MotorolaProgrammingPrimer
IfyouarenewtoprogrammingMotorola2wayradios,thesearethethingsyoushouldknow. Acommonmisconceptionisthatyoujustbuildacableforyourradio,[Link],nothingcould befurtherfromthetruth. Therearesomeexceptions,butforprogrammingmostMotorola2wayradios(thosethatcanbeprogrammed),youwillneedthefollowingequipment:
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AnIBMcompatiblecomputerrunningDOS* AcomputertoRIBcable,availablefor9pinor25pinserialports ARLN4008RadioInterfaceBox(akaRIB) TheRIBtoradiocableforyourradio(s) ThespecificRadioServiceSoftware(RSS)package(s)thatcoversyourradio(s) And,ofcourse,theradioyouwanttoprogram.
*mayrequireWindows95forsomenewerRSS. Now,therearesomethingsyoushouldknowaboutallthedifferentthingsabove. Computers Asfarasthecomputergoes,youmayhavetoexperiment.Mostoftheradiosyouwilltryandprogramweredesignedandbuiltwhenthefastestcomputerswere286, 386,[Link]'[Link],youareverylikelyto encounterproblemstryingruntheRSSandprogramtheradiosonnewercomputers(486'sandup),aswellascomputersfasterthan16or20MHz. [Link] troublewithyourRSSrunning,checktheRSSTroubleshootingFlowchartfromMotorola,[Link]. Themoststableandflexibleplatformwehavetestedsofarhasbeena486DX4/100desktopwhichhasthecapabilitytoturnoffInternalandExternalCachefortheCPU [Link](bydisabling cache)fortherealoldstuff. Ifyouaretryingtousealaptop,[Link]'tgiveyoutheoptionsinBIOStoturncache on/[Link],whichmayhelp. [Link] softwareintothinkingitisrunningonaslowermachine. Whiletheymaymakeitpossibletoactuallygetthesoftwaretorun,gettingittoactuallyread/writetotheradiousuallyfails(theslowdownsoftwarecan'tcompensatefor theUARTread/writecycles).So,werecommendagainstusingtheseutilities,you'[Link]. [Link],thenyouknowthatthe computershouldbethecorrectspeed,theRIBworks,andyourcableconnectionsareprobablyok. Asfarasoperatingsystemsgo,youwanttousejustplainoldDOS.UnlesstheRSSpackageismadespecificallyfortheWindows95operatingsystemDONOTOPEN [Link],youmightgetthesoftwaretorunandbeabletoeditsavedcodeplugsandthelike,butwhenitcomestotryingto read/writetotheradio90%[Link]/writefail,butthereisaVERYhighchancethatyouwillcorruptthecodeplugintheradioand makeyouselfaveryexpensivepaperweight. BecauseWindows95isamultitaskingenvironment,andtheRSSislookingforexclusivecontroloftheserialportresources,thetwowillfightandyouendupwithadead radio. Ifyoudon'thaveadedicatedDOSmachineforprogramming,atleastrebootoutofWindows95toMSDOSmode,orbetteryet,makeabootableDOSfloppyand [Link],ifyougetan"OutofEnvironmentMemory"error,orsomethingsimilar, [Link]. Oneotherthingtowatchoutfor,onalotofnewercomputers,[Link],though,duetoWinXXregistrysettings, thisdoesn'[Link],youcouldhaveacomputerthatreliesuponthesoftwaretomapaport,andthatmaynotworktoowell. . Cables AsfarasthecablesfromthecomputertotheRIBgo,theyareprettystraightforwardandareeasilyfabricated.
ForRIBtoradiocables,youhaveanumberofoptions:
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BuytheoriginalfromMotorola,justcall18004224210 Buyanaftermarketcablefromsomeofthe2waydealersontheinternet Buyandaftermarketororiginalusedoffofanauctionsite(Ebay) Buildyourselfonefromthediagramsprovided
[Link]
ForRIBtoradiocables,youhaveanumberofoptions:
n n n n
BuytheoriginalfromMotorola,justcall18004224210 Buyanaftermarketcablefromsomeofthe2waydealersontheinternet Buyandaftermarketororiginalusedoffofanauctionsite(Ebay) Buildyourselfonefromthediagramsprovided
[Link] correctpadsontheradio. Ingeneral,Motoroladoesnotsellthepiecesofsideconnectorrequiredtobuildyourowncable(forobviousreasons).Ifyouwanttobuildamorepermanentsolution, youcanoftensalvagetheneededpiecesfromoldspeakermicrophonecables(probablyavailablefromaMotorola2wayshopforcheap/free).Youmayfindthatextra holesmayneedtobedrilledandpinsmovedaroundtogettheminthecorrectplaces,butitispossible. RadioInterfaceBox(RIB) Again,youhaveanumberofoptionsavailabletoyou:
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BuytheoriginalfromMotorola,justcall18004224210 BuyanaftermarketRIBfromsomeofthe2waydealersontheinternet Buyandaftermarketororiginalusedoffofanauctionsite(Ebay) Buildyourselfonefromthediagramprovided
TheschematicwehaveonoursiteisoftheofficialRLN4008RIB. [Link],becausetheydon'thavethefull,compatible,circuitinthem. However,thismaybewhatyouwant,[Link],ifitdoesn'twork,doyouhaveaschematictotroubleshootitfrom? AnoteontheSmartRIB(SRIB).[Link] Upgradesomeofthenewerradios(withthecorrectsoftware).WehavereviewedtheschematicoftheSRIB,thereisNOWAYtomaketheRLN4008intoaSmart [Link],itusesapplicationspecificIC'sandsurfacemountdeviceswhichcannotbeorderedfromMotorola. RadioServiceSoftware(RSS) OK,here'[Link] [Link],theywillsellittoyou,justcall18004224210. [Link],acopyofafloppydiskorCD,oreventheoriginalMotorolaRSSpackage,allof [Link],andwhatitallboilsdowntoisthatonceyoubuythesoftware,itisyoursandyoursalone, andyoucannotresellit,period. Don'tbefooledbythedisclaimer"purchaserisresponsibleforalllicensingofthissoftware".Itmeansabsolutelynothing,becausethesoftwarecannotberesoldtobegin [Link],Motorolawouldjustlaughatyouandsendthecopstohaulyouofftojail. Ifyouareinthemarketforpiratedsoftware,don'[Link],andyouwon'[Link]'t haveanylinksorinformationonFTPsitesforpiratedRSS,sodon'task. RIBlessProgrammingCables ThereareasmallnumberofradiosthatdonotusetheRIBforprogramming.TheseareidentifiedonourpinoutspageasPCTO____,or"RIBless",insteadofRIBTO ____.[Link].
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