mcs2000 iginition sense

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k4vks
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mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by k4vks »

I need help figuring out what I am doing wrong. I connected the ignition sense wire to position #15 and made sure it is indeed getting power. I chose soft power off in cps but it's still not coming on/off with the ignition. Any ideas where or what I should check next? Could it be because I also chose to auto-power off after 2 hours?

Any help appreciated please.

Thanks
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Bill_G
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by Bill_G »

I verified that pin 15 is the ign line at batlabs. If you think you've programmed it correctly, and that 12v is really getting to the pin in #15, then it's probably a broken radio. ie: the detector on pin 15 is damaged. I have very little experience with MCS2000, never serviced one, and cannot tell you what device that would be. Might be a discrete xter, or more likely part of an i/o chip. I've seen ignition sense lines get damaged easily on a lot of mobile product, but they work correctly otherwise. They don't put high enough reverse protection on the line to suppress the deep neg voltages that get thrown when the vehicle gets turned off. They protect their mains, but not their ign sense. We've retrofitted whole fleets of vehicles with high PIV diodes in the ign sense line to stop the damage. If you really need the radio to follow ign, you can do it externally with a relay on the main A+ line.
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fineshot1
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by fineshot1 »

k4vks wrote:I need help figuring out what I am doing wrong. I connected the ignition sense wire to position #15 and made sure it is indeed getting power. I chose soft power off in cps but it's still not coming on/off with the ignition. Any ideas where or what I should check next? Could it be because I also chose to auto-power off after 2 hours?

Any help appreciated please.

Thanks
Did you verify with a DVM +12V or +13.8VDC?

If the ignition voltage level is too low it is disregarded.
fineshot1
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Bill_G
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by Bill_G »

fineshot1 wrote:
k4vks wrote:I need help figuring out what I am doing wrong. I connected the ignition sense wire to position #15 and made sure it is indeed getting power. I chose soft power off in cps but it's still not coming on/off with the ignition. Any ideas where or what I should check next? Could it be because I also chose to auto-power off after 2 hours?

Any help appreciated please.

Thanks
Did you verify with a DVM +12V or +13.8VDC?

If the ignition voltage level is too low it is disregarded.
Does it have to be within .7v of A+?
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fineshot1
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by fineshot1 »

Bill_G wrote:
fineshot1 wrote:
k4vks wrote:I need help figuring out what I am doing wrong. I connected the ignition sense wire to position #15 and made sure it is indeed getting power. I chose soft power off in cps but it's still not coming on/off with the ignition. Any ideas where or what I should check next? Could it be because I also chose to auto-power off after 2 hours?

Any help appreciated please.

Thanks
Did you verify with a DVM +12V or +13.8VDC?

If the ignition voltage level is too low it is disregarded.
Does it have to be within .7v of A+?
Bill - i can not say for certain. All i know is from my experience of seeing less than
11VDC being ignored by the sense circuit numerous times.
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Bill_G
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by Bill_G »

Oy vey. I'm feeling much betterer that I missed out on MCS mobiles coming in and out of the market.

The good news is, if that's the case for k4vks - that his ignition voltage is in a gray state that the radio ignores, there are solutions for that.
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k4vks
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by k4vks »

Well, I'm embarrassed to say I found the problem... there is no power going to the ignition sense wire. Hopefully, this should be a very easy fix. I don't know why I didn't start with the easy/obvious in the first place.... live and learn I guess. :)
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Bill_G
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by Bill_G »

What's your mailing address? I'll send you The Tee Shirt. (big grin)
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k4vks
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by k4vks »

LOL... "here's your sign.." :-)
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tsunami_australia
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Re: mcs2000 iginition sense

Post by tsunami_australia »

We've all done similarly stupid things I can guarantee it lol. And Bill_G, the MCS2000 is a good well optioned mobile. For anything that does not require P25 I LOVE them as they are flexible, reliable and a decent looking radio. The only other replacement option here was the GM338/339 (CDM750 in the USA I think is it's counterpart) which has no programmable scan (can only be done via CPS) which I find ridiculous when basically every other radio including the prehistoric GM300 which I also use here has the option.
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