Batboard

Hi, I have a Maxtrac 300 that seems to have a Radius front head on it. Radius RSS will NOT work, but Maxtrac RSS will. The problem I have is that even at the lowes setting the minimum volume is WAY too loud. Someone told me something in the head needs to be adjusted, but that's all I was told. Does anyone have any ideas on what needs to be done? RSS says it is a 45 Watt Maxtrac 300 if that makes any difference. It is 16 pin accy. connector. Thanks!

Kevin

It was not completely clear in your posting but I believe that you say that when you turn the volume to minimum, the audio is still too loud.
That is not a software adjustment, but a hardware change in the control head.
Open the head and remove the volume control/mic jack board.
There is a resistor on the board, it should be 10 ohms. If the resistor is a larger value, the minimum volume will be louder, if the value is lower, the minimum volume will be lower.
It seems that you need to reduce the value of this resistor. Try the default, 10 ohms.

I have also seen many volume controls that go bad & leave the volume level wide open regardless of where you set it.

Todd

Alan, that is correct, the volume is too loud even at the minimum setting. I'll take the head ot tonight and let you know what I find. Thanks!

On a somewhat related note, if I read the post correctly. To set a minimum volume on a Maxtrac all I have to do is change that resistor to something greater than the 10ohm default resistor????
We have people who like to turn the radios down in the ambulance and then never hear us calling them... Would solve that problem if they can't turn it all the way down..

Alan, any idea where this resistor is? I took the head off but I dont see anything obvious. Thanks.

The resistor is on the same board in the "control head" that the volume control and mic jack are on. You can test the volume control with an ohm meter, just disconnect the cable at the radio logic board.

The "minimum volume resistor" has been used in many Motorola radios, and a true story--
At a fire department, the Base radio controls are in the Police department dispatch. The fire department complained that their radios could NOT talk to the "base" but worked fine truck to truck. So I went out there and found the volume turned ALL the way down so the Police dispatcher did not have to listen to the three cities on the same fire channel. So I put put a minimum volume resistor in the console for the fire radio (so the dispatcher could NOT turn down the volume below a sutable level) and everything ok now.... no the FD called back a week later same problem, I went to the PD dispatch again and..... two layers of cardboard were neatly taped to the speaker so the $&^@#$ dispatcher did not have to hear the FD. Of course I told the Police Cheif what the dispatcher had done, AND got myself in trouble with the PD.

Where was this? I hope I never have to live or work in that city.

South Pasadena, California. about 1977

Not so bright dispatchers can sadly be found in just about any city. Scary, isn't it?

Sad but true, and very scary.
Poor dispatchers cause more service calls that anyother cause.

"operator malfunction" ERROR