VHF VRS Question

The General forum is where users can discuss any topic regarding Motorola communications equipment - hardware, software, etc. There are also several focused forums on this board, so please take the time to ensure that your questions doesn't fall into one of those categories before posting here!

Moderator: Queue Moderator

Post Reply
WB4JGI
was whitstu
Posts: 472
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:11 am

VHF VRS Question

Post by WB4JGI »

I have a 110 watt A9 Spectra on VHF and I'm looking at putting in a VRS unit. Is it recommended to put in a VHF VRS but have about 1-5 MHZ seperation between the Spectra and VRS unit without filters or duplexors? Or will they cancel out each other? The space is about 5-7 foot between the Spectra 5/8 wave antenna and the 1/4 wave VHF VRS antenna. I know it would work on crossband VHF Spectra to UHF VRS I'm just curious about in band.
Thanks in advance
Stu
ArmsonOeg
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2002 4:00 pm

Post by ArmsonOeg »

I have one set up that way and it works great, for the first 150-200yrds after that it starts to desense. Its spaced about 4mhz
User avatar
Pj
Moderator
Posts: 5147
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:00 pm
What radios do you own?: X9000 thru APX

Post by Pj »

Unless you can really space out both antennas, I don't think your going to get the desired results, especially with a high powered radio. This is why a "cross band" setup is always recommended.
Lowband radio. The original and non-complicated wide area interoperable communications system
Image
User avatar
HumHead
Moderator
Posts: 1769
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2001 4:00 pm

Post by HumHead »

If you are going to try to run an in-band VRS you really need to install some fairly serious filtering to keep it from having major desense problems (Notch filter on your high-powered mobile, and a pass filter on the VRS).

One trick that will help, although it will not eliminate the problem entirely, is to mount the VRS antenna underneath the body of the vehicle. This lets you get the antennas more or less into each other's nulls, and the vehicle body will provide some shielding.

With VHF that would require some pretty serious ground clearance, unless you use one of the low-profile "can" or transit antennas. Even then, I don't know how waterproof any of those would be, and you might still manage to tear it off.
User avatar
007
Posts: 1546
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2002 5:22 am
What radios do you own?: W7 FPP lowband MaraTrac w/AES

Post by 007 »

Humhead is right on the money...here is a picture of our in-band VHF setup:

Image

Image

We run 110w M/A-Com Orion mobiles with OE-approved Pyramid VHF vehicle repeaters. You can see the tuned cavities for the Orion strapped to the outside of the mounting board, and the VR notch filter is mounted on the reverse side behind it. Because of the filtering, we are running a four foot gap between antennas at the rear of the car.

There is a second box strapped to the VR with a rubber duck antenna, which I am assuming is a mobile monitor of some kind.

It doesn't look like much, but that setup takes up the whole left side of the trunk in our Crown Vic's, and most of the radio tray in the 9C1's. All the filtering is factory-tuned by Pyramid, with final issues taken care of by our techs at the time of installation. I don't know the price tag is per car, but it isn't cheap.

It sounds fantastic, however. You can tell they are out of their car on the portable, but the system works very well.
Do not make Sig angry...he'll just keep ringing the bell.
Post Reply

Return to “General Motorola Solutions & Legacy Radio Discussion”