Batboard

Here's a question for the Spectra gurus. I have an A5 Spectra on UHF for ham radio & a few simplex freq's for car to car with my gal. This AM my gal called me on a simplex freq, but when I answered she didn't hear me. I looked at the radio & realized the "dir" button was on. Hit the button, all was fine. So I was on a simplex freq with "dir" on. Where was I transmitting? 5 megs down? I know I was xmitting because it keyed up my amp. Any answers? GARY N4KVE

Your transmitting on whatever you have programmed on that mode.

Usually, its the same as the RX freq...aka talkaround for repeated channels.

But it didn't. The freq was programmed eg 450 rx, 450 tx. When the dir button was on it was not xmitting on 450, but when the button was off it did xmit on 450. So where does it xmit on a simplex freq in the dir mode? Maybe I'm missing something. GARY N4KVE

Check your TA settings and programming. It would not have transmitted
on a split but there are separate settings for the pl or dpl for the TA
transmit. Bet 'ya you were just not transmitting the correct or any
at all pl or dpl and just not being heard. I always set my modes up
so that " no TA " or "TA disabled" is the setup for a simplex mode
just to avoid that happening. When you do that it also takes the
entry slots right out of the programming screen for that mode so you
cant make that mistake. Phrawg

You have to have a direct frequency programmed for that mode. Otherwise the DIR button would've bonked at you when you pressed it.

Thanks for the info. I'll try that with open PL on a simplex freq, but I know it does xmit the correct PL tones on a duplex freq with "dir" on. Also I have no programming discs at all. The seller programmed the radio with my freq's when I purchased it. Will did his magic with the caps on this radio, so maybe he saw, but I have no way to check. The radio does not bonk when I press dir even on the simplex freq. THANKS. GARY

Mine doesn't bonk either when you press DIR on a simplex frequency.
Additionally, you're able to set a seperate power level for TA so that was my workaround to be able to switch to lo power selectively in a simplex channel.

Well I know what is happening, but I don't know why. When I press "dir" on a simplex freq it turns the PL off. I'm sure this is normal & no big deal. Thanks for all the help. GARY N4KVE

Do you have your radio programmed for PL on Tx and CSQ on Rx? If so, then a radio whose "dir" function grabs the Rx freq and tone for direct will drop the PL that you send when going through the repeater.

Also, on some older radios (such as Systems Saber), a "dir" function grabs the Rx freq for Tx but stays with the Tx-programmed tone. This means that for split tones, you cannot use the "dir" function, but have to program a separate channel for talkaround.

Isn't the default TA freq. for the common R split radio 403.00 csq if nothing is entered? Otherwise I was under the impression it defaulted to the entered RX personality.

IIRC with the last released RSS, it defaults to the RX freq, but CSQ for the PL....if T/A is enabled. If T/A is not enabled for that mode, you *should* get the error bonk if you press the DIR button.

If you add a MODE to the Spectra the default Mode is called up, 452.000 with T/A (DIR) enabled. When you change the Rx and Tx freq the T/A does not change from 452 unless the Talk Arround is toggeled in the Mode screen.

Also you have to enter a T/A TX PL in the T/A field.

I usually use the TA on simplex to change to a lower power setting on my Spectra.

Rayjk110 wrote:Isn't the default TA freq. for the common R split radio 403.00 csq if nothing is entered? Otherwise I was under the impression it defaulted to the entered RX personality.

Analog Spectras don't come in the "R" split, Ray.

In this case, yes, if you enable talkaround it defaults to the RX frequency with no PL. Astro Spectras (and any other radio programmed with their RSS matrix) default to the RX frequency with whatever PL setting they're programmed with.