I've searched the forums here and there and I want to get a definite answer.
The county and surrounding areas I am in are still VHF/UHF analog. I'm planning within the next year, to get two XTL5000 CONSOLES. I want to attach an MC3000 to each so I can control the radios from another room and listen to the audio.
I'm assuming...
1) That's doable with the MC3000, can I have both radios to ONE MC3000, or do I need one for each?
2) Does anyone have good setup instructions for this when I get to it?
3) What else is needed? I know I need a digital box of some sort...
Regards,
-Frank C.
MC3000 Inquiry
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fchrist16
- Posts: 348
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- What radios do you own?: Desktrac, XTL/XTS's & XPR's
Re: MC3000 Inquiry
Anyone...?
Regards,
-Frank C.
Regards,
-Frank C.
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W3AXL
- Posts: 114
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Re: MC3000 Inquiry
Short answers:
1) You'll need one for each. There's no provision for radio switching
2) The installation manual you can find online is probably the best resource
3) You can connect directly to the radio (see the manual for info) or go through a junction box (L3208) to have multiple desksets on one radio.
Longer answer:
The MC3000 at it's core is emulating a radio control head, sending the same SB9600 messages for button presses and ptt, along with TX/RX audio. It originally supported MCS2000 M3 or Astro Spectra W9 control heads (and iDEN & LTR radios too but I've never played with those.) If your consolettes are configured for W9 heads, they should work no problem. If they're configured as W7 or W5, you'll need to change that with CPS. The mapping of buttons between the MC3000 and the control head can be found in the manual, so use that to program your buttons in CPS accordingly.
Connection wise, it's mostly a game of matching signals. Compare the pinouts in the MC3000 manual with the pinouts in the Consolette manual and you should be able to figure it out relatively easily.
Unforutanately sometimes with these desksets (the MC3000 and the RCH3000) it's a game of "everything should work but it still isn't" so it takes a bit of patience and creativity. I've currently got an MC3000 and an RCH3000 controlling an MCS2000 and an Astro Spectra with few problems.
1) You'll need one for each. There's no provision for radio switching
2) The installation manual you can find online is probably the best resource
3) You can connect directly to the radio (see the manual for info) or go through a junction box (L3208) to have multiple desksets on one radio.
Longer answer:
The MC3000 at it's core is emulating a radio control head, sending the same SB9600 messages for button presses and ptt, along with TX/RX audio. It originally supported MCS2000 M3 or Astro Spectra W9 control heads (and iDEN & LTR radios too but I've never played with those.) If your consolettes are configured for W9 heads, they should work no problem. If they're configured as W7 or W5, you'll need to change that with CPS. The mapping of buttons between the MC3000 and the control head can be found in the manual, so use that to program your buttons in CPS accordingly.
Connection wise, it's mostly a game of matching signals. Compare the pinouts in the MC3000 manual with the pinouts in the Consolette manual and you should be able to figure it out relatively easily.
Unforutanately sometimes with these desksets (the MC3000 and the RCH3000) it's a game of "everything should work but it still isn't" so it takes a bit of patience and creativity. I've currently got an MC3000 and an RCH3000 controlling an MCS2000 and an Astro Spectra with few problems.
Re: MC3000 Inquiry
You will also need to make sure your consolettes have the DIGITAL remote control board in them, and not the TONE REMOTE CONTROL board.
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fchrist16
- Posts: 348
- Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 12:23 am
- What radios do you own?: Desktrac, XTL/XTS's & XPR's
Re: MC3000 Inquiry
Thank you both. I saw a Consolette on everyone's favorite buying site with a MC3000 that I'm interested in if it sticks around long enough...
So I'll need the L3208 to do what I want for each radio.
Regards,
-Frank C.
So I'll need the L3208 to do what I want for each radio.
Regards,
-Frank C.
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tsunami_australia
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Re: MC3000 Inquiry
Are the 3000 consoles able to command a channel change or scan on/off? I still have something like that in the back of my head for the office.
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W3AXL
- Posts: 114
- Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:02 am
- What radios do you own?: an unhealthy amount of them
Re: MC3000 Inquiry
The MC3000 is just a radio control head in a different package. You can control every function through it, the same as a regular control head.
Re: MC3000 Inquiry
I will say this: The function futons on the MC3000 are not definable - meaning that they are hard coded to a particular control head button on the W9 head. It can get weird since there are only a few LED annunciators on the MC3000 to indicate that they are active. FWIW; A W7 codeplug will work with limited functionality, and pot luck picks on assigning the function buttons.
You can also do a direct wire from the MC3000 to the rear of the consolette. I can't remember if the length restriction is 10' or 50'. So; no you don't have to use the L3208, but you're limited on distance. The wiring scheme for the RCH3000 is a totally different critter, so don't try to use a diagram from it to mimic this. Bad news; as far as I know; you will have to use 2 separate MC3000's if you're using 2 different consolettes. It's "possible" you could use a switch between the two consolettes since they affiliate and sync every couple of seconds, but you'd only be able to access one consolette at the time.
You can also do a direct wire from the MC3000 to the rear of the consolette. I can't remember if the length restriction is 10' or 50'. So; no you don't have to use the L3208, but you're limited on distance. The wiring scheme for the RCH3000 is a totally different critter, so don't try to use a diagram from it to mimic this. Bad news; as far as I know; you will have to use 2 separate MC3000's if you're using 2 different consolettes. It's "possible" you could use a switch between the two consolettes since they affiliate and sync every couple of seconds, but you'd only be able to access one consolette at the time.