900 MHZ HAM HT

This forum is for the discussions targeted at converting various models of Motorola equipment to operate in the 900MHz Amateur Band.

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N4KVE
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Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:35 am
What radios do you own?: APX XTS XTL TRBO 900MHZ

900 MHZ HAM HT

Post by N4KVE »

Is there a Motorola HT that will do 900 MHZ ham fine right out of the box? I have some 900 MHZ Jedis, but I'm told they need parts changed & still might not work OK. Possibly able to program with the shift key? I should only be so lucky. Does anything exist? GARY N4KVE
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kb8ukl
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Post by kb8ukl »

The MTX 9000 works fine.
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rrfd43
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What radios do you own?: Cobra 25 LTD Classic with echo

Post by rrfd43 »

Got two mtx9000. Follow the jedi out of band info on the jedi page. One of them if left in the car below freezing gives a fail on the vco lock until it warms up. These or GTX seem to be the way to go.
Grog
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Post by Grog »

Could either of them still be used on 939 conventional freqs in simplex mode, or does any modding make them unuseable as stock?
AEC
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Post by AEC »

Both the MTX9000 and the GTX can be used in their 'normal' split of 935-941 if you so choose, it's only when you try to use them outside the commercial split, that it starts to get abnormal.

Both the MTX9000 as well as the GTX MUST be hexed to change their operational band splits so they can be used with 900 Mhz. repeaters in the 25 Mhz. split that is quite common, as well as the 12.5 Mhz. split that is also used.

Once the hexing of the band splits have been accomplished, you should be able to program any amateur band split you choose, and use the radio on the 33 CM ham band.

Of course, you will need to make adjustments to the radio's settings as they will require tuning for best results in the 'new' band.

The bad deal with GTX mobiles and portables, is the fact that once you read and save the original codeplug, you can not program new frequencies and save this modified codeplug, unless you change archives, otherwise you will overwrite the original codeplug data with the modified data as the RSS uses the model definition and serial number to save the data, and since both codeplugs are of the same model/serial number, the last codeplug overwrites the older one.

If you change rchives BEFORE you actually save the data, then you can have, effectively, two codeplugs of differing data, but your modified codeplug will need to be on a floppy instead of stored on the H.D.

With the MTX9000, you can save all codeplugs simply by 'altering' the numeric suffix of the data, such as this: 255XBS.354, which you can change to read: 255XBS.355 or anything you desire, this way, the data will be different as far as storage of the codeplugs will be as you changed the suffix to a 'new' number and the RSS looks at this as a different set of data as well, so you will be good to go.
kd7zoy
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Post by kd7zoy »

I have a MTS2000 for the 900MHz band and it works very well. You have to hex edit the program. Use the Dos verison to program the radio.

The only draw back is the radio will not do simplex but works great for the repeaters.

73's
Mike
n2rld
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Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:03 pm
What radios do you own?: Ht1250,MTX9250,XPR6550,MCS2000

900mhz ham

Post by n2rld »

I use the MTX 9250 ... You have to Hex Edit the CPS but works great ... I get 3.7 wats on 927.5

Karl
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Big BOB
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Post by Big BOB »

I have 3 of the MTX 9250 HT's and they work great. Also have 2 of the MTS 2000's they are also very nice radios, 160 channels with Talk Around on each channel. Never had any problems with simplex with either model.
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n9wys
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What radios do you own?: Too many to list! :-)

Post by n9wys »

Just an observation...

I have used GTX RSS for both 800 and 900 programming. I found that the hex-edited version of the RSS will NOT program into the upper end of the 800 band (where I needed the radio to operate). It cuts off at 866.0000. NOTHING above will enter properly. I haven't tried it for "in-band" 900, though.

I ended up using an earlier, non-hexed version of the RSS to be able to do my "in band" programming for 800, and I use the hexed version for "out-of-band" 900. Of course, YMMV...

I just have to be careful which one I use on which radio - I already have three 800s that I can't use because the hexed version of my RSS is R4.0 and the un-hexed version is R2.0 -- and I tried to program the 800s with the R4.0 before I figured out what was wrong. (Can't go backwards...)
:oops:
Mark - N9WYS
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W6JK
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Post by W6JK »

It sounds as though errors were made in the hex editing. It would be worthwhile to fix them, but you could also use the original, unedited file to recover the three 800 radios.

'JK
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n9wys
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What radios do you own?: Too many to list! :-)

Post by n9wys »

I wish I had the unedited version of R04.00...

Unfortunately, I do not.
:(
Mark - N9WYS
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ke7joi
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good 900 HT

Post by ke7joi »

I have 2 gtx portable radios they are great talkaround and for repeater use I am looking for a basic ver no desplay and no keypad unit for my extender poject.
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W6JK
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Post by W6JK »

You just missed a bunch of them on eBay, with chargers and antennas. But they turn up regularly, and the prices seem to have dropped quite a bit lately. I like the basic model too, and am regretting having sold all of the ones I had last year.

Jeff
n2rld
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Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:03 pm
What radios do you own?: Ht1250,MTX9250,XPR6550,MCS2000

Using wrong Rss

Post by n2rld »

I have a 486 laptop I use for programing, i only have dos 6.22 on it and a use a menu Program to launch all my RSS ( Direct Access) This way I boot the the menu and i can label all my Rss with the Ver Number and any other info. This way I wont make a mistake and run the wrong one.

I label them 440 hacked 900 hacked and so on

It makes it easy for me

Karl
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W6JK
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Post by W6JK »

That sounds like a great idea, Karl. At one time I could have written a batch file to do the same thing, or added it to the autoexec.bat file. I don't seem to remember enough of the syntax to do it now.

Jeff
Last edited by W6JK on Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
n2rld
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:03 pm
What radios do you own?: Ht1250,MTX9250,XPR6550,MCS2000

Menu Program

Post by n2rld »

Here is a link to all kinds of old DOS programs that no one uses any more, except us. You can download Direct Access the graphical menu Program I use from

http://vetusware.com/select-by/category/System/?cat=2
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W6JK
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Post by W6JK »

Nice collection of goodies. Thanks!

'JK
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ke7joi
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basic gtx

Post by ke7joi »

W6JK wrote:You just missed a bunch of them on eBay, with chargers and antennas. But they turn up regularly, and the prices seem to have dropped quite a bit lately. I like the basic model too, and am regretting having sold all of the ones I had last year.

Jeff
I know I just watch them go for more the they will ever sell one to me . The two gtx protables I bought off ebay for less then 50 dollars that bunch went 60 to 65 for each one person got them all
but I just got a gtx mobile today for 53 + shipping
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