In the turbulent, exciting world of 2-meter FM in early-1970s Los Angeles,
Motorola was king, prophet and deity all rolled into one. This was years
before the Metrum. To get on the new repeaters that were popping up
everywhere, hams modified Motorola hi-band commercial HTs, fitted them with
ham-band crystals, sometimes a touch-tone encoder IC and keypad (very
edge-of-the art in 1973). For mobile operation, there were converted Motrans
and Motracs for the really well-to-do (these rigs were still in service in the
CHP until 1977); converted GE Prog line and pre-Prog line radios sufficed for
many of the rest of us.
The first popular "Ikensu" 2-meter radio came out around that time, and I had
one -- the Icom IC-22, a crystal-controlled 10-watt mobile radio. There were
old guys on the repeaters in those days, having marinated for decades in
commercial FM 2-way radio, who wouldn't even talk to you if you were running a
"rice-box" on 2 meters, but that didn't last too long. By the mid-1970s, the
Ikensu radios were starting to roll out frequency synthesizers, and the era of
converted, rock-bound commercial Motorola mobile radios mostly came to a quiet
and unceremonious end, except where pressed into service as repeaters.
Will anybody in Motorola remember their intimate and storied association with
amateur radio 35 and 40 years ago, or even care? I tend to doubt it. My guess
is, they will kind of ignore Yaesu for a couple of years, keeping an eye on
the division's P&L, and then make their move. Whatever that turns out to be.
Bill / W5WVO
Bob Nielsen wrote:
On Nov 5, 2007, at 5:16 PM, Jim Wiley wrote:
Perhaps not so. Does anyone remember the Motorola Metrum (sp?)
line of 2-meter ham transceivers? I had one, it gave great service
for years. Finally sold it to someone at a hamfest, and as far as
I know it still works.
I still have one around somewhere. I have no idea if it still works
(I last used it around 1982).
Bob, N7XY
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