Batboard

I need your expert opinon on which equipment to use to set up 3-5 remotes for our office using some type(you pick) of 16channel VHF radio. Remotes should be able to select the channel, transmit and scan if possible.

We currently have 3 seperate moblies using power supplies and seperate antennas!
Local motorla dealer wants $7k plus to do this.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: racex on 2002-03-12 13:31 ]</font>

I'm not sure of the U.S. pricing, so I can't tell you if you're being screwed for sure. That said, if you want to be able to change up to 16 channels via remote, I believe your only option is to go with either an MCS2000 model III, or an Astro Spectra, using RCH3000 digital remotes. These remotes more or less act as control heads, allowing you to do just about anything you could do right at the radio. These radios & remotes are expensive, for sure! Perhaps another manufacturer has a similar set-up for less money, but I don't have any experience with them. Another option is to source an older regular Spectra & DGT9000 digital remote set-up. These were the precursors to the newer units I described above.

Todd

If you are using Maxtrac or Radius Mobiles, there is a company called CPI communications that makes a multi channel tone remote and adapter for these radios. I dont exactly remember how it interfaces and what programming was required but the techs at CPI were most helpful when we did this on a DC remote setup some time back.

http://www.cpicomm.com

There are multi channel tone remotes available from Motorola as well, but I believe the Radius/Maxtrac line is limited to 4 channels, using the channel steering lines available in some 16-pin radios. I do vaguely recall someone posting about that sort of set-up, perhaps they could refresh my memory?

Todd

We have used the CPI and the Motorola remotes on multi chan systems. We had a Spectra mobile with twenty three control points on it for a control station at one of our customers.
I pefer the CPI and the support is great.
The CPI interfaces the channel stearing lines in the radio.
I am wondering why 16 channels? IF so stick with low end radios at each control point, as you allready have three.

A friend of mine was looking at how he could control the channel selection on a GM300 by setting up 4 of the pins to represent a number in binary - depending on how they set, it would change the channel... 0001 for 1, 0010 for 2, etc...

I don't know how well it works, or what the technical end of making it work is, but if your into building your own stuff it could be kinda cool. Don't know how you would interface scan with it.

-Alex