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Motorola systems saber software
- Thread starter Korn8579
- Start date
The Systems Saber RSS, of course. It runs under DOS and you'll be lucky if it runs under Windows XP on a 486 class CPU. I would not bet on it working properly on any computer that is newer/more modern than that, unless you have no intention of actually reading from the radio or writing to it.
Korn8579
Newbie
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2025
- Messages
- 2
okay, thanks
prcguy
Member
It works fine on my 75MHz 386. Does anyone under 50yrs old even know DOS commands these days?
Sadly I can still remember how to write autoexec.bat and config.sys files from memory.
And do stupid things from the DOS prompt.
C:
del . /u
Oops. Unless intentional.
And do stupid things from the DOS prompt.
C:
del . /u
Oops. Unless intentional.
I'll be 40 tomorrow and I know DOS. I started with a 66 MHz 386 with like 4 or 8 MB of RAM (can't remember exactly, I just remember we had to upgrade to 16 MB of RAM to be able to get internet access from our local ISP) running DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.11 #memorylane
prcguy
Member
Wow 66MHz and 16M RAM, you were living in the fast lane. My first actual PC that I eventually used for some early Motorola stuff was a 12MHz 286 with 10mb hard drive, brand new on the market at the time and cost me $2,175 with a company discount through a friend. I was a mad man with a RIB programming HT600s, M208s, M216s and eventually Sabers and Spectras.
I recently came across a few floppies that have +/- 10MHz extended frequency range for the Saber called LAPD Saber. I remember paying a guy to do the same thing to System Saber and also Visar software back then.
Project25_MASTR
Millennial Graying OBT Guy
I know DOS decently. I'm 33.
I've got a 386 around here somewhere...mainly use MS-DOS 7.1 on a Centrino laptop for programming these days (laptop also boots Windows 10 but that's a different story).
I've got a 386 around here somewhere...mainly use MS-DOS 7.1 on a Centrino laptop for programming these days (laptop also boots Windows 10 but that's a different story).
D04+/-10M was the name (an alternate name) of that Saber software with the 10 MHz frequency range extension.
My favorite trick was simply to program an H43 Saber as an H33 model which instantly gave you a much wider bandsplit. Power output didn't really suffer much, not that I noticed anyway, when operating out of the PA module's bandsplit range.
I'm kind of surprised that I haven't actually committed all possible Saber bandsplits to memory. At one time I had, but can't recall some of them now.
My favorite trick was simply to program an H43 Saber as an H33 model which instantly gave you a much wider bandsplit. Power output didn't really suffer much, not that I noticed anyway, when operating out of the PA module's bandsplit range.
I'm kind of surprised that I haven't actually committed all possible Saber bandsplits to memory. At one time I had, but can't recall some of them now.
kayn1n32008
ØÆSØ Say it, say 'ENCRYPTION'
Very fuzzy, barely under 50 myself.
My Tough book CF30 runs Systems Saber RSS just fine, but I boot to DOS using a Win98 startup disc. Once in DOS, I change directories to my MRSS folder and boom, it works great.
I used to have it dual booted, so I'd select DOS or Windows 7 during boot up, but there was a Windows update that broke it and I was too lazy to make it work again, hence why I just leave the Win98 disc in the tray. I do have the OS disc split into two partitions, one for Windows and one for DOS. You do not need an old 386 or 486, but you do need to run it in pure DOS, not a DOS Box or other emulator.
Good luck.
I used to have it dual booted, so I'd select DOS or Windows 7 during boot up, but there was a Windows update that broke it and I was too lazy to make it work again, hence why I just leave the Win98 disc in the tray. I do have the OS disc split into two partitions, one for Windows and one for DOS. You do not need an old 386 or 486, but you do need to run it in pure DOS, not a DOS Box or other emulator.
Good luck.
What Version Systems Saber RSS do you have ?
Project25_MASTR
Millennial Graying OBT Guy
Sometimes is just as simple as making sure the cache is disabled...
R04.00.02 - 07 Oct 1994. Sorry for the crappy picture. It was easier to just take a pic of the screen on the CF30.
Attachments
That’s the one I wish I had. I think my laptop would read my radio with that RSS. I have this much older RSS that won’t communicate with the radio
As I remember, the oldest RSS titles were written for the 8250 UART serisl controller chip, which became obsolete and was replaced by the 16 bit 16550 UART serial controller chip somewhere in the 386 era. Those old RSS titles didn't rely on Windows to handle the serial interface, and thus if the chip in the PC is not the type they were written for, the serial port doesn't work.
That's how I remember it. Not saying I'm strictly 100 percent accurate about this. Not even sure I'm 1 percent accurate, to be quite honest about it.
That's how I remember it. Not saying I'm strictly 100 percent accurate about this. Not even sure I'm 1 percent accurate, to be quite honest about it.
According to Google's AI, "The 8250 has a single-byte buffer, while the 16550 has a 16-byte FIFO buffer." You'd think that software designed for the 8250 would work OK with a 16550, and much of it did. But, there's probably more to the story than just the buffers.
I've found AIs to be incredibly unreliable, particularly with more obscure data. I've seen it lie to me with confidence several times.
AI is far from mature or reliable enough to be citing it as an authoritative source.
AI is far from mature or reliable enough to be citing it as an authoritative source.
I found other sources which back up the buffer size difference between the 8250 and 16550. Next time, I won't mention what AI said so as to not trigger you. 
