[Motorola] RE: Motorola RSS and Windows XP (long)

[Brandon]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gil Stamper" <gstamper@chesapeake.net>
To: <motorola@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2002 7:35 PM
Subject: [Motorola] RE: Motorola RSS and Windows XP home


> I haven't run any RSS on any version of XP.  However I know from sad
> experience that the DOS version of the Astro RSS will not run on any
Windows
> OS newer that Win 98 (not on Win 98 SE either).  Win2000, and NT are no
go's
> also.  An earlier reply indicating that Win 98 was the last Windows OS to
be
> built on DOS is correct.  After that Microsoft wrote a DOS emulator that
> works sometimes but not always.  Even with Win98, newer (faster) computers
> sometimes caused trouble with the DOS based version of RSS because some of
> the communications timers in RSS were based on older CPU's that ran at
> slower speeds.  The problem was timeout errors indicating that
> communications with the radio failed.
>
> Windows based RSS is currently available for the Astro Spectra group of
hand
> helds and mobiles, and for the Saber group of hand helds.  That RSS will
run
> on 2000, and NT, as well as Win98 SE, so it will probably run on WinXP
> although I haven't personally done it.  Conversation with Motorola
engineers
> indicate that there are no plans to convert some other RSS programs to
> Windows version (such as for the Quantar base station/repeater.)  I don't
> have any knowledge about any other older radio groups.
>
> I have built up a long term relationship with a couple of Motorola
Customer
> Assurance engineers who haven't steered me wrong yet.  They have always
> advised running the DOS based version of RSS in a pure DOS environment
(not
> a DOS windows under Win98, or Win95, and not the "DOS Mode" that shows up
> when the Win 98 shutdown menu is used, either.)  Although I haven't had
any
> trouble running DOS based RSS in a Win 98 box, they always advised against
> it.  When the systems I support migrated their programming computer to
> Windows 98SE, I had to set up a DOS partition on the hard drive and loaded
> PCDOS Version 7.  Access is via a dual boot option installed with the
> partitioning program.  In that partition I've loaded DOS RSS for Astro
> portable and mobile, along with the DOS RSS for the Quantar repeater.
>
> The irony is that the Windows version of RSS won't run on Windows 95, and
is
> very problematical on Windows 98.  Motorola flatly will not support the
> Windows RSS if you tell them you are using the Win95 OS.
>
> As someone else said, your "mileage may vary"
> Good luck
>
> Gil Stamper
>
> _______________________________________________
> Motorola mailing list
> Motorola@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/motorola
>

We had the same problems at Bearcom with windows-98 and newer RSS for the
MCS/Professional radios. Computers would lock up and we even had a radio go
brain-dead from a lockup. Most of the other RSS worked ok with only minor
hitches programming Sabers and Spectras. Maxtracs worked just fine however
the internal use version of Maratrac would lock up right away on 98 DOS and
even 95/ser-1. Our shop used to be the Motorola TC service depot so we had
all the "internal" RSS available until 1996 or so, the locker for the RSS
read "Anyone making copies of software will be terminated immediatly!" It
was highly guarded...
If you are going to program make sure you are running the correct version of
DOS such as 6.2 or 6.22 and try to avoid using the windows based DOS even if
you use the F-8 command break during boot. It will only lead to headaches or
worse. A 386-SX/16 should be considered  a mandatory tool on your bench, a
486-DX is pushing it and a low end pentium is the extreme. If you find
yourself with runtime errors or integer errors turn off the cache memory or
pull the onboard cache if needed. I believe most of the older RSS was built
up using DOS-5 on a 286 and RLL drive technology along with CGA video.

I found the Professional CPS would not function on 98 as well and had a
tough time under 2000. It would load the windows memory manager up and not
release after you closed down the program. The only way to get around it was
the taskmanager and manually kill the program. If you use the Professional
Radio CPS make sure you have alot of physical memory and all your other
programs are closed. Systray based programs should also be killed as well
and Antivirus programs should be suspended. Had Norton take out a 160
channel multiple PL list.

Good luck

KA�SQO