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MTX8000 Recieve Sensitivity Issues Please Help!!
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:26 pm
by jetsonic14

This morning my MTX8000 was working great had good RX sens of about .25 and was doing fine on our smartnet system. I took the radio apart to replace the rubber water proofing seal which runs around the rear plate cleaned up some dust out of the inside, put it back together, and now my RX sensitivity has gone to about 1.5-2.0. and I cant even hear my smartnet system or key it up I just get a constant tone. I can however use a very close conventional repeater. I ensured all flex cables were pluged in right, contacts were all touching, and even check the internal 16.8Mhz crystal. Yet its still RXing terrible. I tried lowering the squelch and that made almost no difference. Occasioinally the squelch will open for .5seconds while injecting a .3-.5 1khz tone, thats about it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Steve
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:30 pm
by RESCUE161
Take it back apart and look at the antenna connection. Sometimes they get bent the wrong way and don't make the connection when they do. Just tweak it a little if it's bent the wrong way.
Tried that didnt work
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:54 am
by jetsonic14
I tried bending it back just right it still didnt help, I even triend injecting my RF directly into the that antenna contact on the board with no luck.
Thank Though
Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 11:10 am
by jetsonic14
Now it has gotten even worse the RX sensitivity is at the highest point my service monitor will generate, and it has 0.00 watts of output power.
Re: MTX8000 Recieve Sensitivity Issues Please Help!!
Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 10:56 am
by WPA6MDuplexer
Just curious - did you do this disassembly at a static-free workstation (grounding mat, wrist strap, foot straps, non-carpetted floor)?
I'm not saying this is the issue, but it sounds like the T/R switch could possibly be blown.
Different technology radios use different devices for this function, ranging from PIN diodes to even the use of GaAs FET switches.
Where I work now we are strict about personnel complying with anti-static measures; I wish I had known about static many years (decades) ago, but in those days (big fat TTL ICs and discrete transistors) we were mostly uninformed on that subject!
Jim / WB5WPA
Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 3:13 pm
by jetsonic14
I was working on a bench with a static pad but did not where my static braclet. Thanks for your thoughts though I will check into it.
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:42 pm
by jetsonic14
Well I fixed it,
Sure enough the TA channel I was doing my testing on had alot of intermod/interference on it, it seems that when I listen to it in CSQ its nothing but noise while all my other channels are quite. So therefor in order to hear anything my serive monitor had to overcome the intermod noise by creating an even higher signal leaving me to believe that the radio had bad RX. As for the no power out, it looks as though the last time I put the radio together The antenna contact didnt slide under the RF contact rather it was wedged on top of it. Now I have 2.98watts, and .16RX.
Thanks For everyones Help
Steve