I'm having difficulties getting my 900 MHz Spectra to accept an A7 Head. It currently has an A5 head. I look around and I couldn't find a code plug to use in cloning. Any help?
Thanks,
Dave, WA6IFI
wa6ifi@adelphia.net+
Help convert Spectra A5 to A7 Head
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I think you can do it if you have the lab software. You'd need to bit-bang or hex-edit the data in the radio where the control head type is specified. This info is floating around in the Spectra page on BatLabs or on Mike B's Spectra pages.
Once the radio knows what's attached to it, regular software should let you program the buttons to do the various labeled functions.
I have not done this myself, but someone else said he did, and he had to hex-edit a lot more than the control head because he had changed the command board and MLM, and managed to go from a T84 to a D27 by careful playing.
Bob M.
Once the radio knows what's attached to it, regular software should let you program the buttons to do the various labeled functions.
I have not done this myself, but someone else said he did, and he had to hex-edit a lot more than the control head because he had changed the command board and MLM, and managed to go from a T84 to a D27 by careful playing.
Bob M.
Dave.. if all you want to do is change the control head type, try the little helper guide that I have on my site.
http://www.k2jsv.com/spectra
http://www.k2jsv.com/spectra
JAYMZ
"Mom and dad say I should make my life an example of the principles I believe in. But every time I do, they tell me to stop it."
Calvin
"Mom and dad say I should make my life an example of the principles I believe in. But every time I do, they tell me to stop it."
Calvin
JAYMZ,
Thanks for the link to your site. Couple questions. To change head (A5 to A7) do I need to change both the model number and the head type or just the head type? Also, what is the difference between the MLM location and the command location?
Thanks for the patience. Trying to learn this radio before I create a brick.
Dave
Thanks for the link to your site. Couple questions. To change head (A5 to A7) do I need to change both the model number and the head type or just the head type? Also, what is the difference between the MLM location and the command location?
Thanks for the patience. Trying to learn this radio before I create a brick.
Dave
I'm not a big expert, but here's what I've found out.
The model number should just be a text string that would be displayed when you access the radio via programming. It shouldn't govern any action of the radio; other bytes would do that. However, it would be nice if the model number matched the actual radio, incase you ever go to sell it again.
The memory on the command board and in the MLM are separate, but the two areas have to match. Worst come to worst, if a bad checksum exists on the command board, it will reload itself from the MLM. The MLM seems to be the parent, and the command board inherits info from the MLM. In some cases, you can just change the MLM and when the radio reboots, it'll fix things in the command board. Checksums, in particular, tend to be fixed silently.
So if it were me, I'd make the control head and model number changes in both the command board and MLM areas.
Bob M.
The model number should just be a text string that would be displayed when you access the radio via programming. It shouldn't govern any action of the radio; other bytes would do that. However, it would be nice if the model number matched the actual radio, incase you ever go to sell it again.
The memory on the command board and in the MLM are separate, but the two areas have to match. Worst come to worst, if a bad checksum exists on the command board, it will reload itself from the MLM. The MLM seems to be the parent, and the command board inherits info from the MLM. In some cases, you can just change the MLM and when the radio reboots, it'll fix things in the command board. Checksums, in particular, tend to be fixed silently.
So if it were me, I'd make the control head and model number changes in both the command board and MLM areas.
Bob M.
Bob,
Thanks. Do I program the Command board and the MLM both from bitbanger in the RSS-lab? I tried the MLM location and I can access that, but the command location displayed FF. I don't think I looked at adjacent memory locations to see if they were other then FF. Is there an alternate way to program the command board?
Also, I have access to some late model revision Spectra logic board, complete with the MLM running 6.x. These are from trunkmount VHF Spectras. The board numbers all look good. Can I use these boards in the 900 MHz spectra by cloning them from a good code plug?
Thanks,
Dave
Thanks. Do I program the Command board and the MLM both from bitbanger in the RSS-lab? I tried the MLM location and I can access that, but the command location displayed FF. I don't think I looked at adjacent memory locations to see if they were other then FF. Is there an alternate way to program the command board?
Also, I have access to some late model revision Spectra logic board, complete with the MLM running 6.x. These are from trunkmount VHF Spectras. The board numbers all look good. Can I use these boards in the 900 MHz spectra by cloning them from a good code plug?
Thanks,
Dave
You're now out of my range of knowledge.
I'd look around on the command board memory to make sure you're really in the right spot. Resynchronize yourself, so-to-speak. Some versions move stuff around a bit, but still keep it in the same order, so once you find something familiar, you should be able to navigate from that point on.
I haven't done any swaps like that, but a friend did, and he managed to get the replacement CB and MLM (from two different sources) to behave by doing a bunch of bit-banging of model and serial numbers, then loading a saved codeplug from another radio, then bit-banging the radio back to what it was supposed to be. Seemed to work for him. I'll try to get him on here to give more details.
Bob M.
I'd look around on the command board memory to make sure you're really in the right spot. Resynchronize yourself, so-to-speak. Some versions move stuff around a bit, but still keep it in the same order, so once you find something familiar, you should be able to navigate from that point on.
I haven't done any swaps like that, but a friend did, and he managed to get the replacement CB and MLM (from two different sources) to behave by doing a bunch of bit-banging of model and serial numbers, then loading a saved codeplug from another radio, then bit-banging the radio back to what it was supposed to be. Seemed to work for him. I'll try to get him on here to give more details.
Bob M.