Astro Spectra Control Head

[rad2085]

Hi am looking at purchasing an Moto Astro Spectra radio, but for the freq i require i'm unable to find one with the HHCH which i want. Does anbody know what is involved in modifying the radios to suit a HHCH. Surely it is more than just pluging in the control mic. Thanks for you help?

[d119]

Well that depends - what frequency, or rather, what frequency range (split) are you looking to use?

If it's anything normal, I'm sure someone out there has an S-Record for that split in a W3 HHCH configuration.

The only real difference between an HHCH and non-HHCH radio is some control head cabling (external to the radio) and the S-Record that is loaded into the VOCON.

[tvsjr]

And the interconnect board in the front of the radio...

[rad2085]

thanks, i was wanting one radio that can handle 430-430Mhz for amature radio as well as being able to use it on 477Mhz occasionally. As far as i can find i will need to perform an out of band hack to get it to transmit on 477Mhz, i figure yes it will be out of band but if i get a high power unit, say over 50 watts i will be able to reduce the power output for those 477mhz channels using the CPS.

[akardam]

You're probably not going to find an Astro Spectra that'll cover 430 to 477mhz...

[motorola_otaku]

You're probably not going to find an Astro Spectra that'll cover 430 to 477mhz...

+1
That's why MCS2000s are so popular over on your side of the pond (I'm guessing you're in Australia): their R-split range covers 403-470 and can easily be modified to cover 477MHz CB.

Your only option for using an Astro Spectra is to find one in the 438-470 "motorcycle" range, so called because many/most of the radios produced in that range in the US were made in the 15W motorcycle configuration. You *might* get 430-438 out of one and you *might* get 477 out of one, but either way is a stretch. Also, while they may well have been made at the factory in a W3 HHCH configuration, I personally have never seen or heard reference to one.

[akardam]

... while they may well have been made at the factory in a W3 HHCH configuration ...

That's a negative, Ghostrider.

[rad2085]

Hi thanks to all for their help, i will have to stick with the MCS2000 that i have, i wanted a motorola with a HHCH. thanks

[Pj]

Well, if you do some searching around and make some contacts - you could conceivable get/build one. It will involve gathering some parts and having some software modifications done. For the software mods, your own your own on how to do them. If you do some searching in the ASTRO forum for the past 2 or 3 years you will be able to find most of the information on how this can be done. This still does not guarentee that the VCO will lock if the radio is taken out of band. HOWEVER:

Range 3 UHF radio will do 450-482, and a Range 3.5 will do 453-488.

Unlike the XTL radios where you can "pick" your control head, the control heads on the ASTRO Spectras are related to their model numbers. If the model number in the software codeplug says W5, you can only use the W5 features even if you had another head attached to it. You just need to be able to change that part of the model number.

For a W3 part numbers, look here:
http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=83107

According to 6881076C25-D, there are no factory W3 or W9 motorcycle offerings. This does not mean that departments didn't buy higher powered radios and used other heads.

[motorola_otaku]

... while they may well have been made at the factory in a W3 HHCH configuration ...

That's a negative, Ghostrider.

I was thinking more along the lines of off-the-books SP/Government production. Stranger things have been seen.

[Pj]

Yeah. I am still waiting for that true dual radio W9 Astro Spectra. Someone, a long time ago stated they have them in service, and was posting from a .gov address. Too bad he wouldn't answer any questions about them...if it truely existed.