OK, Here goes. There is always going to be some similarities in radio equipment because of the current existing technology. Look at the similarity between the cell phones out today that are built by different companies, are they all stealing each other's designs? I don't think so!
Read my response> below. -----Original Message----- From: Kevin Custer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 1:10 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] GE Stuff..... Paul Finch wrote: >Kevin, > >Explain please! The only thing I see is the TCXO's that are even anywhere >close. > Similarities in Mobiles: Control Head. Response> Motorola white and grey and squared corners, GE Beige and tan and rounded corners. Everybody had gone plastic at that time due to cost. Real close! PL (Channel Guard). Response> This was an industry standard CTCSS, how can that be copied by GE? Every radio manufacture used this format, guess they all copied Motorola? Motorola called it Private Line, GE Channel Guard, RCA and Johnson something else. One other thing, if I am not mistaken this technology went back to the days of the old Motorola 80-D and GE Pre-Progress line of radios but they all put their own name on this technology. RF Power Output Options (Like 110 watts). Response> Again, industry standard, GE, Motorola, RCA, Aerotron and Kenwood all had and still have that power level, that is if they are still in business. As someone else pointed out a lot of this was driven by the industries like police and fire departments that were specifying the equipment. AF Power Output (10 watts) Response> Big deal, this is the best level for use in noisy environments like large trucks! Channelized Crystal Elements. Response> Like I said, this is the only real thing I can see that is similar but still not really the same circuit! 5 Pole HR in a casting that is not soldered to the PC board. Response> This style of helical resonator is the best for selectivity, I think the noisy cities we live in drove this design. Johnson, RCA 1000 and other serious manufactures also used this number of helical resonators, did they copy Motorola? (RCA did copy the Master II and paid big time!) Dual Hysteresis Squelch. Response> May have gotten the idea from Motorola but did not copy the circuit. Single Conversion Receiver, with 11 meg I-F frequency. Response> GE's was 21.4 I believe and this was driven by cost as must as anything else, it's just cheaper and some people think it keeps down intermod. Same number of I-F poles. Response> Physics, that's just what it takes to have the required selectivity. Stable RF/AF circuitry operates on 10 volts (9.6 on the Micor) Response> GE's Master Pro ran their circuits on regulated 10 volts long before Micor came out! PA Protection (VSWR). Response> Yeah, they copied Motorola's protection circuit that only caused more problems in the radio, I don't think GE had a SWR protection circuit, at least I never had to work on one, I worked on a lot of Motorola protection circuits. GE did have power control. Receiver Sensitivity. Response> How can that be copied???? Technology improved letting everyone improve receiver sensitivity! Preamp is an option. Response> Everybody had that option! Guess they all copied it! Frequency Ranges (Like 150.8 mc.) Response> I have no idea what you are getting at here, the frequency ranges were/are set by the FCC, not Motorola! If you mean the frequency bands the radios covered, again physics have more to do with it than Motorola or GE and those bands go back in some form for as long as radios have been around. Size. Response> Right, while the overall footprint is close (but no cigar) the height of the GE radio is a 1/2 inch less than the height of the Micor, where is the similarity? Motorola-Charcoal grey, GE-Beige. GE Length 19.0 Width 11.75 Height 2.5 Total 558.125 cubic inches Micor Length 17.625 Width 13.0 Height 3.0 Total 687.375 cubic inches You do the math.... Weight. Response> GE 25 pounds. Micor 26 pounds. This is with mounting plates. GE's is very heavy metal plate and the Micor is a thin stamped plate. It's obvious that the actual GE radio weighs less than the Micor since the plates are so different. Gee, there are hardly any similarities now that I look at it..... Get real...... Kevin Custer Response> Gee, lets keep this up, I am having a lot of fun while bringing back some great memories! What this comes down to is you think Motorola developed all the good radio technology, simply not true! I have worked on both, I like both but prefer the GE radios. Show me an actual circuit that is similar, that's what counts! Some things like PA's and oscillators are so generic there is only one way to design them but there is a lot of differences between the Master II and Micor radios. If Motorola truly thought GE copied their design Motorola would have been all over GE, just like GE got all over RCA! In conclusion, Master II had a completely different case and different color, Micor had their transmitter on one side, the receiver on the other. GE had their exciter on the left front, receiver in center and audio on right front, helical resonators near the center back with the PA and heat sink in the very back, yeah very similar! Look at the RCA copy of the Master II if you want to see true "copy". Like you said, get real! Paul Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
