Spectra keypad "Time" button ???

[phillipsc84]

Ok, so I know the actual funtion of it seems pretty obvious. Program this button and when pressed the time shows up. But it doesn't work. at least not for me. I was just messing around and figured I would try this and see how it worked. But as far as I can tell it doesn't. Anyone know how to make it work or what its real purpose is? I have a VHF and UHF spectra and tried it on both. Both are 6.16. RSSI works nicelybut I just can't firgure out the time thing. Anyone know more?

[d119]

Something tells me this was a feature for Metrocom Transit Spectras only...

[fogster]

Program this button and when pressed the time shows up. But it doesn't work.

Does the Spectra even support that? I'm not a big Spectra guy, but I've never heard of a clock function. (And it seems like a bad idea overall: I could see Spectras sitting without being programmed for years, and the time getting way off...)

[Josh]

I kinda thought it was a feature for trunked systems that have the time sent out over the C.C.

I never put it to use, it was only available on my C9 head or A9 or whatever you want to call it.

-Josh

[Pj]

At one point, there use to be a large amount of buttons that seemed to be either for SP products or for future products that never made it out. You use to be able to get the following buttons:

Time
Badge
PVT
S/S
L/S
Menu
Txt
AA
ECC
State
SCC
Xfer
QCII (!!!!)
UNGD
PRTT
Emp#
Pass
Cir
URG

etc etc

[mr.syntrx]

Program this button and when pressed the time shows up. But it doesn't work.

Does the Spectra even support that? I'm not a big Spectra guy, but I've never heard of a clock function. (And it seems like a bad idea overall: I could see Spectras sitting without being programmed for years, and the time getting way off...)

Yeah. Spectras don't have a proper RTC, so when you pulled power to it, it'd lose the time anyway.

[MikeOxlong]

Hello....

you forgot the FPP button that was available on the FPP enabled Spectra's.

[thebigphish]

dude, just for the fact that you even started the message off like cowthief used to should get you a warning!

[Pj]

Hello.

You would be correct.
Starting a FPP thread in the Cowthief fashion would warrant an investagation from the DEA, CIA, FBI, KGB, FYI and NIMBY department.
That would not be cool.
I like pink underwear.

So anyways.....

Anyone have any clue in what radio(s) any of these buttons could have been used in, and with what applications?

[dxon2m]

I can help you guys on couple of them:

I got this shot from a friend of mine who work in New York City Transit, they uses Spectra A9 in the 800Mhz for their bus operations, here's a shot of the control head:



Their radio is normally set on the depot the bus assigned to, bus operators don't talk to depot directly, the personality that the radio sit on is receive only for announcements. (ie. diversions)

The radio also monitor 4 citywide channels, one channel for security announcements and is automatically patched to the PA speakers inside the bus, another channel is used for bus operator announcements and is only played inside the driver seat speaker.

The PRTT button is Priority Request To Talk, when the bus needs to talk to command center, they press the RTT button to the right of it, that will allow the bus to enter the queue on the dispatchers screen. PRTT will bump them to the top of the list for any emergency messages

PA, as you might guessed, is the PA speakers inside the bus, this is normally on because the bus operator makes stop announcements using the Spectra handset. Only after the press RTT or PRTT will allow the handset be used as a radio mic.

RtRn is the Route/Route number, they need to enter their bus route number and the run number at the start of their trip.

PASS is the employee ID number, they need to enter that also along with the RtRn at the start of their run, verifying who really is operating the bus.

SEND/CLR, no explantion needed eh?

[EPC_1111]

I like pink underwear.

So does Joe Arpaho.

[d119]

Arpaio.

That's a MetroCom Transit Spectra if I recall correctly.

[Pj]

Is there a place that has information on these spectra's? Would be interested in the details of the system and the radios.

[spectragod]

I've seen the "time" button used on DGT9000 desksets.

But then again, I don't wear pink underwear.

SG

[KitN1MCC]

i know the metro com has always intrested me as well

[kf4sqb]

I kinda thought it was a feature for trunked systems that have the time sent out over the C.C.

Josh was correct. The "time" button was a feature avalible on trunking systems. The time was aquired from the control channel.

For lots more info on the Spectra radio series, check out Mike Blenderman's website. That link takes you directly to the Spectra section of his site.

[KitN1MCC]

did any one else except NYC use the metrocom

[d119]

I believe Metrocom systems were used in Southern California by a few agencies...

[dxon2m]

Anyone know if there are any new features if the METROCOM option (in bitbanger) is enabled? I'm kinda itchy to do that on my UHF Spectra.

[alex]

So did anyone ever figure out how to do this? I don't mean to bring this back from the dead but I happened to catch of glimpse of one of these radios in a NJ Transit bus the other day showing the correct time. I'm now kind of curious to know more....

[fchrist16]

Alex,

Check out what Jim told me just yesterday in this topic. /viewtopic.php?f=1&t=93082

Regards,

-Frank C.

[alex]

Excellent... It was just cool enough that I had to ask

-Alex

[motorola_otaku]

I believe Metrocom systems were used in Southern California by a few agencies...

I came into some surplused C9 800 Spectras from Caltrans a while back. They were set up for multi-speaker, but not Metrocom. They didn't have the TIME button installed on the heads either.

[KitN1MCC]

any pics or video of the nyc transit radios in operation