MTR3000 ID

[KB2ZTX]

So I installed our SAR teams new MTR3000 recently. Since it has been installed I have not heard the IDer other than after somone talks. I have it setup for 15 minutes with PL. Did I miss a parameter ?

[Will]

No, that meets the rules.

[KB2ZTX]

OK that i know. customer is requesting this to ID with PL. I cannot seem to get it to do this function unless someone talks.

[d119]

Jeez, I just worked on two of these last week, and hell if I can remember if this option exists or not...

First, make sure you are in "Expert Mode" in the CPS, so you can see all available programming options. View -> Expert

There *MIGHT* be a check box for "Strip PL w/ ID" buried somewhere in there. Make sure that's not checked.

Otherwise, if it's anything like the other Motorola stations, it ID's without PL, and that is that. Tell them to get over it.

I really don't care for the programming software that the MTR 3000 uses. It really should've had it's own CPS dedicated to it. Nothing worse than having to switch programs to do wireline alignments, etc. (CPS to Tuner, etc). I digress.

[KB2ZTX]

I unchecked that box as I saw that originally. Currently the base will not send CWID unless someone talks. If the repeater is used it will send the ID after a conversation. I actually listened to this the entire night and it never ID'd. This morning one ofo ur units called on the air and the ID went out fine. Guess its a trip back to the site to play around some more. Agree the software is not friendly. Wish I could use the MTR2000 software still.

As for the ID with PL. We/Customer requested this as this is a lightly used repeater for SAR dispatching. In the past we have had 2 repeaters have issues that we did not know about until a search. When we get dispatched to about 2 dozen calls a year this is not the time you want to find out the repeater is DOA. As many of us have a base radio on the channel we figured an ID (even if its every hour) would be better with PL so folks would knowi ts working.

I guess all else fails we will put a com spec encoder on the rear plug to do it. Seems crazy that we spent lotsof money and it doesn't do it.

JAS

[MSS-Dave]

I don't see anything in CPS that will allow a beacon CWID on the internal controller. Probably will have to hang a ID8 or an external controller panel. There are some issues with external stuff though, escomm posted a bunch about that a few months ago.

There is a bunch of info in the MotoTRBO system planner on BSI (base station ID) and the timers for activity and holdoff on both analog and digital. Maybe tweak something there. My MTR3k's ID's only after activity on a Capacity Plus or IP Site Connect digital channel and within the timer constraints. Nothing if no activity 15 minutes after last ID.

Dave

[escomm]

I guess all else fails we will put a com spec encoder on the rear plug to do it. Seems crazy that we spent lotsof money and it doesn't do it.

JAS

I believe proper operation is after the first transmission (after at least N minutes of no activity, where N is set in the CPS as the timer) and then every N minutes afterward. I don't think you're going to find an MTR3000 that will ID every N minutes without activity. There is certainly a checkbox to strip the PL from the ID, so you should be able to uncheck the box and have the ID go out with PL. As for the com spec encoder... I have a customer with some com spec encoders hooked up to the MRTI connector, and the MTR3000 actually ignores the PL input on the MRTI when sending CWID. It actually works OK for this customer as they don't want to hear the CWID... but it won't be as simple as hooking up your TS64 or the like to the MRTI to force the CWID to go out with PL. Good luck with your project. The MTR3000 is an interesting beast, to say the least

[kcbooboo]

The TX Audio input on the MTR2000 MRTI connector has a bandpass of about 280-3400 Hz. It definitely does NOT pass PL tones and of course DPL wouldn't have a prayer. There are other TX Audio inputs but they have their own quirks. I suspect the MTR3000 has the same restrictions. I really don't know why Motorola went out of their way to make some of their equipment so unfriendly and rigid, and it's not getting any better. Maybe that was a way to keep engineering busy making SP versions for their most demanding customers.

Bob M.

[KB2ZTX]

Well at this point the base doesn't even ID without PL to meet FCC requirements. The only time it will ID is after somone uses it. I'll be calling MOL again. I cannot imagine there is no way to make the CWID work even without PL. I went thru all the settings and even set it for 1 minute with no ID ever. I miss the MTR2000 more and more daily...definately missed the bus on this model. If I could have gotten a quantar still id been a bit happier.

As reference this is an anolog conventional standalone repeater. No digital nor any plans to ever be digital.

[escomm]

Now that I think of it, I had the same problem with one of the stations we deployed. It wouldn't send CWID at all. I think I retyped the call sign in the field with caps lock on and wrote the codeplug and it started working. I know the CPS will convert the entry to caps when you type it in with caps lock off, but as I recall retyping the call sign with caps lock on made it happy again. Let me know if this works for you.

[d119]

The other thing you might look at is squelch settings on the station. Program it for CSQ and see if the thing is blowing squelch. If the squelch settings are not correct and the squelch is open (though appears closed due to PL), that may cause issues.

[KB2ZTX]

I'll check both. have not been to the site with holidays...although now that there is 2+ feet of snow there it may be spring....We will see.