Why won't a tone remote change modes on a trunked Desktrac?

DoctorJ · Post by **DoctorJ** » Fri May 23, 2003 7:32 am

I've been working on this problem for a week. And now I come humbly before the Batlab Council to present my trouble and expose my own personal failings.

Here it goes.

I have a Desktrac with a tone remote adapter board and a Maxtrac Smartnet C6 package radio. If I understand correctly, a conventional Desktrac will change channels with the tones from a remote device. Why doesn't the same hold true for my set up? I can key the radio remotely, but not change modes.

I am able to program both the radio and the Desktrac, however the Desktrac software does not recognize the model of Desktrac. This may be because I am using a Smartnet Maxtrac which is not listed in the model table for the software.

I patiently and gratefully await your reply.

Post by **xmo** » Fri May 23, 2003 10:52 am

Did the Desktrac come from Motorola with the Smartnet Maxtrac inside or did you put it there?

What is the model number of the Desktrac?

What is the version Number of your Desktrac RSS?

Have you tried substituting a plain conventional Maxtrac into the Desktrac to see if the tone remote board can change modes on that?

KH · Post by KH » Fri May 23, 2003 11:31 am

What xmo said, AND who set up the function tone in the termination panel, are you sure it matches the function tone coming from the remote for mode change, and have you checked 3 times that the cable pinout from the panel to the desktrac is all correct? And that the programmable connector pins are set up right?

Mebbe you just need to walk away from the damn thing for a day or two, then come back to it. WAY too often folks will get so 'into' it they can't see the forest for the trees.

I know I do.

DoctorJ · Post by **DoctorJ** » Fri May 23, 2003 12:45 pm

The Desktrac did not come from motorola with the Smartnet Maxtrac. I believe it had a type I B7 that was swapped out when we went to type II trunking. the model number of the Desktrac indicates that it is a trunked control/base station L35SUM5070B

I have the latest desktrac software (if you can call 1995 late) version R03.04.00.

I have not tried inserting a conventional radio. I will do that next after I take KH's advice and take a three day weekend.

To answer KH I have a MC1000 basic tone control deskset wired right to the 8 pin accessory jack on the tone board. I've tried both 2 and 4 wire configurations.

I will check the programmable connector pins again. Thank you for your input. Have a good weekend.

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Sat May 24, 2003 8:12 am

I realy don't know about multi channel desktracs, so what I am about to speculate on might be a bunch of BS, but sometimes you just have to take a stab at it.

How does the tone remote board on the standard desktrac change channels on the Maxtrac?
Is it through "channel steering" lines on the 16-pin connector?
Is it posibbly by decoding the 2-digit display on the control head and then by controlling the channel up/down lines to "match" the channel selected by the tone remote function tone with the channel number display on the radio?

Or is ir some other way all together?

If either of these are the method of channel selection in the Desktrac, I suspect it will not work with a Trunked Maxtrac as it has neither the channel steering lines, or the same display format as a stanadrd Maxtrac.

I have a desktac here and the manuals. I will try to look it up and see how channel selection is done.