"SP" VERSION MAXTRAC Help

CHEFA2001 · Post by **CHEFA2001** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 8:48 pm

I have a decent quantity of Maxtrac 300 radios with what is called the "Dallas" chip.

The radios freqs can be changed if I swap the firmware chip with a certain other radio's chip, but I cannot access an MDC data field even with this method.....

I spoke to the depot a year or so ago and they even sent me a possible fix in the form of a newer firmware chip but it did not function with that one inserted, so I was back to square 1 with that.

I was told that a local radio shop could "update" the radio's firmware and update the eeprom and make the radio compeltely programmable again, but I am skeptical as they said it could be done for under $90 each radio...

ANyone have any thoughts, Elroy or Monty maybe? I planned on taking digital pics of the entire insides of the radio and possibly posting them here but I wanted to get some input first before I waste the precious bandwith here.

Thanks all.

Nand · Post by **Nand** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 9:12 pm

CHEFA2001 · Post by **CHEFA2001** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 9:18 pm

Nand, WOW, I cannot believe I actually found someone who has heard of the Dallas Chip, as it took me about a month talking with a friend @ the Depot till he found an older tech who knew it.

Can you tell me specifically what needs to be done to these radios to make them "normally" programmable.
by normally, I mean with current RSS and with MDC programming enabled.

Seems like I recall something along the lines of the MDC data being imbedded somewhere and not changable. Also recall something along the lines of being told that a "battery" had died somewhere since the "dallas" chip was "known" for that.

Will I have FULL control of the MDC selection with the modification you mentioned?

Nand · Post by **Nand** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 9:29 pm

Monty · Post by **Monty** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 11:34 pm

<b><font color=lime>Hi:

If you have the capabilities, and
can either blank the board, or write
the hex code, you can restore any
Personality of the radio you want
assuming you have the correct SW.

It may be a little time consumimg,
but replacing the Firmware Chip and
re-initializing the Logic Board will
work. I would recomend the ( Ver 5.34 firmware )

It does [require] more than just the chip
to expand the radios features.

Be aware, take the time to "Record"
all the soft pot values, so you can
apply them to either a New logic board
or Blank the old one.

The 1/2 to 1-1/2 Hours required will give
you a excellent radio. If you have a Board
with the 16 Pins for the Acc'y connector,
you will be able to expand it to 32 Channels.

Monty

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: [email protected] on 2002-04-09 03:38 ]</font>

CHEFA2001 · Post by **CHEFA2001** » Tue Apr 09, 2002 4:01 am

These radios in question are 5 pin radios with NO feild viewable for the MDC however, I think I forgot to mention that the radios currently DO have MDC are are defaulted to the last 4 #'s of the s/n.
I think I might have hear that the MDC data was imbedded on these radios.
??

Nand · Post by **Nand** » Tue Apr 09, 2002 3:20 pm

CHEFA2001 · Post by **CHEFA2001** » Tue Apr 09, 2002 8:39 pm

I will post it tomorrow when I bring one of the gutted radios home to take some pics of.

Thanks for all the replies guys....

CHEFA2001 · Post by **CHEFA2001** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 9:10 am

Model # is: D43MJA7DA5AK
428FMW****

On Dallas chip is as follows:
DALLAS
DS 1220Y 8719
NONVOLATILE SDRAM

In addition, the Firmware chip is as follows:
C. 1987 MOTOROLA INC.
RADIUS DIVISION
VERSION SP 1.1

I know that it would require special specific rss to change anything, but as per motorola the rss is no longer in existance for this radio and they cannot make a new one. I can swap out the firmware chip, as I have before and replace it with another certain chip, which enables me to change freqs, and general radio options, but NOT the MDC data, which the radio sends on any channel with keyup. THATS why I think the MDC data is embedded somewhere else???