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EFJ 51SL: Firmware Help

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mfn002

mfn002

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I have an EF Johnson 51SL VHF that I’ve had for a few years now and I just recently dusted it off and tried to program it. Unfortunately, while I can read the radio, I cannot upload to it due to a compatibility issue between the software and the radio’s firmware version (4.14.5). The software says that the firmware is too old for the software to upload to. How do I go about updating the firmware? Does EFJ still support this radio? If it helps any, the model number is 242-5213-610BC4.
 
DeoVindice

DeoVindice

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Support for the older (non-ES) radios was dropped quite a while ago; final support for the ES platform ended within the last year or so.

I'd have to look up which version of PCC is correct for v4.14.5; the 5100 platform requires the programming software to be matched to the firmware. The first number is tied to hardware, e.g. your radio would be called a V4. It cannot be upgraded to V6.
 
mfn002

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I was using software version 2.18.6. I guess I still have a lot to learn about these radios.
 
mfn002

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Ok. A bit of an update: I got the radio programed. Another issue has popped up, though. Now the radio won't transmit. The red light comes on and the radio gets warm, but no signal comes out. I've tried multiple different antennas, but no luck. I checked the antenna socket connection to the radio's circuit board, but found no issues there. It's obvious *something* is stopping the signal from getting out, but I can't seem to figure out what it is.
 
mfn002

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I used a frequency counter and also noticed that it was not keying up any of the local amateur repeaters I tested it on. All the programming was correct, and even if it wasn't, I would still have gotten something on my counter.
 
DeoVindice

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In that case, I would suspect that something on the RF board has failed. Do you have a second radio to try swapping out boards and isolate the problem? Just be forewarned, the tune values are stored on the UI board rather than tied to the RF board so you'll want to have the radio aligned/tuned if you swap them for anything more than a brief test.
 
mfn002

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Unfortunately, I don't. I got the radio several years ago, and it mostly sat around until I decided to try to use it. In case anyone's wondering, the model number is 242-5213-610BC4.

By the way, can you determine what the frequency range is for a 5100-series radio from just the model number?
 
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