Saber II vs. Saber III Programming Options

[wdatkinson]

I just received a Saber II that I picked up off of ebay today. As I was sitting down to program it, I noticed some definite differences between the RSS options for the Saber II and the Saber III that I already have.

1). If you are working with Zone/Channel config, it would appear that you are stuck with 3 character zone names and 5 character channel names. I looked at the options and one mentioned that if I turned off zone names, I could get 8 character channel names. However that doesn't seem to hold true. The only way I can get 8 character channel names is to convert the radio to channel-only config. Can anyone confirm my findings or is there a trick?

2). The Saber II beeps on every push of the PTT. I don't find an RSS option to change this. I do have the option set to mute tones via the menu, but I'd like to just blank out the PTT beep, if possible.

3). I used to have an STX issued through my department. Our configuration had the first channel in each zone configured so it would display the name of the zone. Then starting at position 2, the actual channels started. Obviously this wasted a channel in the zone, but it allowed for longer zone names and longer channel names. When you selected channel 1 in any of the zones, the radio would emit a buzz letting you know you weren't on a valid channel. I haven't found a way to duplicate this behavior with any of my Sabers (II, III, Astro II). Given with the Astro II, I now have a pixel display vs. a character display, but would still like to know if it can be done.

Thanks in advance to anyone that can help.

 

[ElroyJetson]

1: That's the way it is. 8 character names are possible only if you select channel only operation.

2: The PTT beep indicates the radio is programmed as secure capable and the beep is
the clear mode alert tone. It's to alert you to the fact that your transmission is not going to
be encrypted. You can turn that off by selecting the "delete clear mode alert tones on TX"
option.

I find the PTT beep to be a desirable feature. I program it into every radio that I'm going
to use. But that's personal preference.

3: Sabers can't do that. But you should be able to program an Astro in a comparable
fashion, by first dedicating all available display characters (all 14 of them) to the mode
name, and none to the zone name, and starting out each zone with a non-transmitting
channel with the zone name displayed as a channel name.


Elroy

 

[wdatkinson]

1). I figured as much, but thought I'd ask.

2). I don't necessarily mind it either, just curious. My Saber III is SecureNet as well. How can I enable the beep on transmit on it as well as my Astro II?

3). I've actually thought of that, but the radio doesn't tone when you select that channel. Just curious how they did that. I never really looked the programming for those radios.

Thanks for the info/help.

 

[wdatkinson]

One other question. I don't find an option in RSS to configure the two small buttons below the PTT on my Saber II. There are options on my Systems Saber III/Astro Saber II.

Particularly I was looking to assign on to the nuisance delete and the other to the repeater/talk around feature.

 

[Grog]

One other question. I don't find an option in RSS to configure the two small buttons below the PTT on my Saber II. There are options on my Systems Saber III/Astro Saber II.

Particularly I was looking to assign on to the nuisance delete and the other to the repeater/talk around feature.

First you need to remember that the Astro, Systems, and (regular) Sabers are all three different radios that just happen to look similar.

Maybe (big maybe) the last versions of the saber can use those two buttons, but most of them out there are not capable of using them. Those might be the 8D or 7D versions but I cannot confirm as I don't have one that late

 

[ElroyJetson]

The extra buttons below the PTT on a Saber are the RAT buttons (Repeater Access Tone)
and they're available for single tone or sequential tone usage. I've used them as test
tones for setting modulation.

But (if I recall this correctly, it has been a little while) they're only accessible if your radio
has the 6D or 8D master option.

An easy way to tell if your radio has that is to enable it in the options screen and then
try to program the radio. If it errors out, you don't have that option. If it takes it,
you do.

Or you can just pay attention to what the read screen says when you go to read the radio.
It'll say "reading 6D CORE" or "reading 5D CORE" or "reading 8D CORE" as is appropriate.

As for the secure alert beep, the option to "enable clear mode alert tones" is somewhere
in the software, in secure configuration for the Astros, and in the feature options for the Sabers.

Incidentally, you can tell a Saber that it's whatever you want it to be. I've programmed short chassis
non-secure-capable Sabers as secure capable just to get that beep. Just create a new personality
file with the appropriate model number and build your codeplug. A non-secure H43SAK7139AN model gets
a secure H43QXK7139AN codeplug.

And on VHF radios, the H43 bandsplits are pretty limited. Reprogram as an H33 and you get wider bandsplits
with minimal (if any) degradation in the newly accessible band areas. 146-162 becomes 146-174.



I was thinking that maybe with the STX, they'd programmed the first channel with a
display name but assigned no personality to that slot. You can do that, with an STX,
IIRC.

The STX software is (was) pretty versatile. The ability to first create your personalities
and then assign them where you want them was a step forward. Astros do that, too,
and so do most newer radios, but it started with the STX.

The only thing I didn't like about the STX radios was their low quality speaker audio.
Other than that, and their size, I still consider them to be quite good radios, particularly
if they've got a late version GPL or GPS series controller in them. (GPS 1.1...oh yeah!)

I think I've got some secure back assemblies for STX radios lying around. if anyone
wants them, they can have them. Just pay shipping.


Elroy

 

[wdatkinson]

Elroy,

Thanks for the info. The STX's were good rugged radios. I remember leaving mine on the hood of my personal car and taking off down the road with an old girl friend driving. When I told her to slow down, she locked up the brakes and my STX turned into a bullet and skipped down the street for about half a block. When I retrieved it, the case was a little scuffed, and I had to snap back on the speaker cover, but other than that, I carried that radio for a number of years before getting promoted and getting an XTS3000.