Super Newbie Needs Some Guidance - HT50 as 2way for Racecar
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:34 pm
OK, here's what I've got and what I'd like to do with it.
I have half a dozen HT50 2 channel portable radios, three mobile vehicle radios (the model number I do not recall at present, but I can find it out if necessary), and another mobile set up as a base station, all left over from when my father operated a construction company. I have most all of the gear that came out of the trucks (antennas, wiring, mounts, etc), and all the stuff that was used with the portables. I have not yet found any of the manuals (which would be very handy right now) or any of the FCC paperwork.
I know that we were licensed to use a specific freq in the business band, but I do not know what it was (I will continue to dig through the documentation until I find it though).
I also have a super low buck racing operation that is in need of a set of two way radios to use as comms between the crew chief/spotter and the driver while on track.
I have found a pin out schematic for the HT50 aux port, but have thus far been unable to find any connectors to mate with it.
My father has two sets of Dave Clark M-4 headsets that he's willing to let me use as well (since he's the crew chief/spotter).
I will need to construct a set of small speakers and a mic that I can mount inside my helmet, and a push to talk button on the steering wheel for the car, plus the wiring harness to interface those three things with the radio itself.
I will also need to construct a PTT button and an interface harness to adapt the HT50 to those Dave Clark head sets and the PTT for the spotter.
I know what I need to do, and I'm pretty decent at actually doing the work, but I have a few questions that two weeks of GoogleFu has failed to answer. Hopefully, that's where you guys come in.
1) If/When I figure out what freq our old BB license was for, what are the chances that it is still in force (IE do those things expire)?
2) If it is not, what are my options from there? Reprogram to a license free freq? New radios? Give up entirely?
3) Where can I find the male plug that interfaces with the aux port on the HT50, or failing that, what is it designated as (so I can make a more intelligent search)?
4) I have a schematic that I think will work for the car harness and helmet harness. That said, does anyone have access to a schematic that is explicitly meant for this application? (IE radio to PTT to helmet speakers & mic OR radio to PTT to DC headset)
5) Can this all be powered from the HT50 battery? If so, how long will that last? Our races are quite short, so if I can get at least an hour's run time out of a battery (not an hour of broadcast), we'll be good. I don't mind changing batteries before the feature, but I've seen features go for 45mins to an hour, and we can't stop to change.
6) I doubt that the 20 yr old batteries are up to this task, so I had planned to buy new ones. Are there any specific aftermarket brands to avoid? Any really good ones?
I know I sound like a mad man here, but I cannot afford to drop a grand or more on brand new radios and ready made harnesses.
This whole effort has been very DIY, and I've had these radios here for decades. Hopefully they can be repurposed without major issue.
When giving advice bear in mind that while this is not my first electronics project (I've built DIY CNC machines, retro fit old CNC machines, and built other less interesting electronic stuff), it IS my first radio project, so I am very liable to not know much (or any) of the nomenclature. Please bear with me on this. I'm a quick learner.
Years ago, I'd have just gone to my local Eagle Electronics store and bent the ear of the tech guy until he'd figured out what parts I needed, sold them to me, and then offered any advice he had. Unfortunately, that old timer is gone now and the Eagle is closed.
All I'm left with now is a half hour drive to Radio Shack where a 17 yr old kid waits to ask me what I need and then perplexedly look at the shelf labels in the vain hope of finding the part there in a blister pak. It's worse than useless.
Mouser and DigiKey have everything under the sun, but that only does me any good if I actually know what the geehaw I'm after is called (which in this case, I do not).
So, I turn to you fine gentlemen in the hopes that at least one of you is an old timer of the caliber I need.
I have half a dozen HT50 2 channel portable radios, three mobile vehicle radios (the model number I do not recall at present, but I can find it out if necessary), and another mobile set up as a base station, all left over from when my father operated a construction company. I have most all of the gear that came out of the trucks (antennas, wiring, mounts, etc), and all the stuff that was used with the portables. I have not yet found any of the manuals (which would be very handy right now) or any of the FCC paperwork.
I know that we were licensed to use a specific freq in the business band, but I do not know what it was (I will continue to dig through the documentation until I find it though).
I also have a super low buck racing operation that is in need of a set of two way radios to use as comms between the crew chief/spotter and the driver while on track.
I have found a pin out schematic for the HT50 aux port, but have thus far been unable to find any connectors to mate with it.
My father has two sets of Dave Clark M-4 headsets that he's willing to let me use as well (since he's the crew chief/spotter).
I will need to construct a set of small speakers and a mic that I can mount inside my helmet, and a push to talk button on the steering wheel for the car, plus the wiring harness to interface those three things with the radio itself.
I will also need to construct a PTT button and an interface harness to adapt the HT50 to those Dave Clark head sets and the PTT for the spotter.
I know what I need to do, and I'm pretty decent at actually doing the work, but I have a few questions that two weeks of GoogleFu has failed to answer. Hopefully, that's where you guys come in.
1) If/When I figure out what freq our old BB license was for, what are the chances that it is still in force (IE do those things expire)?
2) If it is not, what are my options from there? Reprogram to a license free freq? New radios? Give up entirely?
3) Where can I find the male plug that interfaces with the aux port on the HT50, or failing that, what is it designated as (so I can make a more intelligent search)?
4) I have a schematic that I think will work for the car harness and helmet harness. That said, does anyone have access to a schematic that is explicitly meant for this application? (IE radio to PTT to helmet speakers & mic OR radio to PTT to DC headset)
5) Can this all be powered from the HT50 battery? If so, how long will that last? Our races are quite short, so if I can get at least an hour's run time out of a battery (not an hour of broadcast), we'll be good. I don't mind changing batteries before the feature, but I've seen features go for 45mins to an hour, and we can't stop to change.
6) I doubt that the 20 yr old batteries are up to this task, so I had planned to buy new ones. Are there any specific aftermarket brands to avoid? Any really good ones?
I know I sound like a mad man here, but I cannot afford to drop a grand or more on brand new radios and ready made harnesses.
This whole effort has been very DIY, and I've had these radios here for decades. Hopefully they can be repurposed without major issue.
When giving advice bear in mind that while this is not my first electronics project (I've built DIY CNC machines, retro fit old CNC machines, and built other less interesting electronic stuff), it IS my first radio project, so I am very liable to not know much (or any) of the nomenclature. Please bear with me on this. I'm a quick learner.
Years ago, I'd have just gone to my local Eagle Electronics store and bent the ear of the tech guy until he'd figured out what parts I needed, sold them to me, and then offered any advice he had. Unfortunately, that old timer is gone now and the Eagle is closed.
All I'm left with now is a half hour drive to Radio Shack where a 17 yr old kid waits to ask me what I need and then perplexedly look at the shelf labels in the vain hope of finding the part there in a blister pak. It's worse than useless.
Mouser and DigiKey have everything under the sun, but that only does me any good if I actually know what the geehaw I'm after is called (which in this case, I do not).
So, I turn to you fine gentlemen in the hopes that at least one of you is an old timer of the caliber I need.