Odd Spectra Model Number

turtlexiv · Post by **turtlexiv** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:19 am

Hey guys,

I recently came into possession of an oddly numbered Spectra: T44KMA7H04AK. Obviously the "0" instead of a letter to indicate the control version (A-E) is the oddball.

I haven't read it up in RSS yet, I'll get around to it sometime tonight or tomorrow.

Any takers to tell me what this thing is?

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:35 pm

How about posting a pic of the label.

Jason

turtlexiv · Post by **turtlexiv** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:05 pm

Sure thing.

It really does say 0, I'm not losing my mind...

The original printed programming labels stuck inside of the case also have the same model number.

jmr061 · Post by **jmr061** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:09 pm

Very interesting, what head is on it and let us know what the RSS displays.

Jason

turtlexiv · Post by **turtlexiv** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:06 am

I don't have an A4 head, so I've been trying to get the radio operational for reading with a type 7 head and systems 9000-style head cable. The radio will power up, go through the self test, and then display Mode 1. It will also make four very brief transmissions spaced 2-3 seconds apart each (TX light illuminates and power supply shows a jump to around 4 amps). There is no fail condition displayed, nor does the radio constantly reboot.

I'm getting the "Serial Bus Failure: Busy Line Locked" message when trying to read the radio or enter the service menu. The computer/RIB/cable is a known working setup for a Spectra... in fact if I power down the radio and swap out the drawer with my good C9 Spectra, everything reads fine.

Could the mismatched head be the problem? From what I've read so far, I wouldn't expect the type 7 head to work "correctly" in lieu of the type 4 head, but with the radio in a powered-on state I'd still expect it to read in RSS...

(I tried a systems 9000 head as well which also allowed the radio to power up, but also would not read).

I'm using r06.00.05 - would also not read in r05.03.00.

Any hints or ideas?

Post by Pj » Sat Apr 07, 2007 7:36 am

I wonder it if was used in a data application that didn't require a head. I have a pic (need to find it) of a Spectra used as a data radio that had an odd model number.

RadioSouth · Post by **RadioSouth** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:04 am

Believe you've got a MCT4800 Transit radio which works off a fleet controller. Never messed with one so don't know what will be needed to be done to end up with a conventional radio.

turtlexiv · Post by **turtlexiv** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:31 am

I took the interconnect board off, and it's a HLN5478A (!?).

Thinking "why not" I swapped it out with the HLN6186 interconnect from my other Spectra. Powered up the radio with a C7 control head, radio complained of Error 07/10, but stayed on. Read it with the RSS, and no more serial bus error - instead, it complained about not being able to access the s9000 control head. Hmm, okay... put a systems 9000 head on there, radio powered up (same thing - Error 07/10), but this time successfully read.

Turns out this is a "metro conventional" (aka MetroCom?) radio. It hooks into some systems 9000-ish control head, not an A4. This sounds about along the lines of what RadioSouth was talking about. Supposedly it can be changed into a "normal" Spectra with a MLM replacement.

Can anybody perhaps expand on the interconnect board / head requirements, and Error 07/10?

turtlexiv · Post by **turtlexiv** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:44 pm

Correction... the interconnect board is HLN5477A, with another board, HLN5478A, married to it. Searching the forums, I found a couple of previous mentions of the additional HLN5478A board - it apparently has something to do with with data modems. However, every mention of the 5478 had it married to an HLN6234B.

Overall, this is one strange radio...

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:22 pm

turtlexiv wrote:Correction... the interconnect board is HLN5477A, with another board, HLN5478A, married to it. Searching the forums, I found a couple of previous mentions of the additional HLN5478A board - it apparently has something to do with with data modems. However, every mention of the 5478 had it married to an HLN6234B.

Overall, this is one strange radio...

Yeah, data radios sometimes had "virtual control heads" attached to the db 25-pin remote connectors. I would be led to believe that you have some variation of it.

My radios, however, had proper model numbers but were quirky when it came to using a regular remote head. They were also 1999 radios, some of the final Spectra radios made.

-Josh

diggs59 · Post by **diggs59** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:52 pm

Hey, I worked at the depot for many years. From what I can remember, you have a 'metrocom' radio. We had special RSS for those. They are are of no use without a ordinary mlm PCB(HLN6160b). Don't know much about a way around that. The remainder of the unit is standard Sectra. I only can suggest replacing the MLM and go from there. They were always a pain for us. Good luck.

Diggs

Odd Spectra Model Number

Odd Spectra Model Number

Metrocom