Batboard

Guys,

How does a Motorola RCH 3000 Deskset Model L3030A interface with an Astro Spectra. I have a Astro Spectra Model T04RKH9PW9AN with Host of 11.10.00 and DSP of 08.02.06 and would like to use it on one of these. Does the Astro Spectra Cable just connect in? Thanks in advance.

Radio43

This is a too long of an answer to post here, but I can discuss it with you or email you more details.

The long and the short of it is, you're on the right path with a W-9 radio. It has to have a W-9 radio to work. Second; you have to have one of the DGT9000 type consolettes to put the radio in. This means that your radio can't be a high power model. Next; you have to have a junction box to split the handests off the back of the consolette. The handsets read the data from the radio codeplug for the display names.

It's a really cool setup once you learn all of the ups and downs about it. I've had a miserable time finding information about these suckers, so I've had to experiment on my own to get it to work right. Motorola is no road map and GaiTronics depends on who you get on the phone as to how much information they will help you out with. They apparently have a love/hate relationship with Motorola.

Jim

Jim,

I believe that you may be the only one in the free world to fully understand this DGT9000/Gai-Tronics business.

I have the DGT9000 which is used with the analog Spectra. I bought this from a fellow who said that the cable was included....it was, but it did not go to anything. It was, however, a cable. Someone has peddled several of these things that way.

In addition to the items you've mentioned, does the DGT9000 itself require it's own RSS to program the control head names on the phone ?

Geo.

Trust me; I don't fully understand it... I've figured out enough to be dangerous just by experimenting and reading and re-reading the literature. None of it is very clear as I stated earlier. It's a huge pain in the ass to figure out, but once you know what it will do and what pieces you need to make it do it; it's a really cool setup. I'm about to post a 800 MHz analog trunking DGT9000 setup on eBay that I no longer need now that I've moved to West Texas. If you wanted to be creative, you could buy it and use if for any analog Spectra or any W-9 Astro Spectra by replacing the radio. The analog setup uses a splitter box that connects the huge-fat-assed cables that go to the DGT9000 handsets. This splitter has a DB-17 input that comes from a DB-25 that comes out of the consolette. You can attach up to six parallel handsets with that. Now, I have had some success with programming all handsets simultaneously with the consolette programming cable attached to the consolette, using the DGT9000 software. Obviously, this is the easiest way. Now: The DGT9000's do need a separate software to program the names on the handsets. And it is an old-ass cantancerous v.1.0 that only runs on DOS and at a speed NO faster than 100 MHz with no caching enabled. It's REALLY pissy software, but it does work. The pinout for the programming cable is on the Batlabs site. Simple to build and works with a standard RIB.

If you want to replace the radio with an Astro Spectra, things get easier software wise, but a bit more weird on the wiring. You can use any low/mid power Astro Spectra with a W-9 codeplug. There is a splitter that attaches to the consolette via a DB-25 cable and attaches to a splitter with multiple RJ-45 jacks. This allows up to six parallel hansets, BUT the huge difference is that you can run it through CAT-5 wiring plumbed in a building with a total length not to exceed 5000 feet. You can really spread out some handsets with that!!! You program all of the handsets from the consolette by programming them like a W-9 head. They all pull the info from the radio codeplug. Simple as it gets.

Now; if you really want to get adventurous; you can even get modems for long distance connection to the consolette to a RCH3000 handset. By the way; you WILL need RCH3000 handsets to work with the Astro radios. I know Motorola and GaiTronics say that there are L-1751A DGT9000 handsets that will work with Astro, but I've never been able to make it work or find someone at either company that didn't think I was speaking Portuguese. They tend to get really stupid when you ask either company any type of complicated question about this setup.

I have not yet experimented with the modems, but I have four of them and will try to get some type of matrix assembled to post here when I feel like I know my head from my ass, which I do not at this point.