GE M-RK II programming cable...

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

I am having a problem with programming cable for M-RK II , DB9-UDC more exactly . I have two UDC schemes and I do not know witch is good. First is from " LBI-38740 MAINTENANCE MANUAL FOR 403-500 MHz PERSONAL TWO-WAY FM RADIO COMBINATION" and the second one was gave to me by a friend. Normally if you short the pin 8 and 10 the radio should enter into Programming Mode. The one from manual does not do that but the one my gave to me works ( the radio enters Programming mode) . In order to be able to program the radio I have DB-9 connector and EDACS 4.
Can anyone tell me what pins should I connect ?
I have connected RX, TX, GND but it does`n work. Do I need a 12V supply? What is correct pin array ? (from UDC)

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

I searched some more and I found LBI-38203C [ http://www.hallelectronics.com/lbi/38203c.pdf ] where are all the pins described. So far so good..I connected DB9 - UDC as fallows :
UDC-----------DB9
rx-dat [E1]----------2
tx-dat [E11]---------3
gnd [E10]---------5
|
| short
|
sense[E8]
cts [E3]-----------8

I turn the radio on and I get PC PROG when I try to read the radio with EDACS 18 it says "Could not initialize radio. Make sure the radio is in programming mode....etc".
What am I doing wrong?
Can any one help me ?
I double checked all the connections and cables...still nothing
Do I need more than rx-d, tx-d, cts, gnd to program?

All help counts and will be much appreciate!

 

[mm]

I think your missing the TQ3370 programming interface box in your setup, you should not be connecting the radio programming cables DB connector end directly to your PC.

The TQ3370/ Price P96A is a level translator used for converting the RS-232 Computer data to the correct data levels for the MRK radio.

The correct MRK cable is a TQ3368 which is a UDC to female DB-25 cable which then connects up to the TQ3370 programming box which does the PC to Radio translation.

I use the price industries equivalent setup but unfortunately Price industries is now out of business but you may be able to find the Price P96A programming box and the MRK cable on E-bay.

So to summarize things you need at the PC end a serial port connection or a USB to serial converter which connects to the TQ3370/P96A programming box then from the programming box's DB-25 male port you have the radio programming cable a TQ3368/or a price MRK cable going to the MRK's UDC connector.


Mike

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

I see .... I was hopping that it works without since GE Orion works perfect with ribless cable. I also read on some forums that other people use this cable [ GE/Ericsson MRK LPE Jaguar 700P Radio Programming Cable | eBay ] for programming M-RK II and works fine. If that cable is man-made....someone should know the pin-out or how is made...

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

BTW I thank you " mm" for your reply!

 

[mm]

I always used a TQ3370 or a P96 serial cable only because I started with the MPD then the MPA but now I have all of these models plus the MRK and Orions.

That e-bay cable will probably work for programming fine.

I remember that price industries was selling a serial to radio cable at one time but since I already had a P96 interface box I saved some money by purchasing the radio to interface box cable.

looking back I wish I had that type of cable now, it's a pain to have to have to keep track of the 2 cables and the interface box, especially when I have programming equipment for Motorola, Ge, Ericsson, Icom, Vertex, Bendix King, Wulfsberg, Garmin, Midland .... and others that I try to forget about.

You'll probably be fine with that cable and your MRK's, if you need any SC or SC4 files to move frequencies out of band I can help in that field of programming.


Actually thank you, I wasn't aware of RF guys and a good friend needs programming for some old midland syntech I and syntech II radios and it looks like they have what he needs.

I priced out a single PC board and parts to make a similar programming cable small quantities and it was more than they are charging for their cables.

I guess if I wanted to make a living building and selling programming cables I'd do it in quantity but my line is Avionics Transmitter designs so even then I wouldn't have the time to make up programming cables and such.


MM

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

Thank you for the offer MM! I have to be able to make it communicate with my PC first. [-O<

 

[HarrisRF]

just an FYI, i have both programming cables above and the TQ box. I have not been able to program a MRK without the TQ box. I believe the MRK can be programmed without the TQ box only if its latest and greatest flash!! without the db-25 to UDC and TQ box you may be wasting your money.

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

My flash version is G13-3.00 ,is it too old?

 

[FPPD134]

Same Problem

I bought the same cable and habe programer RPMR18... and have sthe same issue? Does the cable work or not?? or do I need to buy interface??

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

I really don`t know ... I am still trying to program my mrk2 but no luck. maybe nobody has done that...or nobody is willing to help us...don`t know

 

[radioman2001]

deleted

 

[FPPD134]

Radio Man you have any insite???

 

[Radioman96p71]

Some older radios HAD to have +12v on the proper pin, without it the radio would go into program mode but the computer could not communicate. The real-deal OEM box provides that normally. Out of the dozen or so MRKs ive had across the bench only 1 of them had to have the +12v to write.

I use a ribless Price Industries cable. Ive modified it to have a 9v battery plug sticking out the bottom for just such an occasion so i can give it what its after.

 

[FPPD134]

Mrk

Radioman96p71- I have 3 and all three will not communicate. I bought the RF guys ribless cable. I then had to buy a "Staples" pin to usb to connect to lap top. RFguys said that it could be that I was using windows 7. So i tried XP to no avail on all 3 radios. I am having no luck.....Any Suggestions?? Some one said that I needed a updated version of the software????

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

how do you know if the radio needs +12V on that pin? You know that the radio will fry ( or some of components) if the pin is not wright....

 

[Radioman96p71]

Software version should not matter. You will know you need 12V if it won't read

Does that cable work with any other radios? (could the cable be bad?)

I've programmed all my MRK's with Windows 7, software has never given me an issue.

BTW it is pin E3 that needs the +12 applied to it. Pin E3 is the upper right pin if you are looking at the side of the radio.

 

[RADIO_ROOKIE]

Thank you so much!!!
I will try that and let you know!