Advisor elite

astronut · Post by **astronut** » Thu Mar 28, 2002 9:48 pm

Can you re-tune the Motorola Advisor Elite pager. Its currently at 929.9375. What all is involved? Or does this need to be taken somewhere?? Thanks

Jonathan KC8RYW · Post by **Jonathan KC8RYW** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 12:30 am

Pager carrier frequency is controlled by a CRYSTAL. You have to unsolder the old crystal and solder in a new one, sort of like in old fashioned 2-way radios.

Programming CAP code and features is done via pager programming software and (you guessed it) a RIB.

You will have to re-align the pager when you change crystals. So, try to become friends with a repair tech at a local Mom & Pop paging operation (hard to find today.)

Your favorite local 2-way repair person should be able to re-align the pager, too. Alhough they may lack pager specific test gear, they'll manage it.

If you need any more info, PM or email me.

astronut · Post by **astronut** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 5:36 am

If thats the case how low can you take it? UHF. I was thinking of coming up with a pager xmiter in the ham band. I have some POC32 that will even xmit FLEX to a pagers cap code. By the way yes I am licensed.

Post by **alex** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 8:29 am

Actually, an Advisor Elite is not crystal controled, it's synthesised... If you have the programming software you can change the frequency and Capcodes. I do not know what the capcode restrictions are due to the fact I am unfirmiliar with Flex and it's protocols. You would still need the pager retuned. I also don't believe they make advisor elites in the UHF band. Only 900mhz. If someone finds a UHF, I'll take some off your hands

I'd love to be proven wrong there!

Interms of setting something up with POC32, you are best off using old advisor or advisor gold pagers. They will need to be recrystaled, and usually tuned. They also support POCSAG, which is an open protocol, and you can write your own software for it. Also, POC32 will decode and encode POCSAG, and the versin you have might not do FLEX because the guy who wrote the software was required to take it out because of copyright issues.

If you have more questions, I can probably answer them, I worked on a project for a while trying to get some pagers over to the ham band for paging. We got as far as recrystaling the pagers, setting up the system inside a room, and making it work on 900mhz. The only downfall was trying to find a coplete copy of the protocol that was detailed enough to make our own software.

-Alex

Jonathan KC8RYW · Post by **Jonathan KC8RYW** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 9:28 am

Software encoders for paging is easy.

There is "PE" which should run on an older non-windows machine (kinda like RSS.)

Check out this website for more:
http://www.qsl.net/n9zia/wireless/pager/

Also, comm-spec makes a mini POCSAG encoder board. Check out PE-4. It is about the same size of their PL aftermarket boards, and it can encode up to 4 different tone or 10 digit numeric messages @ 512 or 1200 baud. It's $79.95. For some odd reason, I can't find any reference to it on comm-spec.com, though it is in their paper catalog.

Good luck.

phantom · Post by **phantom** » Sun Mar 31, 2002 5:28 pm

An advisor elite cannot be "tuned" via PPS. (Pager Programming Software.)

Pager programming does require a UPI not a RIB... (not interchangable.)

To tune it you must remove a laser cut cap and replace it with a trimmer cap and align it to Motorola Specs (455Khz @ M1)with a service monitor or signal generator.

Flex caps... that's a whole other topic. Long vs. Short... Individual vs. Maildrop. Which phase you'll use A,B,C or D.... POCSAG is by far easier to work with.

Advisor Elite's came in 2 flavors VHF and 900 Flex ONLY.

Decoding Flex... I'll never tell.

Good luck...
ph

[ This Message was edited by: phantom on 2002-03-31 20:32 ]

Jonathan KC8RYW · Post by **Jonathan KC8RYW** » Sun Mar 31, 2002 6:21 pm

Anyone know the difference between a UPI and a RIB?

<hr>

Another helpful hint for paging... make sure you use a direct-FM rig. Sorry, a 1960 MoTrac just won't cut it.

Also, it could be helpful to become friends with local hams involved in packet. Packet is data, and so is POCSAG. See the connection.

Like phantom says, POSCAG is much easier.
It's an internationl standard. Stuff has been around for YEARS. And, you don't have to worry about Ma'M sueing you.

Even better, one doesn't need a 4-level slicer to decode it. Heck, I can decode error-free from my scanner's headphone jack, through my soundcard's line in.

The trick is getting the levels right. But isn't that life?

_________________
Jonathan KC8RYW
I'm voting Green in 2004! <a href="http://www.takethepledge.com/">www.take ... /a>

[ This Message was edited by: kc8ryw on 2002-04-01 15:43 ]

fireradio · Post by **fireradio** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 11:58 am

I too am very interested in setting up a pager system on the ham bands Kantronics makes a TNC (packet modem) that will also act as a "paging server" and will encode POCSAG pages. Only problem I have is that I don't know the first thing about recrystalling and retuning advisor (or any) pagers! Anybody got any suggestions on a specific type of radio that would be good for an operation like this?

FireRadio

[ This Message was edited by: fireradio on 2002-04-01 14:59 ]

[ This Message was edited by: fireradio on 2002-04-01 15:00 ]

Post by **alex** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 12:06 pm

When we were playing with the idea, we were using older Motorola Advisor pagers that were POCSAG. We didn't do any retuning, just recrystaled, and they worked fine. The transmitter we used was an MDS (Microwave Data Systems). At the time, at least one of our club members worked there, and was able to get us a data transmitter that was setup to take the input from a com port. We used both POC 32, and the other program that was mentioned here.

The goal was to write our own software to work under Linux/FreeBSD/Etc that would take pages in by email, and relay them out, after doing some filtering send the page out.

I personally have no experience with the Kamtronics system that has it built in. Since we couldn't find anything more about POCSAG, we decided to can the project after most of us got cell phones, and interest kinda died down.

-Alex

phantom · Post by **phantom** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 9:37 pm

Kantronics KPC-9612plus?

I had an original 9612 linked to a Maxtrac. Works ok for 1200 Baud Pocsag.

Recrystalling a pager is important if you plan on trying to get any kind of reliable range out of the system. Not retuning it would be the same as buying a portable without an antenna. The portable will receive ok if the transmitter you're trying to receive is strong enough... but you could be receiving soooooo much better with the antenna on, right? Same idea with tuning the pager.

Kantronics also makes a book... "Ham Paging" or something. I suggest looking at that before you start blowing money away.

ph

Jonathan KC8RYW · Post by **Jonathan KC8RYW** » Wed Apr 03, 2002 9:17 am

I wonder if allowing email pages would be classified as third-party traffic?

If the web-interface paging was classified as a repeater, it would be possiable to avoid these rules, right?

I say, take the Nike approach: Just Do It. If it is wrong, some old elmer will let you know.

EEnerd · Post by **EEnerd** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:21 am

I did a search for Advisor+retune and this is the post that came up. I also found a very good overview of the retune procedure by "The Pager Geek". I hope it's within the protocol of this board to reply to old posts rather than starting new ones?

Anyway can someone tell me; how far can you stretch a UHF advisor without swapping a crystal (just retuning)? I have one on 454.150 I'd like to move 300khz. I think that's too far but I figured I'd ask. I have access to signal gen, comms receiver, scope, etc...

Thanks!

k2hz · Post by **k2hz** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:17 am

EEnerd wrote: Anyway can someone tell me; how far can you stretch a UHF advisor without swapping a crystal (just retuning)? I have one on 454.150 I'd like to move 300khz. I think that's too far but I figured I'd ask. I have access to signal gen, comms receiver, scope, etc...

Thanks!

If it is crystal controlled, you can only warp the crystal about +/- 5 kHz to zero it on channel. You need a new crystal for any frequency change.

EEnerd · Post by **EEnerd** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:16 pm

Ok thanks- I figured that wasn't doable. Now I have to figure out the crystalling...

chipjumper · Post by **chipjumper** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 12:08 am

phantom wrote:An advisor elite cannot be "tuned" via PPS. (Pager Programming Software.)

Wait a minute --- I bought a few elite's off of eBay and changed their freq to our 929.5875 freq via the PPS. I can't remember the original freq off hand but it was different! My pager worked fine for several months until it went insane (typical of these damn things).

*** Does anyone have an Advisor Elite programming stand for sale? I already have the universal interface***

Johnny Galaga · Post by **Johnny Galaga** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 1:12 pm

phantom wrote:An advisor elite cannot be "tuned" via PPS. (Pager Programming Software.)

Pager programming does require a UPI not a RIB... (not interchangable.)

To tune it you must remove a laser cut cap and replace it with a trimmer cap and align it to Motorola Specs (455Khz @ M1)with a service monitor or signal generator.

Flex caps... that's a whole other topic. Long vs. Short... Individual vs. Maildrop. Which phase you'll use A,B,C or D.... POCSAG is by far easier to work with.

Advisor Elite's came in 2 flavors VHF and 900 Flex ONLY.

Decoding Flex... I'll never tell.

Good luck...
ph

[ This Message was edited by: phantom on 2002-03-31 20:32 ]

An Advisor Elite CAN be tuned via the software. It's the Advisor GOLD that would have to be re-crystalized. I've only seen Advisor Elites in 900 MHz FLEX, but I've seen Advisor Golds on all bands in both FLEX or.POCSAG (depending on which band).

I own several pagers including Elites, Golds, and CP1250's, and I program them all myself.

dereckpristas · Post by **dereckpristas** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:22 pm

alex wrote:Actually, an Advisor Elite is not crystal controled, it's synthesised... If you have the programming software you can change the frequency and Capcodes. I do not know what the capcode restrictions are due to the fact I am unfirmiliar with Flex and it's protocols. You would still need the pager retuned. I also don't believe they make advisor elites in the UHF band. Only 900mhz. If someone finds a UHF, I'll take some off your hands I'd love to be proven wrong there!

Interms of setting something up with POC32, you are best off using old advisor or advisor gold pagers. They will need to be recrystaled, and usually tuned. They also support POCSAG, which is an open protocol, and you can write your own software for it. Also, POC32 will decode and encode POCSAG, and the versin you have might not do FLEX because the guy who wrote the software was required to take it out because of copyright issues.

If you have more questions, I can probably answer them, I worked on a project for a while trying to get some pagers over to the ham band for paging. We got as far as recrystaling the pagers, setting up the system inside a room, and making it work on 900mhz. The only downfall was trying to find a coplete copy of the protocol that was detailed enough to make our own software.

-Alex

There is no Advisor Elite in UHF but there IS the Advisor Gold I believe that was in the 400mHz range....might have some lying around.

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:45 pm

There are also Advisor IIs, POCSAG 512/1200/2400 or FLEX, in VHF, UHF, and 900 splits. They are all synthesized and are current products.

Advisor elite

Advisor retune

Re: Advisor retune