Using Commercial Equipment Sometimes you can use

Using Commercial Equipment • Sometimes you can use commercial twoway radios in amateur service. • They have bands very close to the amateur band, so some can be re-tuned to the amateur band. • Most 2 M FM activity started with modified commercial equipment back in the 60 s. • Back then it was crystal controlled so it was pretty expensive to have a multichannel radio.

Commercial Equipment cont’d • Some of the older radio (mid 80 s & 90 s) are programmable using eproms and can be modified to work on the ham bands. • The most popular are Motorola and GE. • Motorola radios are more difficult as it is harder to get the programming software. • The GE you just need to change the eprom using the equations etc.

Commercial Equipment cont’d • Commercial equipment is different than amateur in that it is not capable of changing frequencies. They are programmed in, you will have a license to transmit on a particular frequency only (not a band of frequencies). • Most are simple to operate, and are pretty rugged (go in dump trucks, garbage trucks, etc. ).

Motorola • Motorola Maxtrac, GM 300, M 120, and M 10 series are good and usually can be reprogrammed to the Ham bands. They come in VHF and UHF, 2 channel or multichannel. GM 300

GE • GE has several radios that are used by hams. • The Phoenix and the MVS are the most popular. • The Phoenix has a old eprom that is not readily available and needs a DOS computer to program it, there is a mod to add a newer type eprom.

GE cont’d • The MVS is easy to program using Windows and a special cable ($ 40 - $ 50). GE Phoenix GE MVS

e. Bay & Ham Tailgates • These radios can be bought for $ 25 to $ 50 depending on model, accessories etc. • With shipping and some up front costs you can have a good radio for the house etc. for less than $ 100.

A B

C D

E F Off e. Bay – 10/13/2010

e. Bay • Buying on e. Bay, you have to set up an account. • Usually you have to set up a Pay. Pal account also (most e. Bay sites will accept Pay. Pal). • There are Auctions Items and Buy it Now (fixed price) items (some auctions will have a Buy it Now option).

e. Bay cont’d • Some things to look out for: – Read what you are buying – the picture may not be exactly what you are buying – Check the shipping – sometimes the shipping is way too high (e. Bay has been cracking down on the shipping prices) – Check out the accessories (don’t have a microphone – may cost another $ 20 to get a microphone etc. )

e. Bay cont’d • A & B are the same - $ 10 difference • C & D have a $4 difference but one doesn’t have a microphone. • E is $ 10 cheaper yet • F has all the accessories, mike, cables, bracket • A, B, C, D, & F are “Buy it Now” – Fixed price • E is auction so it may go higher

e. Bay cont’d • Probably the best buy is F – just need to get a programming cable and you are up and running for less than $ 100 – next time you won’t need a programming cable. • You could use one of these radios to make an IRLP node (don’t need the microphone).