Astro Spectra Consolette to mobile ?
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firemedic4
- Posts: 1142
- Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2001 4:00 pm
Astro Spectra Consolette to mobile ?
What is needed to make an astro spectra consolette into a dash mount mobile....
You will need the Power cable, a W4/W7/W9 control cable, and the appropriate control head. The radio is eithor a W7 or a W9 and you can determine which is it VIA the FCC ID number I believe. It will have W7 or W9 in one of those part numbers someplace.
Forgot to add, you'll also need the mounting bracket for the radio itself.
Forgot to add, you'll also need the mounting bracket for the radio itself.
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PhillyPhoto
- was LuiePL
- Posts: 661
- Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:09 am
- What radios do you own?: XTS5000, APX2000
If you have the Consolette itself, the existing control head is a good guide. You will need that type control head and an interconnect board. The radio will have the same type information label so read that and check out the Bat Labs Astro or Spectra Model Breakdown chart. Don't let the N connector mislead you as that's just a pigtail as the radio has the standard antenna connector.
If you want to change your A-5 or W-5 radio's control head to an A-7 or W-7, the same procedures apply as with non-Consolette radios.
Conversely, you can also remove the existing radio and reuse the Consolette with a Spectra or Astro Spectra (Consolettes came in both) of any frequency split of your choice if it is set up for the existing control head. It's little more than a swap out.....IF the power supply is OK.
Oh, as per LuiePL's posting, you don't have to make this a remote mount. Just the interconnect board and the proper control head will give you a dash mount.
The Consolettes, also called Desktracs, which may or may not be correct, came mostly in the A5, A7, C5, C7, W5, W7 configurations and there were some A4, W4 models as well, but far fewer. To my knowledge there were no A9, C9, W9 radios or Systems 9000 control head used on Consolettes.
If you run into a Spectra or Astro Spectra which has a model ID number starting with the letter L , then you have a Consolette radio.
One plus is that these radios almost always look brand new unless someone's done this swap ahead of you. If you're buying or bidding on a Consolette, take a very good look at the pictures and make sure you verify the model information. A recent offering on a popular auction site showed an Astro UHF in the desirable Range #2, but whoops, it's actually a VHF as the corrected ad shows. An honest mistake, of course, but another example of the need to verify.
The foregoing only relates to Spectra and Astro Spectra Consolettes. There were many earlier models which did not use these radios so check that out as well.
If you want to change your A-5 or W-5 radio's control head to an A-7 or W-7, the same procedures apply as with non-Consolette radios.
Conversely, you can also remove the existing radio and reuse the Consolette with a Spectra or Astro Spectra (Consolettes came in both) of any frequency split of your choice if it is set up for the existing control head. It's little more than a swap out.....IF the power supply is OK.
Oh, as per LuiePL's posting, you don't have to make this a remote mount. Just the interconnect board and the proper control head will give you a dash mount.
The Consolettes, also called Desktracs, which may or may not be correct, came mostly in the A5, A7, C5, C7, W5, W7 configurations and there were some A4, W4 models as well, but far fewer. To my knowledge there were no A9, C9, W9 radios or Systems 9000 control head used on Consolettes.
If you run into a Spectra or Astro Spectra which has a model ID number starting with the letter L , then you have a Consolette radio.
One plus is that these radios almost always look brand new unless someone's done this swap ahead of you. If you're buying or bidding on a Consolette, take a very good look at the pictures and make sure you verify the model information. A recent offering on a popular auction site showed an Astro UHF in the desirable Range #2, but whoops, it's actually a VHF as the corrected ad shows. An honest mistake, of course, but another example of the need to verify.
The foregoing only relates to Spectra and Astro Spectra Consolettes. There were many earlier models which did not use these radios so check that out as well.
TWL911 wrote:SO.....
to take a consolette chassis out, and use it as a mobile, in a remote mount configuration, is a different interconnect needed, or not ??
A consolette is simply a remote-mount radio (Spectra, XTL, etc) stuck in a box with a 12VDC power supply. Yeah, you may have additional boards for audio interface and tone/digital remote control in the box as well, but the radio is no different.
Use the same IC cable as you would ordinarily (I don't have the PN handy, but its usally 17' long). If you don't have the same head as in the consolette, then reprogram the radio for the head you have.
I have both Spectra and XTL-5k's that I have taken out of consolettes and used in vehicles and vice versa. My consolettes use W7 heads, while the vehicles have W9's. Mostly I did it because I had an 800MHz consolette but needed an 800 in a car, or I had a VHF in a car but really could use another VHF Consolette. Sometimes it was just little features, like ID display, but I digress.
You don't have to re-invent the wheel for a change.
edit to add: Going from consolette to mobile like the OP wants to do is no problem. Going from mobile to consolette is also no big deal unless you want to do Digital/TRC, etc. You will need to check your features for those options if you think you will use them.
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