What boards can you swap between different Spectra radios? For instance; can you take a command board or RF board from a UHF Spectra, and put it into an 800 trunked Spectra? I have a few Spectra's that have bad/unrepairable RF and command boards, and I was wondering if I can purchase unlike Spectra's (VHF, UHF, 800) on ebay, and place the boards from these radios into the 800 trunked radios in our patrol cars.
Thanks in advance to all that reply.
Spectra board swap...???
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Spectra board swap...???
BMW FREQ
The command board is not frequency-specific, although the MLM and model/tuning data would be. Some is easy to change (bit-banging).
The control head and associated cables are not frequency-specific.
The PA, RF board, RX front end, and VCO are all band-specific and some may be range-specific within each band. Different capacitors, coils, filters, and jumpers would make it impractical to change them.
Bob M.
The control head and associated cables are not frequency-specific.
The PA, RF board, RX front end, and VCO are all band-specific and some may be range-specific within each band. Different capacitors, coils, filters, and jumpers would make it impractical to change them.
Bob M.
Re: Spectra board swap...???
I can not believe you wrote that... you want to butcher the radios you have.KD6HXH wrote: ...can you take a command board or RF board from a UHF Spectra, and put it into an 800 trunked Spectra?
I was wondering if I can purchase unlike Spectra's (VHF, UHF, 800) on ebay, and place the boards from these radios into the 800 trunked radios in our patrol cars.
Thanks in advance to all that reply.
"patrol cars"? IS this public safety or just 'rent a cops'?
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George
- Posts: 265
- Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2003 11:14 am
- What radios do you own?: X9000, HT1550XLS, MTS2000, etc
repair of spectras
I have to open my big mouth, read that as keyboard, about this issue.
Yes, you can take boards from other radios but this is not as simple as it sounds.
Yes, it can be done, but it makes my skin crawl when someone is CLEARLY using lab software in a public safety application without training or Motorola support. And make that software that you are not supposed to have in the first place.
Are you sure you want to do this? Are you really sure? Are you willing to risk the life(s) of your officers and the public if you didn't do something totally right and the radio fails? How are you going to explain this to your officer up your chain of command if you are questioned?
You are far better off to buy new boards, follow the board replacement procedure and protect yourself and your department by having proper parts support and Motorola to back you up.
For those that want to do this procedure for amateur radio purposes, knock yourself out! By all means, have at it and play all you want in a non public safety environment. This is like the fireman who wanted to learn to program VHF Spectras because it was too expensive to have a shop do it. The liability exists and one must protect one's self.
You are not saving yourself money by going the Ebay route. You may as well budget for new replacement parts or buy new radios entirely. Even then, buying used radios does not subject you to the legal issues because you didn't modify them.
Yes, you can do this perfectly. Yes, I am sure you are a competent technician that can be successful with this operation. I have done so several times myself, but I have not released such radios into the public safety arena.
But do you want to be answering hard questions from some bastard attorney with an axe to grind and an appetite for city or county money and publicity? That's the question to ask yourself. Just because you can do something to save money doesn't mean it's the right thing to do in order to save money or keep something alive that should be left for dead.
Not me.
I know this is going to cause controversy, but so be it. It's my opinion and like my Buicks, I have more than one.
George
Yes, you can take boards from other radios but this is not as simple as it sounds.
Yes, it can be done, but it makes my skin crawl when someone is CLEARLY using lab software in a public safety application without training or Motorola support. And make that software that you are not supposed to have in the first place.
Are you sure you want to do this? Are you really sure? Are you willing to risk the life(s) of your officers and the public if you didn't do something totally right and the radio fails? How are you going to explain this to your officer up your chain of command if you are questioned?
You are far better off to buy new boards, follow the board replacement procedure and protect yourself and your department by having proper parts support and Motorola to back you up.
For those that want to do this procedure for amateur radio purposes, knock yourself out! By all means, have at it and play all you want in a non public safety environment. This is like the fireman who wanted to learn to program VHF Spectras because it was too expensive to have a shop do it. The liability exists and one must protect one's self.
You are not saving yourself money by going the Ebay route. You may as well budget for new replacement parts or buy new radios entirely. Even then, buying used radios does not subject you to the legal issues because you didn't modify them.
Yes, you can do this perfectly. Yes, I am sure you are a competent technician that can be successful with this operation. I have done so several times myself, but I have not released such radios into the public safety arena.
But do you want to be answering hard questions from some bastard attorney with an axe to grind and an appetite for city or county money and publicity? That's the question to ask yourself. Just because you can do something to save money doesn't mean it's the right thing to do in order to save money or keep something alive that should be left for dead.
Not me.
I know this is going to cause controversy, but so be it. It's my opinion and like my Buicks, I have more than one.
George
