MAXTRAC 900 Faceplate swap question

[kj6ko]

Can you convert a 2ch MAXTRAC 900 MHz to a 16ch by replacing the faceplate, blanking the board and upgrading the firmware to conv. only?

If so, can you use ANY 16ch MAXTRAC (ie VHF/UHF/800) faceplate or must it be a MAXTRAC 900 MHZ radio faceplate?


Thanks...Greg

[PETNRDX]

If my memory serves me, you can use any faceplate to get the multichannel display.
But you need to use a 900 volume pot/mic connector board.
The 900 radios have the HearClear little circuit board on the Vol pot/Mic board.
So, if you have a 2 ch 900 face already, just pull that circuit board out, and put it in any face that has the display you want.

[Max-trac]

PETNRDX is correct. And don't forget that the 900 conventional chip is different than the one for ALL of the other bands...
The xtal data entry is a little different too when you get to the alignment point.

[kj6ko]

Thanks!
I have already converted the radio to a conventional 2ch and I have seen a coupole of multi ch faceplates on ebay but wasn't sure if they would work.

I never enable Hear Clear so do I still need to change out the mic board to the 900 type?

Thanks again.......Greg

[Max-trac]

The logic board is a little different and is expecting to see the special board on the mic-jack/vol-pot board. I forget the exact symptoms, but it didn't work right once when I forgot.
It only takes 30 seconds to swap it out, no?

[PETNRDX]

As the above post states, the logic board is a bit different.
My feeble memory tells me that if you don't use the Mic / volume board from the 900 radio, you get no TX audio.
And, on 900 if you happen to run across anyone else using HearClear, it does work a little better.
So, I have a couple of the common freqs programmed with it and without it.