Hi from Boston, newb pulled the trigger!

Hey All!

New to the board, not to the interweb.
Just bought a CF-29 off eBay, getting ready to join the insanity.

-Jason

 

welcome aboard and within a few days you will be buying more and within a month you'll be filling up of a toughbook, Lol


ohlip

 

Good luck. I hope you have your immunizations because it is a PLAGUE!!! GOOD FREAKIN' LUCK!

 

Yep within 2 weeks of ordering my CF-29, I ended up with a CF-51. Not sure why but I might be looking for another one to rehab and give to a family member who needs durability. Or that's what I believe the intent was.

Welcome to the section. Plenty of knowledge to soak up here.

 

Thanks. Think I'm gonna' need it. Looked up the model on the configurator before buying, turns out to be a former SBC unit: CF-29HTM50BM

Bought it b/c I need to program some Motorola 2-way radios for my road race team. Needed a machine that could boot a floppy with the programming software on it and the interface cable requires a serial port.

 

Hopefully you plan on using the newer Windows based RSS. The older DOS based software will not run correctly on a machine as fast as a CF-29 and you will get codeplug corruption that will eventually screw up the radios. I am sure of this.

 

Well... that's not good news since the primary reason for buying the unit was to use the DOS software.

Azrial-
Any idea where I can source the Windows based RSS?

 

Why not get a 286- or 386-based PC or laptop and dedicate it to running the DOS-based Motorola Radio Service Software (RSS) you already have? Probably a lot cheaper than the Windows-based RSS.

You really need to read the information here: "An overview of the Motorola Radio Service Software (RSS), the Radio Interface Box (RIB), their history, problems and some solutions"

 

Known in `the trade' as "bricking" the radio.

The voice of experience?

 

WoW, not only r there Toughbook nuts on here but radio nuts too thats just great hehe

 

Weez got ALL kinda nuts around here...

When someone says, "Ask me how I know!" or "I am sure of this".... You can usually take that as the voice of direct experience... This is how we learn!

 

It depends on the radio, some models of radio never had Windows Based RSS written for them.

When using DOS based RSS you want a 486 DX66MHz through a Pentium 90 based PC with real DOS installed, even if you have Windows installed as well.

You also want a PC with a serial port, which is normal for PC of this period. I have seen folks try an use a USB to serial adapter, with the disastrous results that TopCop19 58 was referring to when he spoke of "Bricking!"

Have I ever done it, yes, but I never corrupted a codeplug that I was not able to correct, even if it had to be done at the Hex level...

 

I've used Spectra, Maxtrac and MTSX RSSes on a mk4 CF-29 so I think you're safe. (OEM RIB and OEM programming cables help too.) On the CF-30 I made a bootable USB key to DOS since DOS doesn't have (no way!) SATA drivers!

Of course, if you have 'that' software make an s-record first in case you do end up bricking it.

In the Windows world now it's all about whether it works with Windows 7 or not. AAARGH. Although most work in the virtual Windows XP machine that you can download free from MS if you have Win 7 Pro/Enterprise or Ultimate.

 

I have seen folks use DOS RSS in a Dos Window under XP, it is not supposed to run that way, Motorola will tell you this if you ask them and it is will eventually corrupt a codeplug.

This may not be a huge problem if you are talking a 18 Ch radio and are able to save it. It is when you are talking 255 Chs...

But, have fun!

 

I'm thinking I'll give it a go with one of the rougher condition radios. I'll be running off a floppy, haven't done that in over a decade (I'm a Mac guy first).

After doing a bunch of research, there's quite a few things in the to be disabled in the 29's BIOS (caching features of newer CPUs, built-in devices that won't be needed but might try to jack system resources, etc.)

Once I get things cobbled together, I'll report back. Supposedly the 29 is getting delivered sometime today by FedEx.

 

What Moto radios are you planning on using?

 

Got some GP300's to work with.

 

High Band or UHF? What is(are) the Model Number(s)? Example: P94YPC00C2AA (my radios).

You may find this interesting: Programming Motorola GP 300

 

UHF, Model# P94YPC20C2AA and D2AA

That's the exact hardware interface cable I'll be trying out.

 

P94YPC20C2AA:
GP 300, 4W UHF (403-520MHz), 20/25 kHz Channel Spacing, 16 Channels, High Split (438-470 MHz)

P94YPC20D2AA:
GP 300, 4W UHF (403-520MHz), 20/25 kHz Channel Spacing, 8 Channels, High Split (438-470 MHz)

I still suggest getting a cheap 386, or slow 486, PC or laptop and dedicate it to RSS programming.

Better safe :smile: than sorry

 

Guys... is THIS OLD ENOUGH?!?

And before you ask, NO... this is not some Photoshopped pic from Popular Mechanics 25 years ago; it is real, right now, on my workbench in that condition.

The Tandy Model 200 has the dubious distinction of being that product which contains the last code Bill Gates ever wrote himself; it introduced to the mass-market the clamshell design that to this day is associated with laptop computing. It runs for weeks on 4 readily available AA batteries and it comes back up instantly right where you left it; there is no boot time because there is no OS. No, it is not Y2K-compliant.

mnem
*Antique computer-geek collecting antique computers*

 

So is this "Back to the Future" or "Future to the Back"?

 

Man what an antique... and that is an old laptop as well!

But since it uses a Intel 80C85A running at a blazingly fast 2.4MHz it will be several generations too slow. This came out after the Intel 8080 CPU and before the 8086. Then there was the 80186 (Tandy 2000), 80286, 80386, and finally the 80486 that is recommended. That and the fact that as has pointed out, there is no OS per say. What there is a proprietary version of GWBasic and no MS-DOS, which is what RSS requires.

Plus the "graphics" are only a 40 character 16 line display LCD display, also a no go.

But, I am pretty sure that I am telling Mnementh nothing that he didn't know. This is for the benefit of others that may seriously be considering this anachronism for programming Batwing radios. In short, don't.

If you like idea of a rugged computer for programming I would suggest another of, believe it or not, Tandy's laptops. The GRiD!

They bought the company to acquire laptop technology and ready did little with it. Like the Toughbook these early rugged bad boys were a favorite of the Feds and can be had in the suggested speed and CPU range!

 

Looks like the new MID...lol