Spectra zone feature addition to radio
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 3:15 am
The subject of adding zone operation to a Spectra that didn't have it before has come up a number of times in the past. Yes it can be done and it just takes time to do it.
The first step is to make sure the MLM board is at least 6.00 or higher. The next step is to make sure you have the software that allows you to get into the "MOFLAG" settings. You will have to turn the "ZONE" to enable. It is defaulted to disable.
Also in the "MOFLAG" section, you should make sure that the "9k head" is enabled if your using any one of the many versions of the 9000 series of heads (W9) style.
Save the codeplug back to the radio. It will complain that the features do not match. Just tell it to continue.
Read the radio again and then go into the radio wide selection. Go to the "ZONE" list and add a zone. You do this by just hitting return while there until you get to the place where it asks what zone you want to add. Enter 01.
Now here is the down side. Your better off deleting all your current channels in the radio. Go to the modes and then select the F8 key to get into the "MODE UTILITY". Here it will now allow you to add a new mode and ask what zone you want the new mode to be added to. This is also where you can mass delete the modes using the "BLOCK" selection.
Here is where I am also going to make a strong suggestion that you make up an Excel sheet with the mode (channel info and zone info) so you don't loose your place while entering the mode and zone information.
I find that adding in new modes and zones can be very confusing. So I add the new zone with it's name, then add the number of blank modes to go into that zone and then go back and fill in the channel (mode) information like name, RX freq., TX freq, talk around enabled, PL information, time out timer (it defaults to 60 seconds)and then go to the next mode using the F4 key. Once I get the entire zone done, I save it back to the radio. This way if you fat fingered something, you only have the 15 channels to go back and find the error. Then go add another zone if needed. Keep up the sequence until your done adding to the radio.
The reason I say 15 channels (modes) is that the radio is limited to 16 channels in scan. It picks the current channel (mode) the radio is on and counts that as one of the channels in the scan list. I use a fixed list. Other people may like the operator selected mode better. The choice is yours. Just wanted to point out the limitation.
After I get all the channels (modes) entered in, I then go back and work on the scan lists for the radio. If you put all 128 channels into the radio, it will take you the better part of a day to do all this. Maybe some of you are faster on the keyboard than me. But speed is not the issue here. Correct input is. It is better to check your entry as you go along than trying to find a fat finger mistake after you have a bunch of channels entered in and the software barfs as you try to save it to the radio.
One more comment, I have not gone into a step by step key stroke entry here as I will take it that you already know how to get around the software and are aware of the different steps it takes to get around the software. Those that are new to the Spectra software, will just have to ask for some help learning their way around.
As with all radios, make sure you save a copy of the codeplug on a floppy or some other directory other than in the archive of the software your using. It is real hard to kill a Spectra. If you do make a big fubar, then just reload your saved codplug and go for it again. These radios and the software used are rock solid. It isn't like the junk that Motorola has come out with on the current family of radios they are trying to pass as top of the line public safety radios.
The Spectra radios can NOT BE NARROW BANDED. As such they are being pulled from service to meet the FCC deadline of January 1st, 2013. If you go to buy one today. don't pay much for them. They should be available by the pallet loads before the end of the year. It wouldn't surprise me if they are not just dumped into the dumpster by the radio shops that are pulling them out. Prices should be less than $50 for the radio before the end of the year. They make fine radios for the ham service. Just make sure you get the control cables and power cables if they are the high powered trunk mount version. I cry when I see some of the radio shops just cutting the control cable when they pull some of these out. They have to open up the wire chases to install the new trunk mount control cables anyway. It doesn't save that much time cutting them.
Jim
The first step is to make sure the MLM board is at least 6.00 or higher. The next step is to make sure you have the software that allows you to get into the "MOFLAG" settings. You will have to turn the "ZONE" to enable. It is defaulted to disable.
Also in the "MOFLAG" section, you should make sure that the "9k head" is enabled if your using any one of the many versions of the 9000 series of heads (W9) style.
Save the codeplug back to the radio. It will complain that the features do not match. Just tell it to continue.
Read the radio again and then go into the radio wide selection. Go to the "ZONE" list and add a zone. You do this by just hitting return while there until you get to the place where it asks what zone you want to add. Enter 01.
Now here is the down side. Your better off deleting all your current channels in the radio. Go to the modes and then select the F8 key to get into the "MODE UTILITY". Here it will now allow you to add a new mode and ask what zone you want the new mode to be added to. This is also where you can mass delete the modes using the "BLOCK" selection.
Here is where I am also going to make a strong suggestion that you make up an Excel sheet with the mode (channel info and zone info) so you don't loose your place while entering the mode and zone information.
I find that adding in new modes and zones can be very confusing. So I add the new zone with it's name, then add the number of blank modes to go into that zone and then go back and fill in the channel (mode) information like name, RX freq., TX freq, talk around enabled, PL information, time out timer (it defaults to 60 seconds)and then go to the next mode using the F4 key. Once I get the entire zone done, I save it back to the radio. This way if you fat fingered something, you only have the 15 channels to go back and find the error. Then go add another zone if needed. Keep up the sequence until your done adding to the radio.
The reason I say 15 channels (modes) is that the radio is limited to 16 channels in scan. It picks the current channel (mode) the radio is on and counts that as one of the channels in the scan list. I use a fixed list. Other people may like the operator selected mode better. The choice is yours. Just wanted to point out the limitation.
After I get all the channels (modes) entered in, I then go back and work on the scan lists for the radio. If you put all 128 channels into the radio, it will take you the better part of a day to do all this. Maybe some of you are faster on the keyboard than me. But speed is not the issue here. Correct input is. It is better to check your entry as you go along than trying to find a fat finger mistake after you have a bunch of channels entered in and the software barfs as you try to save it to the radio.
One more comment, I have not gone into a step by step key stroke entry here as I will take it that you already know how to get around the software and are aware of the different steps it takes to get around the software. Those that are new to the Spectra software, will just have to ask for some help learning their way around.
As with all radios, make sure you save a copy of the codeplug on a floppy or some other directory other than in the archive of the software your using. It is real hard to kill a Spectra. If you do make a big fubar, then just reload your saved codplug and go for it again. These radios and the software used are rock solid. It isn't like the junk that Motorola has come out with on the current family of radios they are trying to pass as top of the line public safety radios.
The Spectra radios can NOT BE NARROW BANDED. As such they are being pulled from service to meet the FCC deadline of January 1st, 2013. If you go to buy one today. don't pay much for them. They should be available by the pallet loads before the end of the year. It wouldn't surprise me if they are not just dumped into the dumpster by the radio shops that are pulling them out. Prices should be less than $50 for the radio before the end of the year. They make fine radios for the ham service. Just make sure you get the control cables and power cables if they are the high powered trunk mount version. I cry when I see some of the radio shops just cutting the control cable when they pull some of these out. They have to open up the wire chases to install the new trunk mount control cables anyway. It doesn't save that much time cutting them.
Jim