Batboard

Tim

Hi Folks, I'm trying to figure out the latest release for the SCM firmware is for a quantar that I have, but it begs an even larger question: What firmware versions can be used with what number board? I wouldn't figure that you could take an 'ancient' SCM, and put the latest firmware on it... there'...

Tim

Hi Folks, I'm trying to get a W9 head to work on an XTL5000 drawer with the single DB-25. It works, but the radio pays no attention to the ignitions wires & is on all the time. I know this is not the preferred TIB for the W series heads, but in investigating the documentation, the differences in...

Tim

Hi Folks,

Built up that circuit for the Accessory 3 to RIB, and it didn't work. Perhaps it's because it's an XTL5000 vs Astro Spectra?

Anyhow, put USB into the data 26 pin connector on the back of the drawer, and it programmed right up.

Thanks all!

Tim

Tim

Hi Jim,

Been looking, but I don't see anything about the accessory 3 connector (I think it's the middle pins on the mic connector).

Tim

Tim

Hi Folks,

I'm looking for the schematic for a programming cable for an XTL 5000 based consolette. It has a W4 front panel.

I believe it might be similar to an Astro Plus cable (one that plugs into the Mic connector)... (but I don't have that one either).

Thanks,

Tim

Tim

Hi Folks, I'm looking for a cable that will do the above. Before I go digging into schematics & building my own, I thought I'd see if anybody knows the part number, or by chance has schematics. Perhaps someone has seen one... is it done by splitting a DB-25 cable to feed the two separate systems...

Tim

41V. My aunt & uncle ran the cab company in San Antonio, and they had a storage room full of them. I was a freshman in college back in 70, and I re-sold (for them) many of the rigs for newbies coming to 2m. Think they were $25 with heads & cables. In one of the trips to the 'vault', I found ...

Tim

Is it possible to send QC2 tones through an XTL 5000 without distortion? Our FD/EMS channel has finally been put into the console, but the dispatchers still use the old Icom to send out the tones. I was told that because the radio is a digital radio that when the tones are generated by the console, ...

Tim

Hey D119,

Long time no see!

Found the proper range exciter & did a swap. Now everybody is happy!

Thanks,

Tim

Tim

Hi Folks, Well we're ready to change the frequency of our Quantar from 154.430 to 158.850. Murphy has entered the building, and it's a range 1 Exciter. Won't lock at the new frequency. Anybody have any experience in shifting the VCO on the beast up a 'little'?? There are a couple of coils inside the...

Tim

Hi CircleBat, Actually, I believe it is in the charging/protection circuitry in the battery. There's a small PCB with some pass FETs, etc on it (I had one blow up, so figured I see what's inside)! I had a pack that was putting out 7.7v (well within the range of the saber), and it wouldn't work. I pl...

Tim

Hi Steve, Thanks for reminding me. The packs seem to be working out pretty well. I haven't checked the actual mAh since using them for a couple of months, but they do appear to be holding up pretty well. There is only one thing that could be quite annoying about the pack tho....if you charge the pac...

Tim

Thanks JRY, I kind of figured as much - was even thinking about installing a small rocker switch on the side panel so I could disconnect the battery when not really using it.

Tim

Tim

Hi Folks,

I'm going to get a new battery for my 1100s, and was wondering if the battery charger in the unit will eventually fry the battery, or is it smart enough to make it last a long while?

thanks,

Tim

Tim

Replaced the 5/8 wave with a 1/4 wave, and the power just barely registered on the service monitor. Did check CR3902 & voltage, and all was well. Funny 3902 didn't do a better job of protecting the downstream components. Ended up making a 3 pole high pass filter in a shielded box. Lose about 4 w...

Tim

Thanks all for the inputs. I put the service monitor on the VHF antenna, and it looks like about 7 watts is being coupled from the LB to the Spectra through the 5/8 wave antenna. I didn't replace CR3902, as it wasn't shorted, but I didn't check it for reverse. Perhaps it's open & not doing anyth...

Tim

Hi Folks, Figured I'd ask around... The Spectra had poor sensitivity yesterday (5uV), and I tracked it down to a shorted CR3903 (switching diode on the PA - feeds RX). I replaced it - all was well, and then this afternoon I noticed the sensitivity had gone to pot again. Yep, 5uV. My setup - VHF 5/8w...

Tim

We got two of them, and they seem to be well built. The biggest problem with them is that I can't remember when I put the battery on the radio - Both of them lasted about 36 hours - talking some, but mostly listening. Have not tried plugging them into one of the tri-chemistry chargers.... probably w...

Tim

I've ordered a couple of the packs. I'll give an update later next week when they arrive.

I'll also see if they charge properly on one of the Mot tri-chemistry (impres) chargers.

Tim

Tim

Hi Will, They are from China, and include their own wall-wart kind of charger. They also have the 4 pins on the back, and I inquired as to whether they were hooked up. Here's the reply: "its dimention is 3.3x2.8x 1.2 inches. the charging terminals on the back still active,but need to make sure ...

Tim

Anybody have any experiences with those 5000mAh packs that come out of China with an included charger?

Just looking for lighter weight, longer duration battery.

Thanks,

Tim

Tim

Hi folks, Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with batteries from 'Empire Wireless'. I received 3 of a 'ProStar PSM-4592JH', 2700mAh Ni-MH batteries for some Astro Sabers. Put them through our standard battery cycling regimen to establish a base line. Only one of the batteries made it to...

Tim

Hi Tom & all... You know, Inquiring minds want to know. Here's how it went: Transmit signal source: IFR1100S Antenna: 1/4 wave vertical on top of truck. Receiver: HP8924C Spectrum Analyzer with smoothing (x5) on. Antenna site: 1' square aluminum plate with hole in center that has BNC/SMA. TX / R...

Tim

Thanks guys,

I'll take it outside tomorrow. My garage is an 'echo chamber'!

Tim

Tim

Hi Folks, Well, the EMS ladies are tired of having their XTS2500 antennas stick them in the armpit... or wherever, and have requested that I provide them some shorter antennas (like those on the IC-F50V radios that the XTS replaced). I've gotten several different types that screw into the SMA connec...

Tim

Hi Bill/Steve,

That was it - the Xpand. When you click on 12.5kHz, it automatically selects the Xpand.

Turning it off made all the difference.

Thanks!

Tim

Tim

NB to NB

Tim

Hi Folks,

I have a couple of VHF M1225 mobiles, and when set for narrowband, they sound terrible.

Wideband sounds 'normal'.

Has anyone else seen this? If it were only one of the radios, then maybe just a fluke, but 2?

The audio sounds bad on several channels also, not just one.

Thanks,

Tim

Tim

I've heard by the grapevine that there is an alternative way to flash a VOCON board without having to use a smart RIB.

Just wonderin' if anybody else has heard/seen/used this.

Thanks,

Tim

Tim

Guess I could use a pair of higher impedance speakers since they are in parallel.

Wish mot had done a better job of a dual-head implementation.

thanks,

Tim

Tim

Ugh! That concept would work for a fire apparatus, but not for an ambulance. Got to have both speakers active at the same time. Guess I'll hook up an L-pad on the back speaker & take off the volume knob off the head. Let the driver set the main volume & the medic in the back adjust the Lpad....

Tim

Hi Folks, We've got an Astro spectra in one of our ambulances, and are having some issues with the settings of the volume controls both in the back, and in the front. When we got the unit (used), we got the cables heads, and speakers. Now I understand that there is a cable with a relay that is used ...

Tim

Hmm, thought I posted a reply, but don't see it!

Anyhow, used the HAMRD version, and found a wide range option (musta missed it before). Took that & made a 1.5, so I guess it now hits the steering diodes just right for the low freqs.

On to the site tomorrow!

Thanks all,

Tim

Tim

Hi jim, It looks like the T73 versions only came in the 150-174 mHz splits, whereas the lower power did come in a 136-154 split. I might be incorrect on that tho... anyway they came from the state highway patrol or the border patrol, and they are well within the higher split. Now thinking about it.....

Tim

Hi folks, Just did a re-program on my truck's radio for a new repeater... 146.16 / 146.76. When on talkaround, it transmits fine, but at the lower frequency it doesn't key up the repeater. Before I get all wierd, pull the rig out of the truck, check the PLL lock LED & go from there, should I be ...

Tim

Is the PR400 programming software common with any other? (like professional HT750/1250, etc)

Thanks,

Tim

Tim

Hi SG,

Thanks, but Escomm is helping us out.

Tim

Tim

Hi folks, I've got some APX radios that were spec'd as front mount (05 head), and I need to get them converted for remote mount. As I see it, I need the following: HKN6188 - Control head power & speaker cable HKN6186 or HLN7031 Control head trunion bracket HKN6164 or appropriate length remote mo...

Tim

Hi Bill, Thanks for the info. That's what it looked like - I'll go back up to the site tomorrow & re-prog. I don't have any access to the dispatcher's radios - actually, we get dispatched from two separate counties, depending on where the call is. So keeping the repeater WB RX & NB TX until ...

Tim

Hi Folks, Well, we're in the midst of re-programming our radios for narrowband, but have an issue: Our dispatcher's radios have not yet converted, so they still use 5khz audio. If I change our repeater now to 12.5khz BW & 2.5khz audio, then the QCII tones are distorted (no surprise). I note in t...

Tim

It's mainly a logistical issue. We are about 60 miles from him, and trying to get the key for a week or so is probably out of the question, as he takes care of many more radios than we have. (multiple agencies). Anyhow, I played with doing a major drag-n-drop from the top seemed to work ok, so I'll ...

Tim

Hi des,

How 'top level'? Like the entire Zone Channel Assignment level? Don't think I ever tried that.
Conventional Personalities?

I'll grab a radio tomorrow & do some playing with drag-n-drop.

thanks,

Tim

Tim

Hi Escomm, Well, that's what happened the last time I did a clone.... it wrote 'my' trunking ID # to all of the radios I cloned. (shouldn't have happened IMHO), but just looking for someone that has successfully done it. Guess I could always see about 'finding' a system key, but figured there might ...

Tim

Hi Folks, I have 28 XTS2500s that I need to make some modifications to (narrowbanding a bunch of channels & non trunking stuff), and wondering what the best way to do it without a system key. For the legal police - I have permission from our sys admin (who has the keys), but is 60 miles away to ...

Tim

Found a dual diode in a TO-220 package at the end of the
heatsink that has one of the diodes shorted...

More to come later.

Tim

Tim

Found some traces that weren't there anymore! Also one of the large caps (450v) had something strange on it's bottom. The plastic wrapper was also stretched/broken, so there's something wrong with it. Replaced the traces... popped the fuse. An additional question.... since the LV portion of the supp...

Tim

Hi Folks, Just got our <new> quantar in, and it has a power supply issue. (I knew about this when it was purchased). It is a dual powersupply - AC/DC, and the DC section works - hook up 24 volts to it, and the repeater functions properly. Sooo, the AC section is shot. No visible flames have been her...

Tim

Hi all, I noticed the other day that it didn't appear that the 'nuisance delete' button deleted a scan entry for more than a few minutes. On all my other Mot radios (analog spectra, X9000s, etc) the Ndel button would delete an entry until you either turned off the radio, or changed channels, at whic...

Tim

Hi Will, alll. Thanks for the info. That BAR6403W looks pretty good... only was wondering about the on-resistance. @10ma, the BAR is 2.1 ohms vs 0.7 ohms for the other one. Actually, it's a non-issue now, as I KNEW I would sometime be able to use some parts out of all of those old Analog Spectras th...

Tim

Hi Mike, Long time no talk! Thanks for the info - I've got the spectra apart & will check that this afternoon. Digikey has the 3401s for .44 each, so at least it's an easy to get part. I understand about the sneeze.... I do a lot of hand assembly of SMT stuff, and I always get several extra part...

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