MTR3000 + Pin 13

[escomm]

Anyone played with these things yet? Any idea why the only time I can get PL from my TS64 going to Pin 13 on the DB25 (which is PL, DPL or low speed trunking data) to go out over the air is when I disable the repeat path? And why does the station not generate the transmit PL it's programmed for when the repeat path is disabled? Station is configured as a repeater, and disabling the repeat path means I have to jump COR to PTT and RX audio to TX audio. Dirty way of doing it IMHO. Seems it might be a bug, but post sales was useless. The guy I spoke with thinks a Zetron 38 is a tone remote ........

[Will]

snip.. The guy I spoke with thinks a Zetron 38 is a tone remote ........

Oh boy, you are in trouble now.

If you use the PTT from the 38 then the MTR should transmit both repeat audio, provided from the 38 and the PL.

[escomm]

Well there's the rub, I'm not using a Model 38. I'm using a TS64 from Communications Specialists.

[wavetar]

Well, the DB25 port is meant for interfacing to repeater controllers, thus it requires the internal repeat path to be disabled before the pins become active. It's the same thing with the XPR's, you need to disable the repeat path as well. The MTR2000 needed to be put into 'base station' mode to disable the repeat path for external controllers...really, it's the same thing with just about any repeater...if an external controller is used, you take the control away from the repeater itself. Why are you using the TS-64? Is it capable of multiple PL or some other function? I can't tell from the blurb on the website, seems like a single PL unit.

[escomm]

Customer has multiple sites, multiple input tones. So we send 2 PL tones out, one for the radios, and another to be decoded by another TS64 at the base that will light up a bulb so they know which site is the active transmitter, so they can steer their base to the appropriate input to talk back to the units in the field. I get what you're saying about the DB25. Why Motorola couldn't be clear about this in the documentation is beyond me.

And I also found that disabling the repeat path leads to the station not transmitting the PL it's programmed for, instead it reverts to CSQ. So I will either have to use 2 TS64s to generate the 2 PLs or rely on the transmitting radio's PL for my source (going to lean towards two TS64s since the subscriber might wobble).

I'm gathering this functionality is intended and not a bug? At least the station still wants to see the proper PL in order to open the receive and pull the PL/talkgroup detect pin that I'm using to key the station.

[d119]

And I also found that disabling the repeat path leads to the station not transmitting the PL it's programmed for, instead it reverts to CSQ. So I will either have to use 2 TS64s to generate the 2 PLs or rely on the transmitting radio's PL for my source (going to lean towards two TS64s since the subscriber might wobble).

You got it. The MTR 2000 was the same way. If you use an external controller (meaning the internal repeat path is disabled), you MUST generate your own PL - the station won't do it for you. It sucks!

I put an external controller on an MTR 2000 recently and had to parallel an SS64 encoder in with the transmit audio to get the thing to generate PL on the transmitter. Not to mention the PTT line had to be looped through the SS64 so that the transmitter reverse burst would work properly. Just goes to show once again how the MTR series was designed by an entirely separate group from the other Motorola repeater products. Any other station would just sit there and generate PL as requested, until YOU manually turned it OFF in the software.

MTR's make that decision for you. Pain in the ass...

[escomm]

Makes me QQ irl. Thanks for the info guys. Much more help than Mother M xD

[Will]

MTR series was designed by an entirely separate group from the other Motorola repeater products. ...

IIRC they were designed and built in Israel. They may have been designed and or built by another company all together. This is why the FRU cost so much and no repair information.

And yes, you have to use local PTT.

[escomm]

Were any of you guys aware the only functionality present on the 96 pin connector is +14V?

[d119]

You've got to be F'ing kidding me...

[escomm]

Well that's what the SSC says. The service manual has some limited functionality but nowhere near with the 2k had. Guess there may be an Aux I/O card in the works.... if there's a business case for it. Seems the 3k is more geared for TRBO. Sigh.

[escomm]

Well I can confirm that I found no COR, RX audio or PTT on the 96 pin connector in spite of the Basic Service Manual telling me I would.

This is pretty epic.

[d119]

Well I can confirm that I found no COR, RX audio or PTT on the 96 pin connector in spite of the Basic Service Manual telling me I would.

This is pretty epic.

I see a firmware release in our future thanks to your efforts... BTW I have gotten nowhere yet.

[thebigphish]

...that just put HUGE brakes on a project/plan here...thank you.

[edit]I can't find any information about the updated SCM found in the MTR3000. Is the MRTI still there? If the backplane connector is devoid of anything but V+, is the MRTI (if there) the same?

[wavetar]

This is pretty epic failure.

There, fixed! Lol.

[escomm]

...that just put HUGE brakes on a project/plan here...thank you.

[edit]I can't find any information about the updated SCM found in the MTR3000. Is the MRTI still there? If the backplane connector is devoid of anything but V+, is the MRTI (if there) the same?

The MRTI is not called a MRTI anymore but it is there as the J7 connector. The functions are similar and slightly more feature rich, but many of the functions on the 96 pin connector do not cross over to the MRTI. Beware of the service manuals for the MTR3k (as well as the sales guide and the product planner) as they speak to connections on the 96 pin connector that are not there.

Motorola does not want to support the 96 pin connector, although reading between the lines of some of the back and forth I've had so far, it is beginning to sound like the Aux I/O board from the MTR2k may actually function in the MTR3k.