Motorola Astro Saber Programming Cable

[RadioCheckk]

Hey team,

Looking for someone to point me in the right direction to buy a Motorola Astro Saber programming cable. I checked online and found several websites selling it but sold out. I am not in the market to make my own because I'd rather program the radio and use then make a cable (I know it will be cheaper).

Thanks!

 

[vagrant]

I think I purchased one a few years back from a guy on eBay who makes quite a few for different radios. I think it was 49er...checking ahhh yes BlueMax49ers. Perhaps reach out to him directly if he does not have one listed.

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www.ebay.com

 

[RadioCheckk]

I think I purchased one a few years back from a guy on eBay who makes quite a few for different radios. I think it was 49er...checking ahhh yes BlueMax49ers. Perhaps reach out to him directly if he does not have one listed.

Security Measure

www.ebay.com

Thanks. I've bought my XTS3000 cable from him. I thought about that too and reached out to him. Just waiting for him to get back to me. Thanks 👍

 

[N4KVE]

For years I was looking for an Astro Saber ribless cable similar to what I use to use on my XTS3000. Never seen one, so it was always “find the rib, battery, and cables“. But yet the 3000 which I’m told is a similar radio in a different case would work with a ribless cable. Now I don’t care because I don’t use the radios any more, but I always thought it was strange no ribless Astro Saber cable existed. And I even texted all the cable vendors.

 

[N0ZPK]

I may have an extra one , pm me and I’ll get back to you..
Michael

 

[chrismol1]

For years I was looking for an Astro Saber ribless cable similar to what I use to use on my XTS3000. Never seen one, so it was always “find the rib, battery, and cables“. But yet the 3000 which I’m told is a similar radio in a different case would work with a ribless cable. Now I don’t care because I don’t use the radios any more, but I always thought it was strange no ribless Astro Saber cable existed. And I even texted all the cable vendors.

Popped the lid off mine, a real astro saber ribless cable I got a decade ago,, and it states MAXTON MT-RIB-00, 3 lines in from the cable, and 2 more for the 9V batt lead. I'm guessing here, its probably not much different that other model ribless ones maxton sells now, pieced together with the rib'd cable is all. I think it was only a short time run for them as I haven't seen any other ones in years since I bought one

 

[RadioCheckk]

For years I was looking for an Astro Saber ribless cable similar to what I use to use on my XTS3000. Never seen one, so it was always “find the rib, battery, and cables“. But yet the 3000 which I’m told is a similar radio in a different case would work with a ribless cable. Now I don’t care because I don’t use the radios any more, but I always thought it was strange no ribless Astro Saber cable existed. And I even texted all the cable vendors.

I'm prepared with the RIB "box" just needing the cable which seems to be short of availability.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

It becomes even more fun when you realize the Astro Saber's cable is different from the one the Saber used and many techs simply converted their Saber cables and didn't mark them...as converted.

I don't know if I've ever seen a Motorola OEM ribless cable for Astro Sabers or XTS3000s. Part of the argument for using the RIB was that the TTL levels generated were regulated off the 9V or 12V supply being able to produce constant current (depending on which model RIB you were using) and therefore more stable and reliable compared to the +/- 15V levels that came off or RS-232 which is what the RIBless cables use also making it much more stable when using USB<>RS-232 adapters in the early days as current availability at the USB port fluctuated. The XTS3000 used the same setup as the Jedi series (but you had to remove a metal clamp from the OEM cable to mate it with the XTS3000. That was part of the beauty with the RIB though...you only have to buy the box with the active components once...not every time you get a new radio in that needs to be programmed.

Best bet to find a cable is via eBay if you are not willing to make your own an old RSM or something.

 

[wa8pyr]

It becomes even more fun when you realize the Astro Saber's cable is different from the one the Saber used and many techs simply converted their Saber cables and didn't mark them...as converted.

I solved this problem by building an interface cable which converts the Saber cable into an Astro Saber cable. Just a couple of pins different. Works like a charm and no surgery needed on the cable itself.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I solved this problem by building an interface cable which converts the Saber cable into an Astro Saber cable. Just a couple of pins different. Works like a charm and no surgery needed on the cable itself.

There was actually an OEM converter interface that did that as well. It's just two pins if I remember correctly.

 

[RadioCheckk]

Thanks all. I ended up finding an Astro Saber programming cable on eBay. I also learned that the Saber and Astro Saber programming cables are different.

 

[ElroyJetson]

If I remember correctly, and it has been a while, there are just two pin assignments that are different between the Saber and Astro Saber cables, and I had a cable that I configured with a switch installed in the DB25 housing that handled this configuration change. I think it moved the wire connecting pin 7 to pin 11, and vice versa. Not sure about that. Unfortunately I lost my cable in 2014 in the chaos when the company I worked for was absorbed by another company, and I left. I thought I'd grabbed all my personally owned cables and property, but actually I missed several items. A Motorola SmartRib was among those items. Darn it.
As of now I don't have a programming cable for either type. And I need one.