally, I use a serial port cable for programming so I am guessing it would need a serial port. Unless USB has come into play. This rig was set up back in 2008 so I am a little rusty on the specs needed for a replacement laptop for HT1000 programming.

On a seperate but related matter, has technology\knowledge evolved to a point where I can program HT1000's from the same laptop that program's my(2) XTS 5000's?

I apprecite any input on this matter as I am somewhat dead in the water..

Thanks

I use a CF-30 for programming both Astro25 and jedi radios. I use a DOS bootable flashdrive for the older jedi radios that require DOS and windows 7 for the Astro25. I use XP mode for everything that doesnt like windows 7.

The big thing is the (old) computer needs to have a 9 pin com port to connect your cables to. The clock speed needs to be like 1 GHz or lower to work. if you ask around at your local computer repair stores, you might just luck out and find an old clunker they might have laying around.

Also remember that DOS needs a FAT 16 or FAT32 formatted hard drive if your going to store the programs on the hard drive. I like to use the FAT32 format. The hard drive can not be larger than 80 GB for DOS to run. You can take and make 2 partitions on an 80 GB or smaller hard drive and make one for DOS and one for Windows. This way you can use Windows to move files around and between other computers. Just make sure your DOS partition is the C: partition.

I use FDISK to make the partitions. Tell it you want to use the large format option. It will then ask you what amount of the disk you want to use. I generally say 20% for the primary DOS. It will go through it's gyrations. Then you use the option to create an extended partition and tell it 80% for the size.

Note that it will ask you in size or you can use the percentage entry. I always use the percentage option and let the computer figure it out.

Then when you go to install Windows XP onto the hard drive, it will ask you which partition to use. You tell it the to select the extended one (the larger one).

You will also have to find 2 other programs to download off of the internet. One is the IE8 or Internet explorer 8 installation. The other is the service pack 3 files needed for Windows. Both of these will be needed if your using an old version of Windows XP, like one that is only service pack 2. Those are fairly easy to find. If you have a usable service pack 3 CD laying around for Windows XP, then you won't need the 2 file packages I have mentioned above.

The Windows installation will ask you for a valid key. So make sure you have it available. This is a 5 group list of 5 characters in each group. It needs to match the installation disk for what version it is. Like home edition or professional. This key can be used a few times. Your not limited to just one use of it. But if it has been used too many time, when you go to register it, it will let you know it has been used too many times.

Another issue you will run into is that you don't want to try and register the Windows package until it has installed the updates via the Internet. You need to give the computer time to get all the updates into it. In many cases you will get one install. Let it do it's thing. Then it will have like 130 or so more updates. You may see these when you go to power off the computer. It will tell you to allow the installs and it will shut down when it's done.

People on here should be able to lend a hand with instructions if you get hung up with a problem.

It will also be easier to obtain a desktop computer rather than a lap top computer. The computer stores seem to hoard the laptops as a source of parts.

Hope this may help you in your quest for finding a working computer or what ever to get back into the old Motorola radio programming ability.

if your into making your own programming cables for the old Motorola radios, batlabs is a good source of info on the cables.

Jim

old toughbooks for DOS are pretty cheap on eBay. I bought a bunch of CF-27s a few years ago and they are still in service. Used for exactly the same purpose, customers with HT1000s.

I have some old Centracom desktop computers if you need one.

Are they able to run dos? How much would you part with one for? I am hoping to find dos for sale on ebay. Thank you to all who gave me invaluable feedback. I am going print out your responses and spend the weekend figuring out the best course of action..

Honestly its easy enough to just make a bootable USB for DOS that its not really necessary to do a dual boot or mess with your partitions if you aren't sure what you are doing, even though it is not too difficult to learn. Look up Rufus. All you have to do is take an old flashdrive and reformat it to FAT then run Rufus and thats it. This can also be done with an SD card. Just be aware that not all computers can boot to USB or the SD card reader. (Toughbooks can)

bstafford wrote:Honestly its easy enough to just make a bootable USB for DOS that its not really necessary to do a dual boot or mess with your partitions if you aren't sure what you are doing, even though it is not too difficult to learn. Look up Rufus. All you have to do is take an old flashdrive and reformat it to FAT then run Rufus and thats it. This can also be done with an SD card. Just be aware that not all computers can boot to USB or the SD card reader. (Toughbooks can)

Please fill us all in on how this is going to allow the programming radios that require their programming software to run DOS and still use a USB port.

I have not used Rufus and have no idea what it can do. Please give the group on here a short explanation on just what it can do.

Jim

I dont really know what you are asking with the first question but I use serial cables for programming whenever possible so I have never had an issue.

Rufus allows you to make a DOS bootable flashdrive. You open Rufus, select the flashdrive from the list, choose filetype, for this you would pick FAT, and pick the OS, i used FreeDOS, then let it run. You can also use it to make Linux or other OS bootable flashdrives.