General Information
We've been told that you can use Lab RSS to get the Astro's out of band , and also to get them to do Modat. No specific details though.
If you have Astro Lab and press F4 then F9 from the Main screen, all Astro features can be enabled. Trunking, RAT Tones, MDC ID Display, Call Alert, Private Call, Battery voltage settings etc etc.
The radio uses a third generation keyloader, there is a retro kit to upgrade the DES-XL mkey key loader, and the data in and out pins are different.
Only keyloaders with a model suffix DX or later will properly keyload an Astro, while BX & CX (as well as DX) models will work fine with a regular Saber.
If you want to determine whether your radio is VSLEP or IMBE, look in RSS at the Astro ID number. If it will not go above 14000, it is a VSLEP. An IMBE radio can have all 999999 ID's possible.
By the way, you need a VSLEP radio if you want to enable MODAT.
Here you can find the Astro Portable model breakdown chart. Note that it is the same as the one for the mobiles, except for the available power levels and the "H" at the beginning of the model number to denote portable.
Some of the options available for these radios include:
You may also want to look at the Saber Page.
Take a look at the programming cable.
You may also want to take a look at the RKN4046A Flash/Service Cable. This cable is for the Astro Saber and Saber Si. This cable is made up of the following parts:
| Reference | Part Number | Description |
| 1 | 0984538E03 | Receptacle, 25 Pos |
| 2 | 1580349B36 | Housing, Connector |
| 3 | 3000864145 | Cable, 5 Conductor |
| 4 | 0180754R26 | Plug Assembly |
| 5 | 4210217R24 | Strap, Tie |
| 6 | 3880373L24 | Protective Cap |
| 7 | 0410058B12 | Washer, Nylon |
| 8 | 0960113A07 | Connector and Cable |
| C1 | 2184008H06 | Capacitor, 33 nF |
| R1 | 0611009C59 | Resistor, 2.7 kohm |
| R2 | 0611009C73 | Resistor, 10 kohm |
By the way, if you thing you can make yourself a cheap cable by just ordering part number 0960113A07, well, forget it. The current list price for that item is $166US.
Saber Error Codes
If you have a Saber with a display, you may want to review the Saber Error Codes explanation. This does not necessarily apply to the Astro Saber.
Service Manuals
Here are a listing of the Service Manual part numbers for this series of radios:
Saber Accessory Connector Pinout
The pinout can be found here.
The Astro Saber uses a small, recessed, plunger type button, just under the retaining screw receptacle on the radio. This is how the radio decides whether to use the internal or external antenna, when pressed in, it selects the external antenna.
Out of Band Information
If you are using Depot Version B03.04.00 you should be able to change the bandsplits by hex editing the Runtime.odb file.
Search for the bottom/top of the bandsplit you are trying to change (on the ASCII side) and change it. There should be something like seven different places you need to change.
The later versions of Astro RSS are a combined portable and mobile software package. As a result, there are two files of interest Astrop.odb for portables, and Astrom.odb for mobiles.
Both these files are write-protected, and that protection must be removed before editing them. Windows Explorer does this very easily. Just open WE and highlight the file and right click, mouse to properties, left click on properties, and then deselect the read only attribute, and save the change by clicking 'apply' and then click 'ok".
Remember, after hacking the files, you should go back and reselect the 'read only' attribute by the same method. I don't know if it makes any difference to the program, but just to be safe, do it.
So now you have two unprotected .ODB files. Use a hex editor to get into them, and from the text side of the document, search out the ORIGINAL band limit of interest to you (eg. to pick the lower end of UHF 450-520 split use "450.0000"), and having confirmed that it's there, do a global search and replace of that band limit with your intended limit, example take it down to 430.0000. You do a global search because that way you make all adjustments you need at once, transmit, receive, and every other place the software looks.
Save the files, put them back where they belong in the programs, and reapply their write protected status, then run the software normally and enter your new out of band frequencies that will be accepted and programmed. If it's a reasonable change, the radio will take it and it will work. Some people have had success taking a 450-520 radio down to 430.0000 (haven't tried any lower than that) and have taken it as high as 535.0000. Your milage may vary.
This modification will work on all the versions of Astro RSS, up to and including version 8.5 (as of the time of this writing).
Getting Around "Codeplug Too New For This Application"
No doubt you know that the RSS automatically 'upgrades' the radios that are programmed with it so that no EARLIER version of software will work on that radio. The infamous "Codeplug too new for this application" message.
There is a way around this, sort of.
What you need is an OLD codeplug from the same radio, or type of radio, that you want to use with older software. The model number needs to be the same, and the Flashcode should be the same (not sure what happens if you try this with radios and files of differing flashcodes, it might just complain, and then again it might end up in a paperweight radio).
The old radio codeplug needs to be one that can be read by the Version B03.04.00 Depot RSS.
Load that codeplug into the Depot RSS. Add your channels, scan lists, etc. Go into the hidden labtool menus (F9 works in places where the area over the F9 button is blank like there's no feature available) and make whatever changes you want. Labtool configuration 2 will allow you to put up to 16 software encryption keyslots into the radio if software encryption is set up in your radio. From here, you can even change the controller's operating frequency band from VHF to UHF low or high, or 800 MHz (not to say that it will actually work there since the RF sections are different, but it is there anyways).
So, you've got your lab codeplug ready, and a radio with a new codeplug that isn't going to take that codeplug, right?
Wrong! Rather than PROGRAM the radio, you go into the CLONE menu, read the serial number, and then CLONE the codeplug into the radio! Error checking is minimal, consisting of the serial, model number, and (probably) the flashcode, and that's about it.
When you're done programming the radio, it can now be read by the Depot B03.04.00 RSS directly, along with other older versions. And once you HAVE those extra features in your radio, you can use your newer RSS and always know that you can go back and use labtools on your radio again by following the same procedure.
A word of caution: Your "old" files that were SAVED TO DISK or programmed into the radio with the OLD software are precious. If you read one of those files and then save it with NEWER RSS, it won't work with the depot software anymore, so keep those old files away from the newer RSS! You can use any software version you want to on the radio, including the newest one, but you've GOT to safeguard the old codeplug!
Good luck!