XTL/XTS5000 Com Port programming cables

[dfb8085]

First I do not get a com port in device manager using the motorola straight away USB to mic connector just by itself.
Using the home made com USB/TTL board terminating the 4 wires into some pins I press into place on the rear plug of the XTL 1500 I do get a com port to pop up in device manager. When i use that home made cable in conjunction with the that com port into the rear connector iit seems like it may be working. I mean it comes up sating opening port, flashing radio and in a little while at Block 2 of 20 error comes up saying radio did not answer. I have no screen come on or any sign of life except for the beeping once every 10 seconds or so

 

[jim202]

You have probably figured this out by now, but unless you need something the radio doesn't have or need, it's best to stay away from trying to upgrade the firmware. Just because there is a higher version available, it is not the best to try and put it into a working radio.

Jim

 

[dfb8085]

you hit the nail on the head there. $100 for a working not such a bad deal. Get home and i turn it into a $100 brick its so difficult to find what you need and get help on how to use it that a repair bill isn't worth it. You sell it recoup part of your losses. somebody gets a $50 not to bad of a radio. they invest $100 themselves at the repair shop and they got a $150 in it. sill not to bad

 

[jim202]

If in doubt on just what action to take, pause and ask on here. Be patient and see what suggestions show up.

I didn't learn how to repair Motorola radios over night. At my old age, I am still learning. Walk slow and be careful. I have been doing this since around 1968 with many people helping me along the way. Had a very technical person take me under his wing and be a mentor to me for many years before he became a silent key.

I now try to mentor others that ask for help. Invite them over to my work shop any time they want to drop by. Now being retired, I am available most of the time to help others when they ask.

I enjoy working on the older Motorola radios. They are much easier to work on and are very reliable. The down side is many of them require a DOS computer to program them. Plus they are cheap on the used market. The down side to them is most of them won't do a P25 trunking system. But they are great for most of the VHF and UHF repeaters the hams use.

 

[dfb8085]

Thanks Jim, that is so very kind of you. don't run across many folks with such a kind attitude. I was in the process of upgrading the firmware when all this happened. No display at all and no comm to the radio. I am using cps 20.01 and have tried the usb port and serial port. I did not make this cable but checking it out it revealed only 3 wires being used. I understand sometimes you can get by on 3 conductors so i just tried it. Connection on pin 5 gnd, pin 3 and pin 2 Tx and Rx. It didn't word so I flipped the TX and RX on one end still no comm or handshaking going back and forth. . I could see the computer sending out a TX but response from the radio. I been fooling with motorola radios of various vintage for a while. mostly mototrbo line. I use cps Astro 25 Portable .neither usb not com port will work A riend of mind brought his over and worked like a champ.. Something went wrong during my upgrade ad it hasnt none anything since. This is a 900mhz radio already working in the ham band . Any help is most greatly appreciated .

 

[jim202]

Here is a list of info sites that have a wealth of information. Depending on what your looking for will dictate which one to go to. All of them will require you to log into them, so you will have to create a user ID name and password. The Bat sites are great for Motorola information.

batlabs.com

batboard.batlabs.com

repeaterbook.com provides ham repeater listings by state and frequency

radioreference.com

hamfiles.co.uk provides info on different brands of radios and some programming

mega.nz

mods.dk provides many mods to different brands of radios.

 

[jim202]

Another point I will give you is to save a copy of the radio programming info in the radio before you do any changes. This will allow you to recover from many programming mistakes. Not saying it will always recover but it provides a safety net for most errors. I always do this before making any changes and put a date and time on the file name to give me a hint when that save was done.

I have 7 different radios on or under my work bench, so I also put in the name of the saved file just where the radio is located. As several are of the same type and model.

You learn by mistakes you make as you go on playing with radios.

Something else I have learned is that if you have the normal old Spectra mobiles, you can take the MLM boards out of the old 800 MHz mobiles and use them in the VHF and UHF radios. Just take a saved radio file and load it back int the radio with the 800 MHz MLM board and your good to go.

Strip down the 800 radio for the aluminum castings for scrap metal and the rest is junk. But save the control head and the interface board. Those 2 items can be used on the lower frequency radios. You will just have to program the heads to the way you want. The channel display info, the button usage and you should be good to go.

I made up an Excel spread sheet to list all the channel information I want to put into the radio. Don't to forget the zone information.

I use to do a bunch of traveling. So I would put 15 channels in each zone. The zone was set up for where I would travel through. Made up a map with a computer program and put the local repeaters on the map. Drew lines on the map to show what area the zones covered.

Each zone had it's own scan list of the channels in the radio for that zone.

Just a few ideas that I use when setting up any Motorola radio I put in my vehicle.

 

[jim202]

Thanks Jim, that is so very kind of you. don't run across many folks with such a kind attitude. I was in the process of upgrading the firmware when all this happened. No display at all and no comm to the radio. I am using cps 20.01 and have tried the usb port and serial port. I did not make this cable but checking it out it revealed only 3 wires being used. I understand sometimes you can get by on 3 conductors so i just tried it. Connection on pin 5 gnd, pin 3 and pin 2 Tx and Rx. It didn't word so I flipped the TX and RX on one end still no comm or handshaking going back and forth. . I could see the computer sending out a TX but response from the radio. I been fooling with motorola radios of various vintage for a while. mostly mototrbo line. I use cps Astro 25 Portable .neither usb not com port will work A riend of mind brought his over and worked like a champ.. Something went wrong during my upgrade ad it hasnt none anything since. This is a 900mhz radio already working in the ham band . Any help is most greatly appreciated .

If you can look my ham call up in QRZ.com and send me an email with your mailing address, I have tried several web sites and have had poor results. I will send you some information to help you with your problem. k1vty Folsom. LA.

Jim

 

[dfb8085]

If you can look my ham call up in QRZ.com and send me an email with your mailing address, I have tried several web sites and have had poor results. I will send you some information to help you with your problem. k1vty Folsom. LA.

Jim

i could not find you in qrz. just send me a email at n4frl@arrl.net