motorola astro spectra flashcode decoder

My best guess is this is an artifact of the extra header data for Depot. When you convert the bin files from the depot s-records, they have 5 extra bytes at the beginning of the file compared to a standard s-record directly read from a radio. That requires a little extra work to get the srec1 files into a usable format for the 'usual' tools mentioned above. Since 99% of the population has neither of those, we have to force the data into the radio another way. Normally to write these to the radio, you'd use a SmartRIB and a FlashKey (the parallel port kind) and do it straight from depot. These are basically the standard s-record files mentioned above, with some extra data to allow them to be read/written by the Depot application. To convert between S19 and Bin files, I use the srec2bin tool from .Ĭreating Codeplugs with Astro Spectra DepotĪstro Spectra Depot is able to save created codeplugs as.

Similary (and much more easily) the binary conversions of these S-record files can be read/written with MotoTools. Individual results will inevitably vary, but the general idea remains the same across both the Spectra and Astro Spectra lines - the VCO boards are the same for both platforms.Īstro Spectra S-Records can be read and written with MTSXLab. The value of this resistor can vary, and values from 100K all the way to 400K have been shown to work. A detailed walkthrough of the mod can be found at the RepeaterBuilder website. This slightly lowers or raises the operating frequency range of the PLL and allows for tuning of the frequencies desired. To allow the VCO PLL circuit to lock at the lower or higher amateur frequencies (depending on the bandsplit of the radio), a resistor must be placed from the negative VCO steering line to ground, or from the negative SL to the positive SL. Luckily, a simple hardware mod can resolve this issue. While some models will tune all the way to 440 MHz with no problem, others will experience VCO unlock at around 443 MHz, leaving the lower portion of the band unusable. This can present a problem for amateur use, as the easiest bandsplit to use in the ham bands is the 450-482 MHz model. In practice, maximum out-of-band tuning can be limited to anywhere from 3 MHz all the way up to 10 MHz, varying from radio to radio. However, the design of the Spectra VCO circuitry is such that large deviations from the designed frequency range are difficult. The Astro Spectra CPS can be easily modified to accept out-of-band frequencies using the Hex-Edit Method. Software Available Flashcode Options Flashcode EditingįDBTool can update flashcode options on Astro Spectras. The colors used in this diagram are also the correct wire colors found in the OEM W3 cables. Motorola is very inconsistent with their RJ45 pin numbering, but in this case pin 1 is the standard RJ45 pin 1 (far left with tab facing down). Note that inside the rubber boot of the W3 head is an RJ45 connector. If you want to homebrew a W3 control head cable, the connections are as follows: These audio settings can be found in the Radio Configuration -> Radio-Wide -> Audio Gain Options section of CPS. However, as found through testing and tweaking by members of communications.support, there exists a much better setting for Astro radios that can make the transmitted audio from these units sound even better. The default settings are fine, and most people will have no complaints with the quality of audio from these radios. 3.4.1 Creating Codeplugs with Astro Spectra DepotĪnalog and digital audio is processed by the audio DSP before it is sent through the RF section and transmitted.

Motorola astro spectra flashcode decoder