Does a Guide to Motorola Service Monitors Exist?

[w1rc]

I know little about the different Motorola Service Monitor models and find myself in a position of needing one. I will be working on older Motorola equipment, VHF annd UHF HT1000s and GP300s. My search around for a "User's Guide" or "tutorial" did not produce any meaningful results.

I'd like to know which model(s) I should look for and possibly some basic information on how to use it.

Hopefully this will be an interesting thread.

73,

Michael, W1RC

[DJP126]

You can use anyone's basic service monitor for your needs, not just Motorola's. But since you asked I'll give you a brief rundown:

S1327A, S1327B & R1200A - These were Motorola's first service monitors (they were actually built by Systron-Donner). They had generate & monitor capabilities from 455 KHz to 999.9999 MHz. The generator was CW or FM (the R1200 added AM capability). There was a freq error meter. The monitor mode had plug in modules to measure FM via a meter or scope or both. There was also a plug-in module for a broadband receiver or a pre-selector (either a low band, high band or UHF. Later came a high gain broadband module and the R1200 had an AM receiver with a meter). Also available as a plug-in module was a single tone audio synthesizer for PL encoding.

Next came the R2000 series system analyzers which was designed and built by Motorola. When it first came out, the market had not seen anything like it. It took the basic monitor and added multiple audio signalling, DVM, wattmeter, freq counter, duplex generation, a larger scope screen, a spectrum analyzer, RF memory and a sweep generator (along with other features I have probably forgotten). The first option available was IEEE for a computer controlled test system. Then came the R2008C, the first analyzer able to completely test cellular phones. When the "D" series came out the new options were trunking, secure communications & RS232.

The R2200 and R2400 series (again, Motorola designed and built) then came out as a low cost monitor. It didn't have all the bells and whistles that the R2000 series had but it was a lot more monitor than the S1327/R1200 series.

Finally the R2600 series (designed and built by Motorola until that division was sold to General Dynamics). This one is the current offering (along with the R8000) for the latest radio products.

Any of these will do nicely for your basic test needs but as I said earlier, so will an IFR or Agilent (HP) unit. Perhaps Wowbagger can give a brief history of the IFR units.

[xxx2fan]

Dave
Thanks for the run down on Monitors.
I always read your post and you have a wealth of information.
I still have 3 Motorola monitors I'm will be trying to restore to working order
this Winter. I hope to make at least 2 good ones from the three.I am sure I will have questions for you.
As I said thanks from me for all the infomation you provide to use in the group

Thanks again
2fan