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XTS programming question

Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:13 pm
by Arem
Hi there!

New here with a question I hope folks a bit more capable then myself might be able to help me out with.

I would like to program some of my XTS radio’s to work with some AN/PRC -114’s. The AN/PRC-114’s are pretty simple, having 4 transmit and 4 receive freq’s, one for each channel respectively. They are all analog, to the best of my knowledge. Would it be possible to program XTS 5000, 3000 or 2500 to talk with them? If so any pointers on how? I tried just creating conventional channels with the freq’s in em in analog, but whilst I did get a garbled receive on the XTS’s (nothing intelligible) I couldn’t get anything over the AN/PRC-114’s when I tried to talk over them with the XTS.

My XTS's are all UHF, the AN/PRC-114's are as well.
Thanks for any pointers.

Re: XTS programming question

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:28 am
by Jim202
You need to obtain the channel information so the XTS radios can be made to match. Bear in mind
that this will be for non encrypted channel operation. This means that you need the exact RX and TX
frequency info as well as what CTCSS squelch codes or tones are being used.

Jim


Arem wrote:Hi there!

New here with a question I hope folks a bit more capable then myself might be able to help me out with.

I would like to program some of my XTS radio’s to work with some AN/PRC -114’s. The AN/PRC-114’s are pretty simple, having 4 transmit and 4 receive freq’s, one for each channel respectively. They are all analog, to the best of my knowledge. Would it be possible to program XTS 5000, 3000 or 2500 to talk with them? If so any pointers on how? I tried just creating conventional channels with the freq’s in em in analog, but whilst I did get a garbled receive on the XTS’s (nothing intelligible) I couldn’t get anything over the AN/PRC-114’s when I tried to talk over them with the XTS.

My XTS's are all UHF, the AN/PRC-114's are as well.
Thanks for any pointers.

Re: XTS programming question

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:16 am
by mike m
The PRC-114's do have encryption available but I can't remember what the algorithm is.

I do remember that they use something like a KOK-?, or similar named, crypto fill device to load them for secure ops.

It sure sounds like yours are set to the correct frequency as your XTS's but the 114's are probably transmitting in secure mode.

If the XTS's are listening in analog you will hear the garbled secure audio, just as you mention, from the PRC's but since the PRC's are listening for only secure transmissions then they will not unsquelch to the XTS analog transmissions.

M

Re: XTS programming question

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 12:22 pm
by Arem
Mike,

We actually dont use the crypto cards in the PRC-114's any more, replaced it with a plain text card. Which is great because re-keying those things all the time is really not much fun :(

I have the frequencies for the PRC-114's handy and all that, so I am good there. Um, at risk of sounding foolish, what are "CTCSS squelch codes" and where might I find those?

Thanks
Arem

Re: XTS programming question

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:25 pm
by Terry_Glover
You're playing with XTS equipment and aren't familiar with CTCSS?

What the generic world calls CTCSS, Motorola calls a "PL" tone or code. If you don't know what that is, write back and I'll post a list of PL tones and DCS codes and a brief explanation for you. Better yet, Google Motorola PL tones and when you find a list of numbers like 67.0, 74.4, 77.0, 79.7, 100.0, 141.3 etc you're on the right track.

Terry

Re: XTS programming question

Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:26 pm
by groundrat99
Does the 114 have an AM/FM setting like some other military radios? Also check channel spacing is the same.