Tait T2035

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Werthers
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Tait T2035

Post by Werthers »

I've got a Tait T2035 trunked radio series one.

It will not let me put in any conventional channels, there are no conventional options on this particular radio. The top board I can change out to make the Tait T2035 into a T2010 but I don't have a spare board.

I was wondering if I could do anything with the original board like flashing the eeprom with T2010/T2015 firmware or changing the eeprom?

To make the T2035 into a T2010 I'd also have to change the front panel as well as the top board but I'm going to try to see if I can turn it into a T2015 that way the front panel may just work and I'd have 24 channels instead of just 4 channels.

The T2035 and the T2015 have the same sort of front panels but I'm unsure as to whether the chips are the same for the display and button functions.

Would changing/flashing the eeprom work or am I looking at replacing the top board altogether?
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by 26mb04 »

I was under the impression you can make a trunking version have 10 simplex channels, if nothing else. I think you need the trunking software to do it though, and the version that supports v1 rigs (the later version doesn't, IIRC). I don't have any 2010 boards anymore so I can't help you there. You could try resetting the eeprom, using a method I put on here a few years ago. I can't remember the exact procedure, it involves taking out the chip with the battery backup module, and powering up the rig for a few minutes.

If that doesn't let you put in 10 simplex channels (it's still a trunking rig, even after reset), you could try ebay for a junk 2010 (of ANY band). Failing that, one of those mythical radio rallies of yore. The 2010's must be getting old now because even I don't have any left.
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Re: Tait T2035

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Not on this one. From my research it says the Tait T2035 can have up to four conventional channels although it can depend. I have the trunked programming software but I'm unable to enter anything in the conventional options. It would appear that the eeprom was for trunked only on this radio.

I'll keep my eye out for a junked/scrapped T2010 although I think I can do better with a T2015 board but they appear to be a lot more rare than the T2010 versions. I've seen T2015 Taits that can do 99 channels or more but most would be 24 channels which is plenty for a 70cms amateur transceiver.
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by df2tb »

If I remember correctly the software offers the possibility to include channels. Try to enter the frequencies into the channels. At least this worked for the German Bündelfunk trunking system. In the software you have most likely 99 channels available.

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Re: Tait T2035

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df2tb wrote: 16 Jul 2021, 21:48 If I remember correctly the software offers the possibility to include channels. Try to enter the frequencies into the channels. At least this worked for the German Bündelfunk trunking system. In the software you have most likely 99 channels available.

73 Andreas DF2TB
Interesting... Maybe I have the wrong T2035 trunked software.

I have the Tait customer software CD's that has T2000 series 1 and 2 programs on it but its pretty old so I'm not aware of any other T2035 software versions.

When I enter the conventional utility it just displays one channel entry with "!" in each box and when I enter a frequency it goes back to blank. It will not let me enter anything. It does sound to me like there is another T2035 software version that I don't have.

I have 3 different DOS versions of the T2035 for the series one radios but all do the same. Here are the screen shots of what I'm seeing in the programming software. I've also attached some photos of the board and eeprom which might be of some help. I can only upload 3 images in one post so I'll put the rest up in a bit. The board looks identical to the one that I have in my T2020 except for the eeprom.
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Last edited by Werthers on 19 Jul 2021, 18:53, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Werthers »

Here are the other images. It looks as if the radio can do 999 channels.
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Alucard »

I have one of these also. Made any progress on it yet?
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Werthers »

Alucard wrote: 05 Aug 2021, 19:34 I have one of these also. Made any progress on it yet?
Not yet. There is a chap on ebay who says he has spare conventional boards to where I can change this transceiver into something more useful but I have not heard anything back from him yet.

I am hoping that maybe the Trunked T2035 head unit will work with a conventional T2015 board, maybe wishful thinking but worth a try. It just depends on whether the chips in the T2035 head unit are the same as the T2015. I do have some T2015 firmware to flash the main eeprom on the other board but its just a question of disoldering the eeprom and putting it into an eprom programmer... it sounds iffy but might work.

A change of a completely different board maybe easier so thats the route I'm going down for now. Remove the trunked T2035 board and replace it with a T2015 Conventional board.
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Alucard »

Sounds like a plan. I used to program eproms for cb radio years ago, in fact I've still got my Watford Electronics programmer in the loft connected to an old BBC Micro! I wonder if PMR radios contain PLL chips that can be programmed the same way..I shall investigate.
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Re: Tait T2035

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Alucard wrote: 16 Aug 2021, 19:45 Sounds like a plan. I used to program eproms for cb radio years ago, in fact I've still got my Watford Electronics programmer in the loft connected to an old BBC Micro! I wonder if PMR radios contain PLL chips that can be programmed the same way..I shall investigate.
I'd be interested to know the outcome. I find these Tait T2000 series radios quite fascinating, they are so easy to work on and parts can be interchanged with other T2000 series radios.

A Tait T2010 can be made into a T2015 or T2020 just by changing the top board and head unit. A Trunked T2035 Tait transceiver is never truly unless and can be made into a conventional set with just a board change and head unit change.

I am very interested to find out if a T2035 head unit will work with a T2015 board. Those two head units could very well be the same and if that is the case, as stated above flashing an eeprom of a trunked T2035 to conventional could potentially give you just under a thousand conventional channels but you'd have to use the Trunked programming software to program the conventional channels but there could be an issue with having no CTCSS. The top board change maybe the better option.

I do prefer the T2010s and T2015 transceivers as those have a built in speaker unlike the T2020 which can only be used with an external speaker although you get more channels on the T2020s.

It would be interesting to see if anybody has ever modified one of those boards, the possibilities of what could be done is intriguing to say the least.
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Alucard »

Yeah I like the Taits, not that I've ever used one or worked on one. I picked a 2010 up at a boot sale for a couple of quid, took it home opened it up and was impressed by the quality and ruggedness of it. I've got 3 of them now and ofc the 2035 bought for "Whenever I decide to get back into radio again".
Got hold of a 2000 series service manual today and it seems all the radios use the MC145158 PLL. Initially I thought great, cos I've programmed eproms for the MC145151 in the past for CB so shouldn't be that different. Wrong! It uses a serial input as opposed to all the parallel input CB PLLs I've programmed. I can't see any way I could program an eprom on my programmer to produced a serial output. I did read that Pic chips can do it.
Not giving up though, I read that the 2035 can use conventional channels when out of range of the control channel. Maybe a small addon board with a MC14515 and eprom could be made to provide the VCO signal. Also I had concerns that the trunking component would get upset if it detected the working frequencies were not what it specified and would cut transmit and/or receive but I think I've found information to get round that.
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Alucard »

Going through my downloads folder I found a windows version of the 2035 programmer if you want it Mr Werthers?

Tait 2000.jpg
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Alucard »

I think I'll post it anyway in case anyone wants it.

https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/4375879 ... 6d7fb06f54
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Werthers »

Thanks much appreciated. I already have that one. Thats for the series II versions.
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Re: Tait T2035

Post by Werthers »

Alucard wrote: 20 Aug 2021, 21:06 I think I'll post it anyway in case anyone wants it.

https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/4375879 ... 6d7fb06f54
I don't suppose you have a spare board knocking about that I can buy from you for a Tait series II T2010/15
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