Astro Spectra Plus W9 programming woes

[QBFreak]

I was recently given an Astro Spectra Plus that someone had slapped a Spectra head on. Naturally it didn't work at all. I stuck a W7 head on it in a dash mount configuration and was able to program it, however the radio was designed for a W9 and I'd really like to use it with a W9. The issue I'm having is that I don't have the correct Interconnect Board to program it. I put an Astro Spectra Interconnect Board on it and it works great with the W9 to operate the radio. If I try to program the radio through the DVP (KVL) connector, it fails as if the radio isn't connected. In addition the head remains powered on when I connect the cable. If I want to program the radio I have to remove the Interconnect Board, install a dash mount head and connect ignition to the accessory connector. This is a real pain where it's presently installed. I figure I have three options, if anyone has any information that would help it would be most appreciated!

1. Find a method to program the radio other than HKN6155 cable to the DVP (KVL) connector
2. Cut the traces for the DVP connector (pins 3-8 are grounded) and wire them to the matching pins on P502. I've located all but two
3. Keep jumping through hoops and swapping heads to program the radio

Option number one is preferred, but it is my understanding that there is no way to program this radio with a RIB like the Astro Spectras and earlier. As far as I can tell, the DVP/KVL connector is the only place the programming pins are present on an Astro Spectra Plus with a W9 head.

Option number two looks like where I'm headed. Can someone confirm for me that MIC LO (pin 7) should be grounded? Can anyone provide any insight into which pins are actually needed for programming? Best I can tell the HUB/BUSY line doesn't make it to the Interface Board. If I recall, in the Astro Spectra days this was handled within the control head and send to the radio through the SB9600 bus. I haven't been able to determine where pin 8 should go. On P104 it's labeled MIC HI/PROG RX/TX ENABLE and I've been unable to find anything like that on P502. My fear is that it is supposed to drive circuitry on the Interconnect Board, for instance perhaps that's what shuts the head off when programming. If someone could point me in the direction of a schematic of the Interface Board from an Astro Spectra Plus that might be helpful. I also have an assortment of Non-Astro Spectra "donor" parts, including a couple of old SecureNet Interface Boards. My original plan was to dremel the SecureNet connector off and wire it up to J6 before I discovered the pins I wanted simply didn't exist there. My head still lives in a Spectra/Astro Spectra world where programming and accessories all share the same bus.

Here are my best guesses for rewiring the DVP connector:

P104 (MIC / DVP / KVL)	P502 (Control Head)
1 GND	7 GND
2 PROG RX DATA	15 P RX DATA
3 HUB/BUSY	29 N/C HUB/BUSY
4 SWB+	31 SWB+
5 DIG GND	10 GND
6 PTT/PROGRAM RESET	2 PTT*/P RESET
7 MIC LO	28 GND ??
8 MIC HI/PRO RX/TX ENABLE	???
9 V[SUB]PP[/SUB]	16 BOOT/VPP
10 KEYFAIL/PROG TX DATA	23 KEYFAIL*/TX

Option 3 is definitely doable, but not nearly as fun.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-QBFreak

 

[JMR061]

It sounds like you have a spectra interconnect on it, not an astro spectra interconnect. What is the part # of the interconnect board you are using?

 

[QBFreak]

The interconnect board came off an Astro Spectra and has dual DB-25s, so I assumed it was for an Astro Spectra. Unfortunately there's no HLN sticker on it. All I've got is 84D80275P02-T2 etched on the PCB. I removed the PCB from the plastic face to be sure it wasn't on the other side. I've got one more W9 AS I can pop the interconnect board off of and try. Maybe that one will either work or be marked. Hopefully both

 

[motorola_otaku]

Just to confirm - you are unplugging the mic from the W9 head before you plug the programming cable into the deck, right? It won't work if you have a microphone plugged in, or a siren connected, or a VRS, or anything else that rides on the mic audio bus.

I went 'round and around with that on a buddy's install. I know it's a pain in the ass especially when the head is in a console, but such is life with the AS+.

 

[4n6inv]

Just to confirm - you are unplugging the mic from the W9 head before you plug the programming cable into the deck, right? It won't work if you have a microphone plugged in, or a siren connected, or a VRS, or anything else that rides on the mic audio bus.

I went 'round and around with that on a buddy's install. I know it's a pain in the ass especially when the head is in a console, but such is life with the AS+.

I was never aware of that! Obviously, I know that if it's a dash mount (W5, W7), you have to disconnect the mic to insert the keyloader plug. I have a high power W-3 VHF AS+ with a siren connected. I never had a problem programming it with the siren connected, but it did some weird stuff occasionally. I'm assuming that having the W3 connected doesn't create any issues; or does it?

 

[QBFreak]

That's good to know! I had not though to disconnect the microphone. Unfortunately unplugging it did not immediately solve my issue. I swapped interconnect boards with my other Astro Spectra which had an HLN6344E. That seems to have resolved my problem. Thanks for the tip about the microphone, if it weren't for that I'd have swapped interconnect boards and assumed that didn't work either. It's a shame the mic doesn't have an RJ plug on the mic end, I hate having to slide the whole cabinet out every time I want to program the radio, but that's the price to pay for a free P25 radio I suppose

 

[QBFreak]

I'm assuming that having the W3 connected doesn't create any issues; or does it?

I have an XTL-5000 with a W3 that I program with the same cable in the same port, I've never had any issues with it on the XTL.

 

[motorola_otaku]

All of my personal experience with remote-mount AS+s has been with W9s and W4s - no W3s yet. All 110W too I might add. I would hope having the W3 connected would not pose an issue, since you kind of need it to power the radio on. The behavior I have observed is that with a mic or siren still attached the radio will go into a FAIL 01/90 loop when you plug the programming cable in.

The rule of thumb *should* be that if you can keyload it through the keyload port you should also be able to read/write to it.