Help me program a P99+ Astro Spectra Hi Power and a Mid Power Astro Mobile

[kk4aio]

I have two radios Im attempting to program:

High power Astro Spectra Model T99DX+099W_ASTRO
ID T04KLH9PW9AN
Ser 412AWS0076

86W Astro Mobile
Mod T99DX+086W_ASTRO
ID D04KKF9PW4AN
SER 412ABU3902

Both are the "1MEG" models

I have RFGuys RIB-Less cables for both that are confirmed the correct cables.

I have a 15A power supply that should be sufficient for mere programming.

I am using an older Dell Pentium 4 based machine with a real serial port. I have checked BIOS to be sure the port is set up correctly. I set it to COM3, which is my only option other than COM1. I have various versions of windows CPS and LOADS of DOS based programming software for motorolas.

Can you please let me know which version and which software I am supposed to be using with these?

I use version r06.04.00 in windows and get the Couldnt open port, check rib, radio etc error message.

HELP!

Seriously I'm a techy guy...and this makes no sense. Ive even tried my old circa 2000 sony vaio laptop to no avail.

Thanks

Charles
KK4AIO



When I do the "read radio" bit...i get a blinking red light on the rib...or on the radio depending on whether im ribbed or ribless lol..


Ive tried WITH and WITHOUT the USB adapter. But all seem to give me the same situation.

 

[MTS2000des]

It is possible (and likely) that these radios were written to with later Astro Spectra CPS and thus the older DOS based RSS won't recognize the codeplug headers and just crash thinking there is a connection/PC issue. If you can find a copy of it, run it on Windows XP. Your cables don't sound like the issue if the RIB is "talking". Your PC should be more than adequate for running Astro Spectra CPS, check your "loads" for this application, install and try again.

 

[mikewazowski]

You want Astro CPS R05.03.00.

 

[cmdrwill]

There IS a known problem with the Motorola RIB. And from the photo that is a knock off box that does not work well .

 

[kk4aio]

I gotcha was worth a shot when the RIBless didn’t work!
I’ll try Astro CPS. What’s this regular CPS for?

 

[kk4aio]

Can you tell me the benefits of RIB vs RIBless?

 

[a417]

RIBless cables introduce another (annoying) issue to track down, and that's the USB <--> Serial conversion. Between poor compliance w/ standards, knockoff chips that were deprecated by the manufacturer, intentionally sabotaged windows drivers, very poor quality control in some cases and just genuine scam artists that were out there trying to make a buck on ebay, many people would get these new fangled devices and not understand what was the issue when they got communications errors reported.

A RIB attached to a serial port for me means that I have the computer interface pathway that was preferred at the time of radio production and would more likely work than not. DOS + RIB + RS232 meant that I would very likely be able to program my Spectras whenever I needed to. As computers started to introduce higher speed busses like USB (and others), the computers would be literally too fast to run DOS based programs that required specific processor timings to communicate effectively with the radios on hand...and you'd get the infamous "DIVIDE BY 0" RSS crash error.

If you're working with a newer radio (line) that was produced (roughly) after the early 2000s, chances are the USB would be the cheapest (and most disposable) method of programming. Anything from early 2000s and older was more inclined to be programmed by a RIB with best results. RIBs cost more, and require a reliable tried and true RS232 port. USB RIBless cables required USB host support (something that quickly replaced the serial port on modern computers) and consequently came with faster processors that wouldn't reliably program older radios.

 

[mikewazowski]

I’ll try Astro CPS. What’s this regular CPS for?

Motorola makes many versions of CPS for different radios but none of them are called "regular". What does the splash screen say when the program starts up?

 

[kk4aio]

Motorola makes many versions of CPS for different radios but none of them are called "regular". What does the splash screen say when the program starts up?

Youre right...nothing about Motorola is "regular." The one I tried had no splash but was R06.04.00

I understand that once these radios are programmed in windows, theyre unprogrammable in a dos based RSS right? I have a boatload of software, but not the CPS version mentioned above.

 

[kk4aio]

Just for clarification these are what I'm programming.

 

[petnrdx]

I didn't think there was ever a DOS version for Astro Spectra.
Am I wrong on that?

 

[kk4aio]

I didn't think there was ever a DOS version for Astro Spectra.
Am I wrong on that?

I dont know either.....Ive been trying to program these two radios for a colleague for nearly three months now...to no avail. Seriously gotta get them done. Anyone willing to help further, please message me!

 

[kk4aio]

So is the CPS listed above the ONLY way to program these radios?

I've invested in a couple hundred bucks worth of cables and am at a standstill on this thing. Help?? Direct Message me?

 

[MTS2000des]

You need Astro Spectra CPS to program Astro Spectras. No one is going to provide copyrighted software on a public forum, the rules are pretty clear here. That being said, it is out there. One is just going to have to put in the work to find it. It is NLA from Motorola. So, let your fingers do the walking.

You have everything else hardware and PC wise needed.

 

[kk4aio]

Totally understand. Haven't been able to find it in my huge repository of stuff or online.....I really am about to send back my cables and give up. I got volunteered to program these two radios by my ham club and I'm really not cool with being out a couple hundred for useless cabling.

 

[Syncopations]

I've used RIBless cables to program those Astro Spectra radios with multiple successes. I'm using a serial port on a Dell laptop running Windows XP.

 

[kk4aio]

FOUND IT!

For someone used to the DOS based RSS stuff....

Where's the channel frequency inputs in this software? Ive got the radio reading now but ...im kinda confused as to what to do now.

Let me know

C

 

[FFPM571]

FOUND IT!

For someone used to the DOS based RSS stuff....

Where's the channel frequency inputs in this software? Ive got the radio reading now but ...im kinda confused as to what to do now.

Let me know

C

Why would you volunteer to program someones radios drop " hundreds of dollars" on cables. Not have the software and the knowledge how to program them?

 

[a417]

Why would you volunteer to program someones radios drop " hundreds of dollars" on cables. Not have the software and the knowledge how to program them?

...and you honestly got taken at that price. The RIB is the most expensive part of that setup to program them, a set of pliers, cat 5 cable and some d-sub blanks and pins and you can easily make your own. I would send the cables back pronto.

 

[kk4aio]

Clarification I spent 30 on the rib. A hundred on the RIBless pair, another fifty on the rib cables.

I’ve programmed literally hundreds of other radios over the years and I “WAS VOLUNTEERED” as in pushed into it.

I think I’ve figured it out —“personalities” are the channels. From there I’m golden.