If your brother bought the AutoCal designated as the "king" S.P.A.D.E, he bought tuning already. DT sells 3 different tune levels through their S.P.A.D.E's;
Jack
King
And Ace
The Jack is tuning calibrations for basically stock rigs, it maxes out the stock trans potential.
The King is tuning for built trans trucks, it maxes out the potential of the stock turbo and injectors and is better suited for more modified trucks.
Either the Jack or King tunes can be altered by DT as your modifications take place.
The Ace is for built engine built trans trucks and is complete custom tuning.
The AutoCal can accept tune modifications from ONLY the EFI-Live software (V2 suite pro tuning and diagnostic tool) that "unlocks" it. So even if you buy a V2 you won't be able to access the DT "SPADE" with it. You would only "need" to buy the $400 tune package if you have a V2 or bought just a V2, the SPADE tuners come with tuning
If you wanted to have an AutoCal to download tunes onto and change tuning in the field with, say at a race or pull, you'd have to buy a v2 and an open AutoCal, then you would unlock the AutoCal with YOUR V2 and could then make or buy tunes from anyone and change the tuning in the AutoCal whenever you wanted.
AFAIK, when you buy a V2 it should come with a few ECM and and TCM licenses or "credits" it takes something like 3 credits to open and tune an ECM and 2 credits to open and tune/alter the TCM.
If and when you need to, getting/buying credits is as simple as going to the EFI-Live website and making a few clicks and entering your credit card. Having a V2 allows you to be able to tune any Duramax and all the LS based Gassers, so you can be a tune "medium" if you will for your buddies. Which means you can buy open AutoCals in bulk if you want and then get tunes emailed to you and load them to an open AutoCal, it just takes a few credits for each vehicle.
