MTX 800 Motorola type II trunking programming to receive

[ladder010]

Is it posible to program a MTX 8000 b7 to (receive only) on a motorola Type II Trunking System,Without needing the system disk. For instance the same way you program a Trunk tracker scanner. Thanks Wendell

[1 Adam 12]

An MTX 800 is not capable of type II trunking. The radio that is an MTX820, Model breakdown. MTX trunking type I only, MTX810 type I and conventional, and MTX820/900 Type II and conventional

[ladder010]

An MTX 800 is not capable of type II trunking. The radio that is an MTX820, Model breakdown. MTX trunking type I only, MTX810 type I and conventional, and MTX820/900 Type II and conventional

the radio is capable it is a mtx 8000 b7 modle #ho1uch6db7an nx
sorry

[1 Adam 12]

ok, different radio and definitelty type II capable. Basically standard Motorola software will not let you program a Trunking system without a system key. You either have to have system keys or the FTR key to program them, the exception being LAB or DEPOT software which was for internal use only. One option is to program the radio for conventionals and scan the channels, you will have incomplete listening. Or if you don't need any transmit capability, sell the radio and buy a scanner with the cash, Bearcat 78 or 245 are excellent. There may be some other ways, and someone here may point them out.

[963Expert]

Your going to need a system key or FTR in order to program any systems into it. That's your biggest problem, then your next problem will be to make it so that it won't transmit.

You can use the wrong connect tone for starters, but that will still allow you to catch a squelch tail. The other thing to do is make the time-out on the PTT at a minimum which I believe is 15 seconds.

Lastly, if you've got the version with the eccentric switch around the channel knob, it's a good idea to make that a PTT disable. That way you won't accidently transmit.

As far as turning off the transmit with software, there's no way that I know of.

Kel

[RESCUE161]

If you use LAB then I believe you can set the time out timer to 1. '0' will make it infinite, but '1' second doesn't give the radio time enough to access the system for a channel, and even if it does, it will time out before any transmission can go over the air.

[963Expert]

Your absolutely right on that, I was thinking of another radio that I recently did. The minimum amount is "1". And your also right, if you set it to "0", then it never times out.

I've done a couple of these and have made the wrong connect tone and set the time-out down to "1". This works to make it a receive only most of the time.

One other thing that I forgot to mention is that you need to make sure you turn off the auto-affiliate. Otherwise the time-out won't make any difference and it will try to affiliate even with the wrong connect tone.

Kel

[WK9F]

I too, have a MTX8000 (B-7) and would like to program a couple of trunked systems into it. I have a few questions:

1) How do you make the Securenet switch a TX disable switch?

2) How do you enter Talkgroups ( and associated alpha numerics) into the personality? I found a screen that allows me enter talkgroups, but most of the talkgroups have 4 and five digit numbers and the SW only allows 3 digits.

3) How do you make the radio scan all the talk groups?

73 de Jerry

[OX]

Here's the safest way without any serious tricks to monitor a trunked system AND not transmit on it.

Program a trunk system up with the wrong system key. If you got the software from the net, there usually are system keys with the RSS. Use the default system key of 0000 or whatever.

Now program your scan list for talkgroup type scan and the 'Designated TX Mem' field to 'Selected Channel'. Include one conventional channel in your scan list. i suggest 853.4875. It is commonly used as talkaround in many areas. Populate the remaining slots in the scan list with the channels you want to monitor (up to 16 talkgroups total).

Now, when you're monitoring, leave your radio set to the conventional mode with scan turned on. Your radio will decode almost all of the trunked conversations on the talkgroups in your scan list.

Here's how it works. If you accidentally transmit, the radio will transmit on the conventional mode and not the trunked mode. Your radio will not affialiate whatsoever. With the radio scanning through all of the modes, the radio will pick up on the control channel and assume that it is on the right system. The radio will go ahead and decode the audio because it doesn't know any better. Since the radio flips to conventional mode in the scan list, by the time that the radio flips back to the trunked mode to scan it, it will have missed the system id message. Even if the radio does catch it, when it scans the conventional channel, it forgets what the actual system id was.

Pretty cool trick. I've done it before and it does work. I thnk Elroy suggested a mod to the above, program the ABC switch to the ZONE function and then program all of the trunked modes into zones 4 and up. This way you have no way to force your radio into the trunked talkgroups and keeps you 100% safe from transmitting into a trunked system.

You could even go as far as programming the same frequency into different modes, then assigning different scan lists to each conventional mode and end up with 3 scan lists of 15 modes each in case you want to monitor Police, Fire and Sheriff.

[allplowedout]

Can anyone PM me regarding setup of the monitoring method herein? This is on a xts25k on UHF trunked.

I have the control channel(s) information but im not sure where it specifically goes within the trunked system config page,
I see OBT Control Channels, ASTRO25 Channel ID, and OBT Astro25 Channel ID. Once the information is in the proper place I have no issues getting the remainder of the conv personality calling trunked scan list, etc.

I have successfully used the methods herein to monitor 800 but the configuration involved in Astro25 system and the difference involved is confusing me a bit.

Thanks I appreciate it

[RESCUE161]

You'll have to put the control channels under the Control Channels tab. Leave the TX blank.

You'll also have to tell the radio which ranges to use (380 channels max). You have to know the spacing and the start & stop frequencies for each range (3 ranges max and not exceeding the 380 channel maximum).

[Spiffy50]

Regarding the MTX8000 "RX only".

Interesting idea re using a "fake" System ID. That would most CERTAINLY make the Astro25 series play nice on 800.

If you're using LAB, go ahead and make the PTT button "Light" or something other than PTT. Do the same with External PTT, othewise your speaker mic will transmit.

Also, programming BOTH positions of the concentric switch to the same function (in this case TX Inhibit) will NOT work. The radio needs to see a "status change" when you flip the switch. It won't see this with both positions having the same function, it would be like you didn't even program it. Set one position to TX Inhibit and the other to a feature you can't TX in (I use scan list program). This way, it'll have different functions assigned.

And don't worry, it has been tested that with TX Inhibit enabled, the radio will NOT respond to Private Calls, Call Alerts, Remote Trace/Monitor, Request to Affiliate or anything else that invovles transmitting.