I'm looking into buying a few MX300Rs from a friend. He hasn't messed with them in many years. He doesn't know if they're the crystal or programmable kind.
I have the link for the company that can program the programmable kind (Brinkley), but what of the crystal ones? How do I go about getting those set up?
Brinkley has the PL reeds I need, but I don't think they have any DES modules.
How much can I expect to spend for a few NLD7900A/NLD8470As?
MX300 Questions
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Tom in D.C.
- Posts: 3859
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MX radios...
Crystals are available from Bomar in New Jersey as well as other similar manufacturers. They're actually tuned, temp. compensated elements with the crystals mounted inside the housings. You need two elements per channel on VHF and one per channel on UHF since the UHF radio uses an offset crystal for transmit.
S models are a much better bet because setting up crystal elements can be pricey if you need more than just a few. If you need a change
with an S model you just send it back to Andy but if you need to change an element you get to pay through the nose again for the modified element.
Last time I heard, Bomar had both complete elements and only crystals available at your choice.
S models are a much better bet because setting up crystal elements can be pricey if you need more than just a few. If you need a change
with an S model you just send it back to Andy but if you need to change an element you get to pay through the nose again for the modified element.
Last time I heard, Bomar had both complete elements and only crystals available at your choice.
Tom in D.C.
In 1920, the U.S. Post Office Department ruled
that children may not be sent by parcel post.
In 1920, the U.S. Post Office Department ruled
that children may not be sent by parcel post.
There is one other point about most rock box MXs: they are limited to a single PL per radio. (There are some SP versions that will accept multiple tone reeds, which are selected by an additional selector knob on the top.)
That said, for the right application (i.e., you aren't going to change frequencies all that often and you can operate with the PL limit), the MX300, MX350 series was a great radio. It was built like the proverbial brick auxiliary building, and was often used as a spare nightstick with no affect on radio performance. Battery life is superb (there is no synthesizer going continuously). Some of these radios are still going strong after 30 years.
That said, for the right application (i.e., you aren't going to change frequencies all that often and you can operate with the PL limit), the MX300, MX350 series was a great radio. It was built like the proverbial brick auxiliary building, and was often used as a spare nightstick with no affect on radio performance. Battery life is superb (there is no synthesizer going continuously). Some of these radios are still going strong after 30 years.
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Andy Brinkley
- Batboard $upporter
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Motorola did offer the "S" series radios in the "R" chassis, however just about all of them that I have seen were either built for the US Navy or one of the 3 letter agencies, and were on the 136-150, 162-174 or 403-430 splits.
I have a couple somewhere at the shop, on the 162-174 mhz split.
I have a couple somewhere at the shop, on the 162-174 mhz split.
Andy / NC4AB