Batboard

So I see these ribless cables on ebay a lot.

I know they aren't really ribless, just have a rib circuit in the plug end.

So is there any reason why I couldn't pin out the wires in the xts3k cable and hack on an astro saber cable end to program my astro saber?

Then instead of PC > USB/Serial > Serial Cable > RIB > RIB/Radio Cable > Radio, which is a frickin mess, I can just do
PC > USB/Serial > Ribless Cable > Radio

Any confirmations or dissuasions?

Kyle

If you get the pinout correct, I don't see why it won't work.

Just remember to change the port in the software to the USB port.

Jim

kyledooley wrote:So I see these ribless cables on ebay a lot.

I know they aren't really ribless, just have a rib circuit in the plug end.

So is there any reason couldn't pin out the wires in the xts3k cable and hack on an astro saber cable end to program my astro saber?

Then instead of PC > USB/Serial > Serial Cable > RIB > RIB/Radio Cable > Radio, which is a frickin mess, I can just do
PC > USB/Serial > Ribless Cable > Radio

Any confirmations or dissuasions?

Kyle

There is no USB cable for the Astro series. The Astro25 radio have USB support, not the Astro series.

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm currently using a USB to serial converter to a serial cable to a rib to the rib cable to the radio. Not a USB cable.

My first thought agreed with Jim... if you get the pins right, it should work. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy.

Thanks, guys.

Kyle

in theroy it should work.. But is it worth the risk of possibly bricking the radio

If this theory worked, then why is nobody selling them already?

Maybe because the XTS3000 is an old radio that there is not that much demand for. One of those
issues that Motorola creates when they drop support for a radio. Sure there are allot of them out
there, but your starting to see more show up for sale. There is a reason that is happening.

Jim

resqguy911 wrote:If this theory worked, then why is nobody selling them already?

Interesting. I never took the time to compare them but they use the same lines. Theoretically, it should work just the same.

...yet another project to explore.

FireCpt809 wrote:in theroy it should work.. But is it worth the risk of possibly bricking the radio

No, but I can buy some POS AS1 to try it on, if I'm really uptight about it.

K.

Jim202 wrote:Maybe because the XTS3000 is an old radio that there is not that much demand for. One of those
issues that Motorola creates when they drop support for a radio. Sure there are allot of them out
there, but your starting to see more show up for sale. There is a reason that is happening.

Jim

resqguy911 wrote:If this theory worked, then why is nobody selling them already?

No no no, not talking about "factory cables". What I mean is: If people are already making their own XTS3000 ribless cables, then why does it not translate to the Astro Saber connector? If it was possible, they would be all over eBay- right?

resqguy911 wrote:No no no, not talking about "factory cables". What I mean is: If people are already making their own XTS3000 ribless cables, then why does it not translate to the Astro Saber connector? If it was possible, they would be all over eBay- right?

Exactly. They are the same radio electronically so as long as you get the pins right, there is no reason I can see.

I just finished hacking the XTS3000 ebay special into a ribless Astro Saber cable and to be honest it wasn't that bad of a project. I think the effort will be worth it in the long run. Another thing that surprised me was the build quality of the Ebay Saber cable. It has a very nicely finished and labled PC board inside the radio end with small screws that connect it to the plastic cover plate. The pins seat firmly into the plate and everything is much more solid than the factory cable. It uses the pogo XTS type pins as opposed to the spring tab type so that's another advantage.

My converter board at the computer end was labled with the various BUS GND etc... lines but it wouldn't work when I first tried it. I had removed the converter end from the cable for another project long ago enough that I couldn't recall the wire assignments but I did recall that that there were more than three used. I took a 9v battery connector and hooked the positive to the pad marked V and of course grounded it appropriately. It worked. It became obvious that the XTS Ebay ribless cable gets its voltage from the radio. I don't know if all the aftermarket saber cables are this way but luckily mine had a bit of an extra red wire clipped back at each end. I extended that and tied it to the V input land at the computer end. At the other end I added a pogo pin at spot #8 +B voltage (8 volts). It fired right up and talked to the PC perfectly.

Here's a pic of the Ebay Astro Saber el cheapo radio end of the cable.

So, the unanswered questions are:
1. Who was the seller?
2. Programs ok?
3. When do these start turning up for sale?

Don't know the seller...but will try to look it up in my old ebay auctions but I think that info is long gone.

Programs perfectly, just like a regular 4008 rib.

Sale...I don't know if or when they will turn up.