Computerized Radio System For My Vehicle - Some Thoughts

beaujo_fire · Post by **beaujo_fire** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:57 pm

I have recently purchased a new vehicle, a Nissan Titan truck. I can honestly say there is no where to be found to mount a spectra control head where it looks good. So I have been pondering and pondering what to do. I have some ideas, actually its something I have been wanting to attempt to design forever. So maybe this is what will kick me into gear to start prototyping something.

Maybe someone else has tried this already or maybe there is a commerically available item that does this. I don't know, so that is why I am coming here to all of you.

I do have a method of installing a laptop in the truck with a commerically avialable laptop mount. So I was thinking.

I am thinking that there is a ic chip somewhere that will read the data stream that runs the display on a spectra. With that, I am figuring that I can feed it into PIC microcontroller or something and input that into the serial or usb port of a laptop and provide a mean to see the display on the laptop screen. Cloning the contolling all the button on the control head of a spectra shouldn't be that hard to accomplish and to port over to the laptop. The big thing is, I want to be able to control two spectra's (vhf and uhf) at the same time. And to really make things difficult I would like to also have it read a edacs control head (like a m725 or something) and a scanner that is monitoring some digital apco 25 comms.

So anyone have any ideas? Has anyone tried this before. If not, I am going to start looking into what would make this happen.

Any thoughts, suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.

DAve

SZ$DEF · Post by **SZ$DEF** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:01 pm

Motorola MCS-2000 and all of the new XTS-xx000 mobiles support control head software that will interface into a laptop computer to control and view the control head on the laptop. Maybe a radio model change would be a good start if you're looking for a GOOD integration into the computer.

beaujo_fire · Post by **beaujo_fire** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:03 pm

No kidding.. sure i would change the radios to mcs series if that has already been accomplished. So tell me, what type of laptop power does this software take. And how much does it cost? The cost is the big question here.

Thanks,

DAve

jim · Post by **jim** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:32 pm

There isn't room for a 2"x7" Spectra head, but there IS room for a laptop and mount with probably a 15" screen?

Huh?

SZ$DEF · Post by **SZ$DEF** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:18 pm

beaujo_fire wrote:No kidding.. sure i would change the radios to mcs series if that has already been accomplished. So tell me, what type of laptop power does this software take. And how much does it cost? The cost is the big question here.

I wish I knew more than just the existence of the software. I understand that it is made to run alongside other applications on the same PC (they realize that the PC is in the car primarily for mobile data operations), so they probably have kept the overhead on the software to a minimum. I am not sure on the cost. I'd be that his software isn't freeware, so a good idea would be to actually talk to a Motorola sales representative to find out a price for it, specifications, and any licensing agreement that may be required. It's not coveted like RSS/CPS, so it shouldn't be a big deal to acquire.

beaujo_fire · Post by **beaujo_fire** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:53 pm

Ok thanks for the software info. I will call an area rep for motorola and inquire about it before I go any further. And as to the other comment about having room for a montior but not a spectra control head. Yes I could fit the control head in several locations, however, it would not look professional it would look more like a hack job and that is not what I wan to acheive in the end. I thought it would be interesting to see if it could be done. And if the answer isn't commerically available, then I thought it would be quite the challenge to see if it could be done. Thats all.

If you look in my vehicle, there is ample room for a laptop mount to mount using the original passenger seat bolts and will clear the built in console.

Thanks

Dave

Post by Pj » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:32 pm

the vRCH? was introduced years ago with the MW520 workstations where in production. The software has since been discontiuned, and was free of charge.

VIRTURAL RADIO CONTROL HEAD (vRCH) allowed the display of basic control head function and display from the MCS2000, Spectra and Astro Spectra. I don't believe that the XTL5000 can support it, but possibily. Each radio needs a RIB. So, if you want to see/control 3 radios, you need 3 RIBS and a way to support 3 serial connections.

The documentation and the such wasn't the greatest, but it generally worked ok for its intent.

If you look around, you may be able to find the software on some random website or link. It has since been taken off the Motorola pages for a couple of years now.

W4WTF · Post by **W4WTF** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:21 am

I know I am bringing this one back from the dead, but anyone know if you can still get this software anywhere from /\/\?

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:44 am

The VRCH does work with the analog Spectra but doesn't work well with in in my opinion. You still should be running a control head.

Jason