[CS800DMR] Talkaround Issue - glitches are annoying

I personally this you guys do a great job on the radios.. I am running 1.01.01 on my cs800 with only a few minor glitches.. But the few glitches are annoying at times, seems I can't carry on a conversation on the radio because I sometime cannot here the reply.. also it will sometimes not transmit out even though the red light is on indicating transmit. 

I know you guys are working on this but would love to see a firmware update soon.. 

Thank you 

John K5SJW

[CS800DMR] Talkaround Issue

Has anyone else noticed that the talkaround option does not come up in the utilities menu? I have it enabled to show in CPS, but it does not appear on the radio.

Assigning button 3 to "repeat/talkaround" and then pressing it does not toggle talkaround on and off.

If you program a channel with talkaround enabled, you can go back and change it in CPS, but the radio ignores the change when you write it to the radio again. The only fix is to create a new channel. Since you cannot toggle it on and off on the radio, you are stuck.

Posted by: Michael - N1PLH

I went in and looked around and didn't seen an option to turn it on and off either. These are the radio options that fewer people try in the beginning because they

CS800 Mobile Friendly Button Assignments

First and foremost P4 is the main menu, so I started with leaving it as is along with its Menu Button counterparts.

Now the Button settings for normal cruising down the road. Granted these are my preferences for reasons explained. Your mileage, and or desires may vary. The principle factor for me is eyes-on-road, not on radio operation.

In keeping with the Menu Prior & Next Setting, I wanted P2 and P3 to serve as Prior Zone (down), or Next Zone(up).

Without two knobs on the radio, I want my sole knob to serve as channel selector in order to dial my way up or down through the channels one by one with a twist of P8. Having now dedicated that knob to channel activities, I also set the P7 (Push-In) to trigger scan on and off with the channels in the zone I am dialed into.

CS800 The Programming Cable Used For?

[CS800DMR] BTW, what's the "other" programming cable used for?
Well, I inserted the DB15 cable and it's working well. What is the "other programming cable that appears to plug into the microphone jack?

Question
A friend of mine just got his CS800. In the box is a USB to RJ45 cable. He also has the programming cable which is USB to DS9. So what the heck is the other USB cable to be used for?

Ham Radio 2.0: Episode 6 - Unboxing the Connect Systems CS800 Mobile DMR Radio

Ham Radio 2.0: Episode 6 - Unboxing the Connect Systems CS800 Mobile DMR Radio

Repair of CS800 External Speaker Problem

Connect Systems is going to offer you three options for fixing the external speaker problem:

1. You can send the radio to us and we will pay for shipping both ways. We will get you a FedEx or USPS call tag to send it back to us. WE WILL NOT REIMBURSE YOU IF YOU SEND IT YOURSELF.

2. We will send you a P4KE12CA diode and have you install it yourself. To install the diode you need to take off the top cover and install the diode on top of the Speaker Jack. This is a relatively easy job because it is NOT surface mount. The diodes are a D041 case with leads.

3. You do nothing.

4. At this time this is only a possibility. We will supply a diode on an external device that will plug into the radio and you will then plug your speaker into that external device.

Upgrade Firmware for CS800

Upgrade Firmware for CS800 (Disclaimer-It worked for me)

Disclaimer- Not an expert, Not a representative of CSI and it worked for me. If you don't have a basic understanding of manipulating softwares and files, then make sure you understand before you start messing around or ask for help from somebody that does. 

To upgrade your CS800 to the lastest firmware, You will need the latest flash burn version 1.10

which you can get from the Connect Systems Website  under the CS750 Radio. Its not under the CS800 section. Flashburn 1.10 Download and open it. Minimize it (has an icon of a micro chip).

You will need it later  to upload the Mobile bootloader R2.01S.bin and the Firmware version 1.01.01 .bin

to your CS800. (MUST LOAD BOOT LOADER FIRST) 

Download the Mobile_Bootloader_ R2.01S.bin from the CS800 Section of the Connect Systems Website

CS800 power settings

I was confused by the power setting listed in the CS800 manual. It lists 25w low, 45w UHF/50w VHF high. however the radio shows low, medium, and high settings. I checked the radio on analog with my bird meter and it shows 5 watts low, 25 watts medium, and 50 watts high. Another ham confirmed those readings with a service monitor. My bird meter will only show half the output for a digital signal but the readings I got were close to what I saw for analog. Several of us in my area were using the low setting assuming it was 25 watts but it fact we were only putting out about 5 watts. My advice is to verify for yourself what is listed in the manual because I am sure there are other mistakes listed.
Posted by: Richard W7AM

[CS800] separating the front head

Any productive guidelines to get the front separated? I slide the little plastic tab towards the arrow on the left hand side, but everything is still tight together...

Answer:

Push the tab as you have done then you slide the front to the left.  It does not pull out like your instincts would show.

Who would have thunk it slid off, rather than "popped" off!

CS800 USING EXTERNAL SPEAKERS - IMPORTANT NOTICE - UPDATE JUNE 17

Reply-To: CS800DMR@yahoogroups.com
Here is the latest information and our recommendation -

Currently, we request that you DO NOT USE any external speaker of any impedance value with the CS800. We are working on solutions to correct this problem as quickly as possible.

We have been able to recreate the damage to the audio output system while using an external speaker. On careful analysis, Jerry has determined that this problem originates in speakers with a high inductance, and that impedance will play little role. The cause is a voltage spike generated due to high inductance that is reflected back into the system, overpowering the MOSFETs. The spike is generated when a sharp waveform is passed to the speaker, which is possible under both analog and digital reception.

We are researching solutions and have some ideas that need to be tested and approved by the manufacturer. We will publish the changes for those who would like to make the modification

CS800 Using External Speaker - UPDATE

CS800 Using External Speaker - UPDATE
Reply-To: CS800DMR@yahoogroups.com

We have been testing a variety of scenarios and researching the circuitry on the CS800 since the last post. Here is the latest information:

The audio output is rated to handle between 2 and 16 ohms, and is supposed to be able to handle a dead short. The part number for the audio amplifier is TDA2003 in case anyone is interested in doing additional research. We do not suggest experimenting on your radio - but instead we are providing this to assure folks that we will not currently be refusing warranty repair or replacement if the audio output is compromised.

We have tried to break a couple of radios by using a variety of speakers with a range of impedance values, but we have yet to recreate the problem. Our manufacturer is also investigating the problem, and we are exchanging information often.

We have heard that some folks are using an external speaker with no problems noted. While there is probably no need to disconnect existing speakers that are working, we are leaning toward the conservative view until we know more. The purpose behind our current recommendation is to avoid any more damaged radios until we can determine a specific cause. It may have nothing to do with an external speaker, but right now that is the only item in common.