Motorola Radios Piling Up! Plus Shop Happenings

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 23 гру 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 108

  • @QbutNotTheQ
    @QbutNotTheQ 12 годин тому +1

    You could bind them together with some hose clamps and tie a rope to them, and when you go fishing throw it in the water to keep your boat from floating away.

  • @voiceofjeff
    @voiceofjeff 4 дні тому +4

    A few years ago, I owned a small radio station and we had some Radius radios tuned to our "RPU" frequencies (450 and 455mHz) for broadcast remote pickup. We had a base station at the radio station and mobiles in a few of the vehicles. They worked fantastic! The radio station was up on a hill and we had a nice shot in every direction. Not sure what output power they were set for but I know we could talk a good ways on them.
    I have two Motorola CDM-750's and an HT1000 set for MURS frequencies now. It's unbelievable what a couple of watts will get you on a well tuned antenna.
    Thanks for the video. Excellent!

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  3 дні тому +2

      Thanks Jeff. You can do a lot with these radios for sure. That's interesting that the station was using them as a remote. I know of a number of ham repeaters that use them for linking. Thank you for the comment.

  • @johndavis3615
    @johndavis3615 8 днів тому +10

    I worked on Motorola , GE and RCA radios and spent 25 years in a Motorola shop. All that stuff looked very familiar ! :D 73...K8JD

    • @rayfunk5659
      @rayfunk5659 7 днів тому

      Same here. Started around 1980, still had Business Dispatchers and the occasional T power cross the bench. Got out of it around 2000, this is sure a blast from the past!

    • @johnwest7993
      @johnwest7993 7 днів тому +1

      Back in about 2000 I got an old 16 channel, 100W VHF SyntorX at a swap for $50. So I went to a Motorola shop, told them I was a ham, and asked them if I could buy a service manual or even just a copy of the schematic, and asked about how to program an old SyntorX for 16 channels on 2 meters. They told me they'd do the channel reprogramming for $100, but the retuning was all on me. The retuning was no problem for me as I planned on doing all of that anyway, but the charge for programming seemed ridiculous for a quarter century-old radio that I was going to put on 2 meters, and they told me that all of their radio info was proprietary, even on the old rigs. So I thanked them and took it home. Over the next month or two I reverse engineered it and wired it up through its EPROM socket to a laptop PC so it could receive or transmit on any channel or as many banks of as many channels as I wanted, or store or switch through PL tones, or do pretty much anything I wanted that a good commercial ham rig did. Mine just did it better. I even added RF output power steps. It was a lot of reverse engineering, doing it blind. But I was retired, so I had the time, and I had a scope, a logic-state analyzer, and a spectrum analyzer, and it was a fun challenge. But I never went back to a Motorola shop for anything.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I'm sure you've probably seen enough of them. Thanks for the comment. 73 de N9JOD

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      It sounds like you stayed busy with that thing. You got to know that radio personally. lol Thanks again John for the comment. 73

  • @whiskerlesswalrus
    @whiskerlesswalrus 4 дні тому +3

    I use a radio like that as a dedicated Echolink radio for the club repeater link -easy service and will last for a long long time

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      That is a great use for one of these for sure. Thank you for the comment. 73

  • @johnwest7993
    @johnwest7993 10 днів тому +5

    My very favorite VHF/UHF rigs are the SyntorX rigs. They were the top of the curve where they built better rigs, right before they shifted to building cheaper rigs.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  9 днів тому

      I never had any of the Syntor x line radios. But I have a friend that still uses a couple in if truck. They are a great radio. Thanks for the comment.

    • @mattottie6410
      @mattottie6410 7 днів тому +1

      I still have two syntors, i have not used them for years, programed for six meter ham band..

    • @johnwest7993
      @johnwest7993 7 днів тому +1

      @@mattottie6410 Syntors, or X's? Was that one of the 30 MHz range? I'd love to get another one of the 75 to 100W X's for VHF or UHF. I lost mine in a fire, melting the aluminum casting into a pool of slag, the one thing that can destroy them.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Get them out and use them. The 6 meter band has been open on and off here. 73 and Thank you for the comment.

  • @rogergill4265
    @rogergill4265 День тому

    Great radio! I had one.

  • @the80hdgaming
    @the80hdgaming 16 днів тому +6

    Judging by the frequencies, I suspect that those radios were used for fire department use at one time.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  16 днів тому +2

      Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well. Thank you for the comment.

  • @moormoor4281
    @moormoor4281 6 днів тому +2

    Happy 🎄 Christmas 🎁⛄

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Happy Christmas to you too @moormoor4281! Thanks for the comment!

  • @Jonas_Keunecke
    @Jonas_Keunecke 19 днів тому +2

    Thanks, I enjoyed looking at all the stuff, even if I've never really done anything with radios

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  16 днів тому

      Thank you for the comment. These old radios are still useful and fun (sometimes) to work on. Thank you for watching!

  • @user.A9
    @user.A9 16 днів тому +4

    narrow fm or wide only?

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  16 днів тому +2

      These are wide only radios. Thanks for the comment.

    • @user.A9
      @user.A9 16 днів тому +1

      @ I just found your channel today and several interesting videos on it.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  13 днів тому

      Thank you very much for watching them and the comment.

  • @LatitudeSky
    @LatitudeSky 5 днів тому +1

    Had a Spectra 900MHz at one time but never got around to installing it in my truck. Still have my Motorola HT but the batteries are shot.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому +1

      The Spectra is a great radio. You can still find new batteries out there. What HT is it?

  • @ku4uv
    @ku4uv 7 днів тому +2

    Those radios can still be put to use on the ham bands. They can be reprogrammed to operate on 10 meter FM, 6 meter FM, 2 meter FM, etc. Those radios are built like a tank, you can't break them!

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      You're right on that one. These are still working great. Thank you for the comment. 73

  • @joeclark9042
    @joeclark9042 9 днів тому +3

    Hey buddy if you still have these three radios I need four of them and I need four of those 10 and black mics with the Motorola sign on them and I need them all programmed the same how do I get ahold of you

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому +2

      The ones in the video are going to other hams in our club. You can find them on Ebay and hamfest easy. Radio shops may also have them in boxes they may just give you.

  • @waynecox8127
    @waynecox8127 9 днів тому +2

    what do you have in the shop that works on 6 meters?? wayne N6FGV

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I have the Icom 706, and IC7300. I think I have another motorola mobile that will to 6meters. 73

  • @sondrayork6317
    @sondrayork6317 7 днів тому +2

    I’d use them in the murs radio service. One in our van, one down stairs, and one in the front room. Just set them up on the higher 154 MHz frequencies, 154.570 and 154.600 MHz with it set up for wideband and set down to 2 watts lol. Not saying I want them n but that’s one thing you could do with them though.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I do have a GRMS ticket as well. I could use them for that I guess. Thank you for the comment.

  • @One-Eyed-Willly
    @One-Eyed-Willly 9 днів тому +1

    I would use aprs or winlink. How is the duty cycle on these?

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Like most of these mobiles, They are 10% duty cycle at full power. They do fine for that purpose. Thank you for the comment. 73

  • @ocsrc
    @ocsrc 7 днів тому +1

    These are great radios
    When my county went to 800 trunked in 87 I bought one of these radios and programmed the system and the talk groups for my county
    While no one else could hear the trunked. 4625 and 2625 NFN I heard everything clearly

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Ha! I did the same thing. Then P25 came along and then everything changed. Thank you for the comment.

  • @cmritchie04
    @cmritchie04 5 днів тому +1

    I have some Ideas, 1)use them for small mom and pop shop airports and put them on the DOT channels ones in the class G airspace.... Selling fuel and airport Maintenance 2)marine radios 3)146.52 + 146.54 4)144.39 National + APRS Local WB3CMR

  • @fubarsnafu4994
    @fubarsnafu4994 18 днів тому +2

    Nice video ! Can't tell you how many cardboard box of Motorola radios or piles of them I've just walked by. I knew you could use them but also knew there was some programming involved. Do they duplex? Could you set up a repeater of sorts? Nice video.. 73

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  16 днів тому +1

      There always seems to be at least one table at a hamfest that has these older radios. They will not operate in duplex. But you can use them as a tx/rx repeater setup if you pickup two radios. You'll need an older DOS computer to program them. Thank you for the comment.

  • @N5XHIworkshop
    @N5XHIworkshop 6 днів тому +2

    I would like them for an RMS Packet gateway!

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I would think that even today, you could stop at a radio shop and ask them if they had any of these old radios that they would like to get rid of. The packet gateway would be a great use for them. Thanks for the comment. 73

  •  6 днів тому +1

    Plenty of them get used for simplex repeaters with the addition of a talkback box.. A spaced repeater where one is receive and one is transmit spaced a mile apart and linked through the internet so you don't need a duplexer.. And of course they could be setup for use on two local repeaters which quite a number of people do who just use the club repeater.. The biggest problem I see is just like the idea of a "free" cat, they will cost someone to pay to have them programmed.. Around here that can be anywhere from $75 to $150 and this is why you see piles of them at local hamfest's that sellers can't give away.. It is just better to buy the used Kenwood, Icom or Yaesu mobile for $50..

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      That's a good use for them for sure. Most of the software to program these radios is out on the web. But you will need an old dos machine to program them. Thank you for the comment.

  • @matthewdavies2057
    @matthewdavies2057 10 днів тому +1

    You need to make a vid on the joys of programming an ASTRO Saber. I made mine sing and dance... after several days of work. Ahh, the bad old days.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  9 днів тому +1

      I sold off my Astro Sabers. I think after I did that I regretted it and now I don't get rid of old radios so fast anymore. The Saber was a great radio and fun to use. Thank you for the comment.

    • @Subgunman
      @Subgunman 8 днів тому +1

      I still have my Astro Saber, works great but I need to find some Saber batteries for the earlier VHF Saber Radios that have DES. Like to find some control knobs for these earlier radios, plastic went to dust a few years ago.

  • @ragheadand420roll
    @ragheadand420roll 7 днів тому +1

    Any cheap uniden scanner w close call will give u the tx freq and the pl or dpl

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      That's a great feature on those Uniden scanners. Thank you for the comment.

  • @montef
    @montef 8 днів тому +1

    I enjoyed the video. I’d love to be able to work on and learn about keeping a repeater in the ham bands going.
    All of the “repeater groups” around where I live, are kind of “closed up old boys clubs”. If you’re not a part of the clique, then you’re welcome to use the repeater; but nobody buy the chosen ones are allowed to see/touch the hardware.
    Disappointing, as imho; that’s not what the hobby is supposed to be about. But, that’s life I guess.
    Anyway, really enjoyed the video. Gained you at least one new subscriber. :)
    73, KC4GPW

    • @jackdaniel4325
      @jackdaniel4325 7 днів тому +2

      That’s kind of the way it is at the local ham club here in Texas. Not surprised. There is a lot of weirdness in ham radio circles. It’s not as much about teaching as some would have you believe. Just my 2¢.

    • @montef
      @montef 7 днів тому +2

      @@jackdaniel4325Maybe I’m just weird, but if I have knowledge about a particular topic, that isn’t classified or under NDA, and someone who wants to learn about it or to help with or otherwise be involved in the project asks; I’m going to do my best to pass along/share any information I have as long as I think I can do it accurately and not lead that person astray…… Is that weird?!
      Apparently, when it comes to ham radio repeaters; at least in Metro Atlanta, Georgia; it seems to be.
      I got an old commercial Motorola compact commercial repeater, that’s just two Radius radios, a duplexer, a power supply and a basic cw ID controller, just so I could play with it myself and not have to ask to play in anyway else’s sandbox. I thought, great!
      Then I discovered there’s a whole other secret sect of ham repeaterdom, that thinks getting the Motorola radio programming software; requires something worse than a Secret Service background check. 🤯😠😤
      Newsflash for all you Gatekeepers: This stuff isn’t the government secrets and exclusive club you think and want it to be!
      This hobby definitely isn’t what it was 30+ years ago when I got my license. All y’all Bitter Betty’s that want everything for yourself, need to calm down.
      And that’s the same group of folks who are wringing their hands and clutching their pearls not understanding why the hobby is dying off and there are no younger people getting licenses these days.
      Look in the danged mirror there, om!
      Thanks for the reply, Jack. Sorry I got into a rant.
      73 de KC4GPW

    • @jackdaniel4325
      @jackdaniel4325 7 днів тому +2

      @ That’s okay. Once in a while you have to rant. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy the hobby. Or that’s what it is to me. Some people classify it as something other than a hobby. See ? Weirdness.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому +1

      Thank you Monte. Lucky that is not the way it is here. All the repeaters are open and the people are always willing to talk to you and help you out. Where I lived before, there were a few old timers that acted that way. One of them fell off is tower and died. Now that repeat is run by his son and is open to anyone. Thanks again for the comment. 73

  • @johnhess351
    @johnhess351 8 годин тому

    Make emergency airdrop repeaters or comm stations with mast, antenna and battery.

  • @rogergill4265
    @rogergill4265 День тому

    There is a police channel 155.85 in my area

  • @Bombero474
    @Bombero474 10 днів тому +1

    5 pin limit reuse, but the 16 pin make sturdy Winlink/packet gateways, APRS digipeaters, Allstarlink/Echolink link radios. There are cooling fan kits available on eBay, all manor of interface cables and interfaces easily available. 5 pin? Maybe MURS ( Not discussing power limits), just use some imagination.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  9 днів тому +1

      I may mod one or two of these to use for winlink/APRS etc. I think it will be a good winter project. Thank you for the comment.

  • @dhat1755
    @dhat1755 6 днів тому +1

    I haven't seen an MSF since mid 90s

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Ha! I know their out there, and some how someone is always bringing the older stuff for me to work on. Thanks for the comment.

  • @ocsrc
    @ocsrc 7 днів тому +1

    The 800 radios had 2 different firmware
    One gave 2 to 10 conventional analog Frequencies
    The other firmware made the radio a trunked only radio

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I have a few of the 800mhz version as well. Thank you for the comment.

  • @fargoalspach557
    @fargoalspach557 15 днів тому +2

    Two channels huh? Ok like you said a weather repeater, out of all the options out there they are basic as it gets. 73’s I like your projects love radios and the world of radio. We should be getting the youth more involved when we can I know I’m installing radios in my niece and nephews cars.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  14 днів тому

      Yeah, there isn't much you can do with a 2 channel radio. So making them a link, or weather radio is a couple of uses for them. I totally agree about getting the young people involved in the hobby. Thanks again for the comment and watching. 73

    • @jeffkardosjr.3825
      @jeffkardosjr.3825 2 дні тому

      ​@@Darrell_CoquilletteI have a 2 channel Kenwood that I've been meaning to use as part of a repeater.

  • @moormoor4281
    @moormoor4281 6 днів тому +2

    Wish I could obtain a Moto I'm licensend radio amateurs in English England thanking you most kindly

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I'm sure they most be around in England too. Thanks for the comment. 73

  • @Subgunman
    @Subgunman 8 днів тому +1

    Make sure you have RF coming into the IPA, check voltage levels on the multi pin connector. You will need the manual to follow for accurate information. Just a FYI these repeaters have multiple PTT inputs with audio input following the PTT line input. Wish I knew where my manual is stashed but after a big move 18 years ago all of my radio manuals are till in boxes buried in my store room.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I do have the service manual for it. I that was my next step. If I can get the time to work on it. Stay tuned, I may ask you some questions. 73

  • @cullumscott1
    @cullumscott1 8 днів тому +1

    I’d love to see how to turn it in to an all star node. I have a few maxtracs here too! They’re great for ham use. Subscribed!

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I may do that for sure. Thank you for the comment and subscribing. 73

  • @andrewerickson6690
    @andrewerickson6690 8 днів тому +1

    Hold those you may need them soon

  • @Fire2074
    @Fire2074 День тому

    Code plugs are a pain!

  • @leskeegan9033
    @leskeegan9033 9 днів тому +2

    Packet Radios as you mentioned . You can use them to make Allstar Node Radios .

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      I may make on into an Allstar node. 73 and Thanks for commenting.

  • @PatrickBrenier
    @PatrickBrenier 4 дні тому +1

    Un relais portable repeater

  • @Subgunman
    @Subgunman 8 днів тому +1

    Back in the day we would pull the roms out of multi channel radios and read and store the data. If we came across a multi channel and wanted to expand it from six to sixteen channels we could just replace the roms written with the sixteen channel data. There was a lot of hacking that you could do since these radios worked with a very common Motorola HC11 series processors which were open source processors. Those with experience with these micros could read what was in the roms and do some comparisons between a bare bones radio and their top tier radio just by doing some serious bit banging and changing parameters of the radio.
    To bad they did not make narrow band conversions parts for these radios. The RF decks from these radios work great if you have a vehicular adapter for the HT1000 series radios that came out of 800 MHz portables. You can swap in the V or U pa deck to use the vehicular adapter with V or U radios but you will have to change out two surface mount resistors inside the controller on then"t" pad attenuator to compensate for the five watt portables. 800 MHz portables used a lower power PA. Without changing the two resistors you will get up to 65 watts out of a 40 watt PA. You will destoy the transistors in the PA deck.
    Where does one find crystals for channel elements for Mitreks or GE MASTR II RADIOS. The MSF5000 might need to have the IPA tuned to get it working. They were reliable repeaters but tricky sometimes to get them to work right. The manual for the MSF 5000 is almost three inches plus thick.

    • @nine7295
      @nine7295 8 днів тому +1

      Why are you talking about Mitrek, GE Mastr II and MSF5000 ?

    • @Subgunman
      @Subgunman 7 днів тому +2

      @ these are all classic radios that can be converted to repeaters on six meters if you find the right split within the six meter range.

  • @mikevi33023
    @mikevi33023 7 днів тому +1

    an ex-Motorolan, just shy 15 years, plantation Florida

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Oh, That's awesome! What did you do for them? I worked for them for a couple weeks way back in the 90's. The drive was to far and I decided it wasn't what I wanted. Great job thou. Thank you for the comment.

    • @mikevi33023
      @mikevi33023 4 дні тому +1

      @@Darrell_Coquillette in 91, eng tech fcc testing police handhelds HT's then regular hire at the start of iDEN phones in 92, original 13 team ,design and factory support

  • @mattottie6410
    @mattottie6410 7 днів тому +1

    I bought a Micom Z and was the worst radio i ever bought, i lost lots of money on that radio, i owned a syntor X9000 that was a very good rig for two meters...just buy a yaesu or icom and be happy.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому +1

      The syntor X9000 is a great radio for sure. There no challenge with the yaesu or icom rigs. lol But you are kind of right on that. Thanks again for the comment.

  • @william_k4arx
    @william_k4arx 8 днів тому +1

    Blue/green Dot (murs) or two meter. I'd have a local repeater pair, one simplex or direct for same said repeater output. Yes, limited use but, i knew a guy with his own repeater and would leave town, out of range and only use his output frequency for direct, local comms at hamfests with wife and friends.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому +1

      That's is a good use for them. Tnx And Thank you for the comment. 73

  • @christophersmith1155
    @christophersmith1155 6 днів тому +1

    MURS.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Christopher, One or two may be used for that purpose. Thanks for the comment.

  • @sircampbell1249
    @sircampbell1249 День тому

    If you don't have programming software, they are useless

  • @Hero1395
    @Hero1395 10 днів тому +1

    Anything DOS programming, I threw away long ago.

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  9 днів тому +1

      Yup, these require a dos machine. I still have about three of my old dos computers I kept just for programming the older radios. Thanks for the comment.

    • @nine7295
      @nine7295 8 днів тому +3

      Someone wrote a Windows software for the Radius series

    • @montef
      @montef 8 днів тому +1

      @@nine7295 Oh?! I have a couple Radius UHF radios that I would love to be able to reprogram.
      Any information you have about this software and would be willing to share, I’d really appreciate it. 73 KC4GPW

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому

      Do a google search and I'm sure you will find a site that has it. 73

  • @radioguy19510
    @radioguy19510 9 днів тому +2

    Motorola: Over engineered, over priced, and over rated!

    • @Tom-qx5nl
      @Tom-qx5nl 8 днів тому +1

      Who's better in your opinion?

    • @corulinde
      @corulinde 8 днів тому +1

      When a lot of other things have become decidedly under-engineered, Motorola looks pretty attractive.

    • @radioguy19510
      @radioguy19510 6 днів тому

      @@Tom-qx5nlTait

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому +1

      But always working when you need them. Thanks for the comment.

  • @luish19779
    @luish19779 8 днів тому +1

    On repeater buildier have the interface cable for those Motorola.
    I buy one ( RIM MaxTrac) & work perfect- No issues at all- Good Luck
    New Subscribe here- #KE2AUM 73 📡

    • @Darrell_Coquillette
      @Darrell_Coquillette  4 дні тому +1

      I have all the programming cables for these radios. A few videos back in a bench cleaning video, I showed them all, well most of them. Thanks again for the comment. 73 de N9JOD