5300 Programming Nightmare

[W0VNE]

Just an update to the programming nightmare. I have a few radios that boot up super fast and I think are saying V202.
Anyhow I found that I needed to switch to 9600 baud to read or program these radios. Note this changes the options that you can program to the radio. Don't give up. The software versions need to be the correct one for the radio.

[n8tvu]

I found in the 5300 HELP section that Johnson suggest using a KEYSPAN USA-19HS USB to 9 pin RS-232 converter. I also had several other USB converters tha did not work, however the KEYSPAN does and I actually found mine on EBAY-that fixed the read write error. The other thing, in PREFENCE you can set the delay times higher which will fix other compatibility issues created by "lag time" between the computer, software and hardware latency.

One other thing on the software, Under TOOLS open PREFERENCES one the next page, click on OTHER under SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS increase the SEND/GET DELAY time. That makes the software "wait" for a response from the hardware-it worked on mine!

[motorcoachdoug]

Well I picked up a 5300 ascend series radio and it first says v6.5 then v6.15 A21 after that. I am having the same trouble here that everyone else has been having to program radio as well it saying Communication problem during upload. I have ordered the KEYSPAN USA-19HS USB on e bay and now it is a waiting game until it gets here. I tried everything else that others have tried also. Even using PCConfigure 2.18.2 ,2.18.6 ,with both my old laptop running windows xp and my desktop using windows 7 but run the program in windows xp. Are the cables from RF Guys worth getting if they will not even work??/ Needless to say i feel the frustration that others have gone thru with the same trouble and glad I am not the only one..

[jim202]

You need to set your port to serial and the port your using, like 1 or 2. Then it should then ask you for the port speed and that should be3 set to 19200 baud rate.

This should clear up the error message your receiving.

Jim

[W0VNE]

I got a lot of help from this group and put this together in the hopes it helps someone else. Some of this might not be correct. I've found that with PCConfig that except for the Pre Version 1 radios you can use any baud rate except 9600 Baud. For those old pre ver 1 radios the only baud rate that worked for me was 9600. Depending on the speed of the computer the faster machines need to have serial send/get delay added. Click Tools, Preferences and click the Other tab to find it. Larger numbers add time between bytes and you can set this and click default to make it the standard.

I don't know if this will format but if anyone is interested here is some stuff I've put together.
FIRMWARE OLDEST TO LAST KNOWN
5100 Version 1 1.18.15 – 1.20.11 The 1.20.11 version was released to make it impossible to ID radios as non Motorola (Target them)
5100 Version 2 2.08.15 – 2.10.09
5100 Version 3 x.xx.xx - 3.10.06 The Ver 3s seem rare and this is the only version I've seen.
5100 Version 4 4.08.10 – 4.14.05
5100 Version 6ES 6.02.11 – 6.18.0 I've got radios that display 6.18.0 but no program to upgrade to anything past 6.16.10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5300 Version 1 1.30.15 – 1.32.11
5300 Version 2 2.08.15 – 2.10.09
5300 Version 3 x.xx.xx - ??.??.??
5300 Version 4 4.08.10 – 4.14.09
5300 Version 6ES 6.02.11 – 6.16.09

Radio’s File Formats Ver PCConfigure Used
File Format 5.6 [1.17.05 - 1.8.1.12]
File Format 5.7 [1.08.02.07 – 1.21.01.01]
File Format 5.8 [1.21.02.0 – 1.29.0]
File Format 5.9 [1.29.01 – 2.05.03]
File Format 5.10 [2.05.04 – 2.12.07]
File Format 5.11 [2.13.0 – 2.18.6]

These are the versions of PCConfigure that I've seen in the wild. If you have any that aren't on this list?
SEEN IN THE WILD PCCONFIGURE VERSIONS
1.08.00
1.22.00.04
1.24.00.00
1.24.00.06
1.26.00.04
1.28.00.01
1.28.00.08
1.30.07 Version Supplied to Civil Air Patrol
2.01.00
2.04.06
2.04.08
2.06.09
2.06.11
2.08.02
2.08.04
2.10.01
2.10.02
2.12.06
2.12.07
2.14.05
2.14.10
2.16.03
2.18.02
2.18.03
2.18.06
Backward readability with newer versions.
You can not take a Code plug in File Format 5.9 and read it with a version designed to read 5.7 or 5.8 However you can read an older rev version file in a newer rev of PCConfigure. For example 2.18.6 should read File Format 5.10. 5.9, 5.8, 5.7, 5.6 edit it and will slesyd write out a File Format 11 code plug. Nothing will read a File Format 5.11 file except PCConfigs meant to create File Format 5.11 files

Using the last know version of the radios firmware some notes on that File Format is used and which versions of PCConfigure work.
51XFIRMWARE 53XFIRMWARE FILE FORMAT FIRST VERSION LAST LISTED VERSION TYPICALLY USED VER PCCONFIGURE
5.6 1.17.5 1.8.1.12
5.7 1.8.2.7 1.21.1.1
HC11 5.8 1.21.2.0 1.29.01 1.28.0.8 *For HC11 Mobiles use at 9600 Baud ONLY
1.20.11 1.32.11 5.9 1.29.2 2.05.03 1.30.7 or 2.04.08 *Note all the rest anything but 9600
2.10.09 2.10.09 5.9 1.29.2 2.05.03 1.30.7 or 2.04.08
3.10.06 3.10.06 5.9 1.29.2 2.05.03 1.30.7 or 2.04.08
4.14.05 4.14.09 5.10 2.5.4 2.12.07 2.12.7
6.16.10 6.16.09 5.11 2.13.0 2.18.06 2.18.6

To set the 5100 Handheld into boot mode so the firmware can be uploaded the radio hold the bottom (of the 3)
side buttons down and turn the radio on. A message may or may not appear
depending on the current state of the firmware. A non displaying radio radio sometimes can be updated and run ok.

To set the 5300 Mobile into boot mode the radio is turned off and the slide switch on my programmer box is
set. Power up the radio and you will see nothing on the display. Return the slide switch to its normal
program position and run the firmware up-loader.

The passwords used for all firmware updaters is either huskers or wildcats Entering the wrong one will not cause any problems but none of the updaters will run without the correct password.

Updaters have a secret tab that allows the programmer to read the radios current firmware version and DSP
Firmware as well as the radios file format. This does not work once the radio is in firmware update mode!

Radios come in Versions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. No version 5 has been seen by me anyway. The 6 is often the ES version of the radio.
You MAY NOT update a radio out of its main version number. Thus a radio with Firmware version 1.20.11 may not be upgraded to version
2, 3, 4 or 6. This risks bricking the radio. The only major change between the versions is how they do
encryption. Version 1 5100’s use internal firmware. Version 1 Mobiles (Some) have a connector for a Motorola
encryption board. Ver 2 radios use the EF Johnson SEM encryption chip which does not include include Motorola only
Crypto modes. Ver 3, 4 and 6 have the actual Motorola Crypto chipset parts.