I have a Maratrac and a carputer, and I dont want to have the radio head mounted in my car, if I can help it. Does anyone know if there is a way to control the mobile with the computer (change channels and display current channel) directly from the computer?
Sorry if this is not where the post belongs....
Carputer Control for a Maratrac
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Re: Carputer Control for a Maratrac
The MaraTrac uses a simple synchronous 3 wire transfer (data in, data out and clock) between the radio drawer and control head. A microprocessor could easily control (read and write) these radio drawer signal lines, then communicate with a PC/MAC/etc. computer that has software written and installed to operate this custom microprocessor interface. One problem is the control head has the physical volume control (either a potentiometer for the clamshell and HHCH, or an R2R Digital to Analog Converter in the A7 advanced head). It also has physical controls for emergency, horns, lights, ignition and HUB (some of these have to be read and sent back to the radio drawer through the synchronous 3 wire, while others are outputs to external hardware). It has the microphone and speaker connection. The custom microprocessor would have to handle the external hardware interfaces (i.e. anything that can't be simulated in the PC/MAC/etc. software and sent back to the radio drawer as data).
You could also use a Pyramid repeater style interface and just attach parallel wires from a custom microprocessor to an advanced A7 control head (hidden somewhere) that allows you to read control head information and write control head information. Then the heavily modified A7 head provides all the necessary hardware and connections for Motorola accessories/cables/etc. This would also need special PC/MAC/etc. computer software.
If you are setup for microprocessor development and writing PC/MAC/etc. software it is doable. But, its not that quick and easy.
You could also use a Pyramid repeater style interface and just attach parallel wires from a custom microprocessor to an advanced A7 control head (hidden somewhere) that allows you to read control head information and write control head information. Then the heavily modified A7 head provides all the necessary hardware and connections for Motorola accessories/cables/etc. This would also need special PC/MAC/etc. computer software.
If you are setup for microprocessor development and writing PC/MAC/etc. software it is doable. But, its not that quick and easy.
Re: Carputer Control for a Maratrac
You could also go to a Spectra, Astro Spectra, or MCS2000, and use Motorola's vRCH Virtual Control Head software (assuming you can find a copy).
Re: Carputer Control for a Maratrac
I plan on using an external speaker with an inline vol. control, and all I need is the control channel selection, turn scan on/off and to see the current channel. anyone know what I need?
Re: Carputer Control for a Maratrac
For a comparison, the vRCH Virtual Control Head software was written by Motorola for the PC, using a RIB Systems 9000 communication interface connected to the PC and radio drawer. Since the Spectra, Astro Spectra and MCS2000 all have the Systems 9000 communication interface built in, these work with the Motorola PC vRCH software and RIB.
We aren't at the point where computers can just do what we tell them. Even that still might not work as in “Open the pod bay doors HAL”
. You need computer software that can talk to the MaraTrac radio serial data interface, like the vRCH software talks to the System 9000 communication interface. You also need the serial data interface hardware, similar to how the RIB hardware works with the vRCH software to control the radio drawer.
As far as I know this MaraTrac PC software doesn't exist and there is no MaraTrac serial data interface hardware that can be hooked to a PC computer (don't confuse the MaraTrac RSS programming interface with the control head serial data interface, these are separate from each other and they are very different).
Using this comparison, either find or create the PC computer software for a MaraTrac, and either find or create the MaraTrac to PC interface hardware.
We aren't at the point where computers can just do what we tell them. Even that still might not work as in “Open the pod bay doors HAL”
. You need computer software that can talk to the MaraTrac radio serial data interface, like the vRCH software talks to the System 9000 communication interface. You also need the serial data interface hardware, similar to how the RIB hardware works with the vRCH software to control the radio drawer.As far as I know this MaraTrac PC software doesn't exist and there is no MaraTrac serial data interface hardware that can be hooked to a PC computer (don't confuse the MaraTrac RSS programming interface with the control head serial data interface, these are separate from each other and they are very different).
Using this comparison, either find or create the PC computer software for a MaraTrac, and either find or create the MaraTrac to PC interface hardware.
Re: Carputer Control for a Maratrac
To put it in a potentially less polite but more direct way:
It's highly unlikely that anyone's going to step forward and give you software and a list of instructions to follow to make this work. You have two options:
- Use something that exists (vRCH with a Spectra/Astro Spectra/MCS2000, or perhaps a Piexx upgrade to a Syntor/SyntorX)... and you're still going to have to do some legwork to figure out how to make everything play nicely.
- Build your own. This is going to involve knowledge of computer programming, as well as the skills necessary to build the interface to the radio itself.
If you have the skills for option #2, knock your lights out. Otherwise, consider a different radio and use vRCH.
It's highly unlikely that anyone's going to step forward and give you software and a list of instructions to follow to make this work. You have two options:
- Use something that exists (vRCH with a Spectra/Astro Spectra/MCS2000, or perhaps a Piexx upgrade to a Syntor/SyntorX)... and you're still going to have to do some legwork to figure out how to make everything play nicely.
- Build your own. This is going to involve knowledge of computer programming, as well as the skills necessary to build the interface to the radio itself.
If you have the skills for option #2, knock your lights out. Otherwise, consider a different radio and use vRCH.