New Guy

[rick0001]

Hey guys I'm new to all of this and I'm looking to getting a Astro Saber radio.
I keep reading about all these modifications that one can do and program. What can one do??
I'm looking to use the radio for scanning and monitoring and use only in case of emergency or non public freqs.
Here is where I show my ignorance, what is meant by bandsplitting? and can one monitor VHF and UHF on the same radio? I wouldn't think so, but just making sure?

Thanks for the help

[JOHN 1807]

Hi,

No, bandsplitting does not mean you can have vhf and uhf in the same radio, although that would be great.

Bandsplit refers to the SECTION of band- vhf, uhf, 800 etc... that a particular radio is capable of utilizing.

Example: many vhf radios (newer ones) are capable of "full bandsplit" meaning they can cover the entire 140mhz-170mhz (or about that) spread. UHF radios by contrast are not normally capable of covering their entire split, therefore a uhf radio will cover PART of that spread- meaning that one may need two (or more) radios to cover the entire uhf band.

800mhz radios I'm not too sure about but I'm sure someone here will elaborate/correct me if I'm wrong about any of this.

-John

[tvsjr]

I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, but these are the Astro Saber bandsplits from memory:
VHF 136-174
UHF 403-470
UHF 450-520
800 806-821/851-869

You need to carefully read r0f's Astro primer:
http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=23682

Now, read it again. It's an excellent start.

Then, start asking questions. And be careful with Astro radios on eBay!

[rick0001]

I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, but these are the Astro Saber bandsplits from memory:
VHF 136-174
UHF 403-470
UHF 450-520
800 806-821/851-869



Here is a radio I was looking at:

Model H04KDF9PW7AN 136-174mhz
Host R05.6.00
DSP N06.05.01
EMC R02.12
KG1 none
KG2 DES-OFB
1 meg Vocoder
Flashcode 100001-000000-7
Q806/G806 IMBE / APCO-25 Digital Operation

H35/G48 Conventional Operation

serial 465AZN0163
NTN 7014A battery (fairly new)
Belt clip
VHF antenna
NTN4734A charger with proper angled AC cord.
CPS programming cable.
Anything else you see in the photo not described.

From the info you gave me can one scan in all the VHF freq. or only the ones I program?

Thanks in advance

[tvsjr]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. There is no provision for entering frequencies from the keypad - you have to program the radio with the channels you want.

You'll be able to scan 16 conventional channels at any one time.

The radio you are describing has fairly old firmware. The current HOST/DSP firmware revision is in the neighborhood of R07.21.00/N08.02.10 (don't quote me, I can't remember exactly). The digital audio recovery of that radio won't be very exciting. It, however, is IMBE, and the numbers do look legitimate (N as the first character of the DSP version, etc.) Also, the flashcode is fairly limited - no fancy options in that unit.

Out of curiosity, why are you so fired up to buy an Astro? Respectfully, if this is your first foray into the wonderful world of Motorola, and especially if you have no need for ASTRO Digital, you might be better off starting out with an MT2000 or one of the older, analog-only radios. Learn from that, then work your way up - lest you lay out quite a bit of cash and get burned and/or disappointed.

[rick0001]

tvsjr,
I hear you!! Do you have any suggestions on features to look for on a MT2000. Remember I would like to monitor Public Safty nets.

Thanks

[rick0001]

tvsjr,
I'm confused with the whole scanning and channel thing. How does it work lets say with a VHF 136-174 range?

Thanks

[hamptonbeach]

I'm the seller of the radio that Rick is asking about.
Obviously you know he's a newbie with Astro's, why post a blanket statement to 'be careful' from eBay Astro's?

Not all Astro radios are junk on eBay, there are some very reputable sellers out there. I'm aware of the XTS5000 discussion, and the 'Nick" built radios, but give the guy some info on why he should be careful ...

And I'll disagree with you on the digital audio - mine sounds crisp and clear

[10-95]

I'm the seller of the radio that Rick is asking about.
Obviously you know he's a newbie with Astro's, why post a blanket statement to 'be careful' from eBay Astro's?

Not all Astro radios are junk on eBay, there are some very reputable sellers out there. I'm aware of the XTS5000 discussion, and the 'Nick" built radios, but give the guy some info on why he should be careful ...

And I'll disagree with you on the digital audio - mine sounds crisp and
clear

if he's looking at a radio that you have for sale then why don't YOU clue the guy in a little??? You sound like a real turdhead.

Frank

[hamptonbeach]

I have answered his questions - but for some reason he wants to trust the mis-guided advice that eBay Astro's are bad news.

This is a part on an email I reveived:
"Batlabs discussion groups
don't have many good things to say about eBay Astros!"

[hamptonbeach]

Hey Sheriff Buford T. Justice - no one is calling you names - no need to call me any

[tvsjr]

I'm the seller of the radio that Rick is asking about.
Obviously you know he's a newbie with Astro's, why post a blanket statement to 'be careful' from eBay Astro's?

You're absolutely correct, they're not all junk. However, a far greater percentage of the ones you'll see on eBay have little problems - incompatible firmware revs resulting in the UNKNWN error, a P25-capable flashcode with a DSP version starting with A (that means it won't work), etc. They're also more likely to be stolen.

The guy is a newbie, and that's perfectly fine. Looking for an Astro here is much more likely to net him a radio that will work as he desires. eBay is a dangerous place for a newbie (expensive, too).

So, why the desire to rabble-rouse? You show up three weeks ago, and immediately start criticizing board regulars like r0f (who knows more about Astros than most of the gnomes at Moto) and 10-95. I haven't been around as long as those guys, so I keep my mouth shut, and chip in where I can. Perhaps you should take a lesson.

[tvsjr]

tvsjr,
I'm confused with the whole scanning and channel thing. How does it work lets say with a VHF 136-174 range?

Thanks

First, you'll need to contact Motorola and order the necessary RSS/CPS for any radio that you purchase. Be aware - Moto doesn't like selling some of the CPS to just anybody (for instance, they don't like selling the Waris (HT750/1250/1550, CDM750/1250/1550) to anyone but dealers). That's going to run you about $250.

Then, you'll need a cable and RIB. Contact Monty here on the board to hook you up. A RIB and cable will run somewhere around $300-$500, depending on type and source.

Finally, you'll be ready to program your radio. Once you learn the software (a challenge), you'll add each individual channel (TX/RX frequencies, tones, ASTRO options if you're dealing with a digital radio), etc. Then, these channels will be assigned to positions within a zone. This will be loaded in the radio.

Each channel that you define will be associated with a scan list. There are 64 available lists on the Astro radios, 20 on the Jedis, etc. That list will define up to 16 channels to be scanned. Say Scan List 1 contains channels 3, 4, and 5, with First Priority set to Selected Channel. If I associate List 1 with Channel 1, program the radio, then go to scan while selected on Channel 1, the radio will scan Channel 1 as first priority and Channels 3/4/5 as non-priority.

Then, you program all of this into the radio. Programming Motorola radios is a real experience - if you don't drink now, you might before you get through.

What all are you trying to monitor, out of curiosity? Might you be better served with one of the new digital-capable scanners?

[hamptonbeach]

I have kept my mouth shut for a long time - I've simply been a lurker. But now that I'm losing out on a bidder because of posts here - I thought I should clear the air.

Rabble rowsing?? I'm simply pointing out an error by rof, not all the XTS500's on eBay are junk as he'd like you to believe - he's wrong as to what the codeplug error message means and 10-95 is the one that started calling me names and that I'm full of crap - I've been very civil.

10-95's the one that's wrong for not believing I purchased the latest CPS from Moto. Some of you guys would like us to believe that owning the CPS is the same as owning the Holy Grail - that you have to be "worthy" somehow - I posted a link to my invoice and CD case - what does he have to say now?

geez - I'm not looking for a flame war - just some acknowledgement that you guys can be wrong and not to be called a turd and full of crap.

[tvsjr]

I have kept my mouth shut for a long time - I've simply been a lurker. But now that I'm losing out on a bidder because of posts here - I thought I should clear the air.

Ahh. It's always about the money.

Feel free to post the specs of your unit for sale in the for sale/swap area. I think eBay links go to the lounge, but I can't remember (not a big eBay seller). If it's a good unit, odds are someone will buy it. However, if you're trying to scam, be prepared to get torn a new one

[hamptonbeach]

It's always about money ..
Thanks for the tip on posting it sale/swap - I hope this ends this thread ..

[va3wxm]

Looks like it sold afterall.

[rick0001]

tvsjr,
Thaks for the info.
I just wanted to monitor Public saftey freqs and have a good radio at the same time.

Rick

[RocketNJ]

A scanner might be better for you for monitoring. The Pro 96 or Unindes 296/96 decode digital Astro and can receive a much wider range or frequencies (low band, VHF, UHF, 800, 900 MHz for example). They are esier to program, do not require expensive software/hardware to program, and there are sites ou there that share archive files for the scanners for different areas. Also if you are going to monitor a Motorola 6.x SmartZone system the scanner is the better choice as the Motorola Astro portables will want to auto affiliate with the 6.x system which is definitely a no-no.

The Astro Saber is a nice radio but way overkill for monitoring. If you are going to use it for P25 ham use then there would be more incentive to get the Motorola vs. a scanner.

Just be sure of the radio's history and capabilities before purchasing. As many have already told you there are good radios and bad ones out there. A radio with the wrong firmware can be a "can of worms".

George

[Pj]

Rick001, if your just going to monitor, and have no purpose in transmitting, a scanner would be a much more valuable investment. 1000 channels to scan with a BC796 vs 16 with an Astro radio sounds much better. In addition to that, you will have eveything from 30Mhz-1.2GHz and trunking!

BTW: That firmware looks fairly current when talking about the 512k boards. The 1MB boards start at 7.x