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Astro Saber that powers off then on again

Posted: Wed May 08, 2002 12:36 am
by dvpman
I have a astro saber 3 VHF that turns on just fine then after a few seconds powers off then back up again. It also will power off then the green led will light and that's it

:evil: :evil: :evil:

Any help would be great.

Mike

Posted: Wed May 08, 2002 1:41 pm
by dvpman
Thanks Shaun,

That was the first thing I tried.

Sometimes it will stay on for 5 minutes with no problems then it stuffed.

Mike

Posted: Wed May 08, 2002 3:29 pm
by ScannerDan
Check your battery connection. If it dosen't make good contact the radio will turn on and off. That's what was happening to my Astro Saber.

Dan..

Posted: Wed May 08, 2002 9:50 pm
by dvpman
I have swapped the housing with a brand new one, still the same problem.

Mike

Posted: Fri May 10, 2002 4:28 am
by k101
I have had this Problem with a Jedi radio Some one Programmed out of band because the radio Was
CPS (Windows Rss) the radio has smarts so it will switch on and off is the Astro CPS or Dos?

Posted: Fri May 10, 2002 4:48 am
by k101
I have had this Problem with a Jedi radio Some one Programmed out of band because the radio Was
CPS (Windows Rss) the radio has smarts so it will switch on and off is the Astro CPS or Dos?

Posted: Fri May 10, 2002 4:59 am
by k101
I have had this Problem with a Jedi radio Some one Programmed out of band because the radio Was
CPS (Windows Rss) the radio has smarts so it will switch on and off is the Astro CPS or Dos?

Posted: Fri May 10, 2002 8:23 am
by dvpman
I have used dos versions 8 and 9.01 both with the same results.

Mike

Posted: Fri May 10, 2002 5:18 pm
by k101
Ok I think the Micro-Control Unit (MCU) or the SRAM is the Problem
You may need to get a Astro Saber Detailed Service Manual The part Number is 68P81076C10-0 to Try to Fix the Problem

All the best to you & your Astro

Posted: Sun May 12, 2002 12:47 pm
by Elroy Jetson
If you need to get into the detailed service manual, and you are not equipped to handle surface mount components and have some experience doing it, or are not proficient with troubleshooting mostly digital circuits, don't waste your time on buying the manual.

Instead, get with the local Motorola authorized service center and have them submit your radio to the depot for the flat rate 330 dollar repair charge. The shop will also probably charge a handling fee.

This would be your best bet.

The depot will replace all worn and damaged parts, too, usually. I sent in a dead radio in good physical condition and they replaced the housing and all three circuit boards in the radio for the flat rate fee. That was a bargain.

Elroy

Depo Repair

Posted: Sun May 12, 2002 1:36 pm
by ScannerDan
If you were to send an Astro Saber to depo for repair and they replaced all three of the boards would they replace them w/the new IMBE boards or the older VSLEP ? I guess what I'm asking is would this be a way to get a cheap upgrade ? Dumb Question for I think I know the answere NO NO and NO ....


Dan...

Posted: Sun May 12, 2002 1:58 pm
by Elroy Jetson
If they replace the vocon board, it will be with a new 1 meg version, so that's probably an automatic upgrade right there.

If they can recover the radio's current flashcode, and it's not a flashcode that has "issues" surrounding it, that flashcode will be in the radio after repair, and the firmware will probably be updated to the newest version that is compatible with your flashcode.

If they can't recover enough information to be sure, you'll probably get a basic flashcode and firmware with the latest IMBE revisions.

Elroy

Posted: Sun May 12, 2002 2:20 pm
by dvpman
Thanks for the tip Elroy.

I have heard of this before but didn't think they would be that generous.
My flashcode is 581008-0C1800-8
do you think this would raise any questions ??

Mike

Posted: Sun May 12, 2002 2:38 pm
by Elroy Jetson
No idea. I know for sure that only the old LAPD flashcode has such issues, but even then...that feature set is no longer used even by the LAPD so there shouldn't be an issue with even that one anymore.

Elroy

No you won't get a upgrade

Posted: Mon May 13, 2002 7:02 am
by Motofanatic
Don't be silly. The depot isn't that stupid. You can try and give them an IMBE enabled flashcode with your paperwork and radio, but if your Vocon never had the correct Host/DSP for IMBE, they won't give it to you.

We've had the depot work on over a dozen Astro HTs. As Elroy says, it is a bargain and they will practically replace anything that is worn out. You'll even get a 1Meg Vocon.

But if your Vocon (busted or not) came in with VSELP Host/DSP, that is how it will come back to you.

Posted: Mon May 13, 2002 7:28 am
by Elroy Jetson
UNLESS THEY CAN (AND DO) RECOVER THE DATA FROM THE CHIPSET, they can't tell if a vocon board is VSELP or IMBE.
They LOOK identical.

Generally, most Astro customers who deal with the depot have an account and it's no problem to verify what was in the damaged radio. It's radios in private hands (or from the used market) that are a bit more of a question mark. If you send in a totally dead radio and there's no data accompanying it to determine if it was VSELP or IMBE, and they can't recover the data, you're likely to receive a basic feature set but it'll probably have the latest firmware revision, making it IMBE CAPABLE. Emphasis on CAPABLE. The relevant flash options may not be turned on, and probably won't be.

Elroy

Posted: Wed May 15, 2002 7:45 pm
by watchbuddy
It is definetly the RF-Board I can fix it no-problem! I have had a number of users with this problem if you are using a 512k board I can replace the board with a new one but not cheap.