--- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, "wb7cjq" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> This is a tough one. Not much info. available. I have the
programmer
> schematic, frequency plan (FCC), the programming software, etc.
But
> this is a trunking radio - it doesn't like non-trunked stuff. Just
> today, after a year's worth of research, I got a pair of them
working
> simplex.
>
> As you may or may not know, the trunking units wait for a response
> from 'daddy' before they'll go key-down. So that was the first
hurdle -
> get TAC working. Done...
>
> I'm still learning about these beasts, so can only offer what I've
> discovered thus far... You probably know most of this already...
They
> are designed to TX below 900, RX in the 935 range. TAC puts the TX
up
> into the 935 range. So, from the TX perspective, these units could
> easily do 900 ham frequencies.
>
> The programming software wants an FCC channel number, then
(apparently)
> the radio translates that into a frequency. I'm not sure about
this
> part just yet... Could be that the software does the translation
and
> ships the result to the radio... Not sure...
>
> If you don't already have it, you need the programmer and the
> software. At least at that point you can get into test mode. Once
in
> test mode, you can adjust squelch, encode/decode levels, etc.
Plus,
> you can get simplex up and running. The test mode data is firmware
> within the rig - so you can program all you want - break it 9 ways
from
> Sunday - but if you invoke test mode, that data is still right
there!
> This one saved my butt!!!
>
> Please advise if I can help at all. RELM has only one guy that
knows
> this radio and the programming software, so, obviously, he's
> swamped!!! I have a good dialogue going with him, and have nearly
all
> of the stuff that Uniden issued for this particular model.
>
> Building a programmer is key. You gotta go do that!!! The Uniden
> programmer is over $300... I built mine for maybe $10 tops...
>
> The circuit uses a MAX-232 chip, 3 2N2222 type transistors, and a
run-
> of-the-mill PNP transistor. Also a 5v regulator of some sort... A
few
> resistors, a few caps., you're done!!!
>
> The software wants to run under DOS. NOT a DOS window - PURE DOS.
I
> tried it from numerous versions of Windows, and on numerous PCs.
> NOPE!!! Boot up via DOS 6.22 and run from a floppy! Trust me - it
> will save you DAYS' of work!!! I debugged my programmer 4 times
before
> deciding to try the floppy route. Days and days wasted!!!
>
> At this point, after a year of fighting with these guys, I'm
thrilled
> to have a signal on the air, anywhere!!! So now, the issue becomes
how
> to move them into the ham band???
>
> According to RELM, there's a data stream issued upon transmit.
And,
> the receiver is looking for a particular data stream as well.
There
> are over 2000 possible combinations.
>
> If you're looking to put up an analog squelch type repeater,
you're
> probably going to have to go to the innards of the rig and
circumvent
> the rig's squelch processing - firmware... For a repeater, that's
> easy - tap the discriminator and build an external COS circuit.
>
> I tried this today: Keyed up a different rig on a 900 channel, and
> then tried to key up the Uniden on the same freq. It refused to
go.
> It also DID NOT open the squelch! So, the receiver is seeing the
900
> signal, but the squelch processing is refusing to open the
squelch.
> Hence my recommendation to pick a signal off of the disc. and
process
> it externally.
>
> The next oddity is that there's an odd offset built in.
38.9MHz... My
> freq. counter confirms. And RELM confirms. So, the freq. meter
reads
> 10KHz off from the FCC assigned frequency. Go figure. Now this
only
> happens under certain programming parameters, and this one I still
> don't understand...
>
> I programmed channel 15 into one rig and it came out on the
assigned
> freq. of 935.1875. I ADDED channel 15 to another rig and it came
out
> on 935.1865!!! I reversed the radios, programmed again, etc. ---
all
> day long today - and STILL got these odd results.
>
> I finally gave up tonight and programmed both of them back to
channel
> 15 ONLY, and they're BOTH on the assigned freq. according to the
freq.
> counter. Go figure... There's something in there about the
group,
> home repeater, TAC channel, something - that causes the offset to
> occur. Wish I knew what it was !!!
>
> Anyway, if I can help with the software, schematics, FCC channel
> assignments, etc., please advise.
>
> Now what I don't know, and what we ALL LOVE to know, is how to get
them
> into the ham band! They'll go below and above, so it is either
reverse-
> engineering the programming software, or getting into the radio and
> changing the tables that are in the PROM in there, or inserting
another
> uP in there (as they had to do with the Motorola MTX-900)... At
the
> moment, I can't say which will happen. My first guess is that the
> programming software needs to be hacked as it won't take anything
> beyond the FCC assigned frequencies. That tells me that the
software
> has a translation table that could be edited... This is VERY old
code -
> 1980's-1990's... Written for XT and AT type PC's...
>
> I no longer have all of those low-level programming tools. But the
> first thing I'd do if I did, would be to crawl through the built-in
> table and modify it. An educated guess is that one could get the
radio
> to take ham frequencies. I'm almost positive that the "cramp" is
the
> programming software itself.
>
> 73,
>
> Dave.
>
Hi Dave.....
I've read your posting, and I have an sms 930ts, but I
wasn't planning to try making a ham radio out of it, just to
use it as designed, only to follow the local trunking
systems, in receive mode only,
and I wonder if I can get the software and programmer data so
as to program in our local data??
I'm retired, but I have worked in Mobile Radio Communications
where we used a trunking system in our Service Trucks so am
familliar with the "bad fetures" of trunking!!
Thus to me, I'd not want to try to adapt trunking to ham radio,
as the range and protocals don't apply!! Where I was, if the radio
couldn't solidly hear the base station, it wouldn't communicate, nor
if all the channels were busy!!
Thanks,
Dick, W7TIO
Salem, Oregon
>
>
>
>
> --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, "kf4vgx" <kf4vgx@> wrote:
> >
> > Need programing information on this radio to setup as a repeater.
> >
> > Any information is appreciated. 73 John
> >
>
