New Railroad Astro Digital Spectra

Radio99 · Post by **Radio99** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 9:37 am

Motorola has announced the addition of the Astro Digital Spectra railroad radio. Comes with channels 1-97, weather channels 100-106 and the new 12.5 kHz narrowband channels 107-197.

Unit is capable of switching betwen analog and digital with a front panel button. It also supports APCO 9600 baud data protocol and 3600 baud digital trunking.

It is almost identical in apppearance to the existing railroad Spectra.

Cost around $4000 (for the railroad buffs on this board).

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:59 am

"The radio also supports 3600 baud digital trunking and 9600 baud APCO data."

Wowbagger, this quote is from the Motorola price book, and it is referring to their ASTRO Spectra RR radio.

Is Motorola also wrong?

Larry

Post by **xmo** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:36 pm

Larry, Motorola is just taking the easy approach by not trying to correct popular convention. Most people use the term in that manner - even though it is only correct for two-level transmission formats.

For example, here is a definition from Scala's web site:

"baud rate: a measure of the speed of serial communication using a modem, roughly equivalent to bits per second."

Whereas here is a more accurate definition from HYPERDICTIONARY:

"Definition: /bawd/ (plural "baud") The unit in which the information carrying capacity or 'signalling rate' of a communication channel is measured. One baud is one symbol (state-transition or level-transition) per second. This coincides with bits per second only for two-level modulation with no framing or stop bits.

A symbol is a unique state of the communication channel, distinguishable by the receiver from all other possible states. For example, it may be one of two voltage levels on a wire for a direct digital connection or it might be the phase or frequency of a carrier.
...

The term "baud" causes much confusion and is usually best avoided. Use "bits per second" (bps), "bytes per second" or "characters per second" (cps) if that's what you mean."

jcobb · Post by **jcobb** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 3:31 pm

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But is it front-panel programmable <G>.

Jack

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:33 pm

I saw a post by Cowthief discussing a RR Spectra that was front panel programmable. I think he may have done a custom mod, or something.

Larry

KG6EAQ · Post by **KG6EAQ** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:58 am

Here we go..........

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:58 pm

you know one of these days maybe we should differentiate between

front panel programing (which technically any spectra can do using the service menu)

Direct Frequency Entry (like a railroad radio does using "channels"

or Ham style VFO where you dial up anything you like.

But I digress before this insane topics starts again. Ranks right up there with "what color emergency light"

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 5:53 pm

I'm not sure what you are referring to as far as "insane," etc. I was under the impression that Cowthief said there was a special model of the Spectra that allowed the user to enter frequencies directly from the radios keypad, on-the- fly, so to speak. But, there was some sort of issue as to how one can modify their Spectra to do the same, or perhaps this was some sort of a special Gov't model, etc. I never did hear back as to what the answer was.

Larry

KG6EAQ · Post by **KG6EAQ** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 5:59 pm

For some reason Cowthief's involved some rather secret squirrels.

jcobb · Post by **jcobb** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 6:01 pm

Hey - I got it! New topic -

"What color is best for a front-programmable Spectra?"

Since I can't get any traction on the gay teacher thingy.....

Jack

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 6:11 pm

Hey, Jack, kudoes to you for the KEWL avatar! Perfect timing!

Larry

jcobb · Post by **jcobb** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:11 pm

I got some more - they just loose a lot in the "shrinkage"...

Thanks!

Jack

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:20 pm

Kind of like the Seinfeld episode where George blamed the cold water in the swimming pool for his "shrinkage?"

jcobb · Post by **jcobb** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:34 pm

Yeah, well, it gets THAT cold out here, too....

Jack