MCS2000 model 1 volume control

[Thomas]

I have an external speaker connected to the accessory port pins 1 & 3. When the volume is turned down all the way there is still significant volume coming from the speaker. I don't see anything in the CPS (R02.02.00) to adjust this. Is there a fix for this? It only seems to happen with the external speaker. If I switch to the internal speaker it functions normal but I can't hear that one to well in the truck. I do know I could enable a button for mute but it would be nice to have it work like most other radios. Thanks for any advice.

[Thomas]

OK...I've have spent some time with a few more of these MCS2000 radios model II and III also. They all seem to have the same issue. They model II and III obviously are connected to external speakers, I have tried a motorola base mount speaker and the regular external type, all have the same issues. I guess its just a bad trait of these radios that the volume doesn't go all the way down. They all have good volume knobs so I know its not that.

[N4KVE]

I was told years ago that all the M radios were like this so the user wouldn't miss a call. If the user didn't want to hear the radio, he would have to turn the radio off, which would then show up on the dispatch panel [trunking only of course]. Maybe you don't hear it on the internal spkr because it's much smaller. Anyway, while this isn't scientific fact, it's what many friends who worked at Plantation told me. While ham radios are made for the user's convenience, & we can turn the volume to zero, commercial radios are not made for the user's convenience. They are made for the company, or city he works for, so dispatch can get through all the time. GARY N4KVE

[WB6DGN]

Gary's on track. Most Motorola radios have the low end of the volume control connected through a small value resistor to ground instead of connected directly to ground so that, in effect, the volume control cannot be turned completely "down". In the case of the digital control, it is programmed for the functional equivalent of that. The reason for that is exactly as Gary explained. As a servicer, I learned that many of the complaints of "no receive" were simply that the radio was turned down too far to hear and the driver didn't want to tell his boss that. Somewhere along the line, Motorola decided to resolve that problem. You notice it less with the internal speaker because it is smaller and less efficient than the larger external one.
Tom DGN