Spectra Question

wb4bsd · Post by **wb4bsd** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:25 am

I have an A9 Spectra.

It has 2 control heads, however i am only using one control head at the momment.

I programmed it up the way that i wanted it and all was well.

I wanted to use the other control head though becuae the on/off switch didnt work on the first one i used.

Well, when i put the other control head and hooked it up, it displayed all the old programming data instead of the new data i had programmed when the first head was on.

Is this normal? I am assuming that when you program a spectra, you are actually programming the control head and the trunk unit? Or does the control head receive its data from the radio?

Sorry for the lame question, but i am a spectra newbie...

thanks!

Rick Rock · Post by **Rick Rock** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:54 am

A9's are unique from the other heads in that they retain the display data. Put the old head on, read it, put the new head on, and program it. You'll be up and going with the new head.

911-EMT · Post by **911-EMT** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:18 pm

you can just plug in another control head to the second db25 and you will see the modes on each control hade the way it was programmed last, or you can set it up in the rss for dual head, an you need to add a F/R (front/rear) button on each head, , then the rss will give you the option to program the front control hade via F-8, wan it will finish to write the front hade it will tell you to connect the rear control hade and press F-9 (I think) to program the rare control hade by doing that you have each mode on each control hade the same as the outer.

Mike B · Post by **Mike B** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:35 pm

What was the part number of the head with the on/off switch that does not work?

If it is a HCN1071 then it is a rear control head. The rear head has a plastic part inside it that blocks the control head power switch (its removable if you open the head and remove the control board).

The address of the rear head is 06 (a normal front head is address 05). Unlike the Syntor X 9000 the Spectra appears to be able to program and use the 06 rear head like a front head.

The A4, A5 and A7 heads have their data stored inside the radio drawer. The A9 has its data stored inside the head. The Astro W9 has its data stored inside the radio drawer, which is why an Astro W9 head will not work on an A9 radio drawer.

wb4bsd · Post by **wb4bsd** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:42 pm

okay.. got that fixed..

now, how do you program the scan from the control head?

this thing is different than my old maxtrac..hehe

Mike B · Post by **Mike B** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:44 pm

How you program the scan depends on if you use Zones or not.

wb4bsd · Post by **wb4bsd** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 6:11 pm

Its setup for zones..

now let me ask this..

does the mic have to be grounded to a common ground before it will scan properly?

kcbooboo · Post by **kcbooboo** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 3:08 am

Most scanning radios are set up to stop scanning when you take the microphone out of the hang-up clip or box. Depending on the mike, you would need to ground the clip on the back or push a button in the middle of the hang-up ring. On some radios you can disable this "feature" such that the radio thinks the mike is always hung up.

This same line would put the radio into carrier squelch (disable PL/DPL decode) when you pick up the mike, so you can monitor activity on the channel before you transmit.

On my radio, from the main menu, press F4 (Change), F2 (Radio-Wide), F6 (Scan Options), then change "Scan off HUB" to ENABLED. This lets the radio continue to scan when the mike is off the Hang-Up Box.

Bob M.

60hzEE · Post by **60hzEE** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 5:29 am

Before you disable the hang up box feature, one of the advantages to using it is that if, while scanning, it stops on an active channel, and you want to join the conversation, by picking up the mike, it will stop on that channel and allow you to transmit if you have talk-back enabled also.
If you then want scanning to resume, just put the mike back in its clip.

If you want to use the feature, check out your mike internally. Sometimes, people ground the H/U line on purpose inside the mike to defeat the feature.

Lee

Mike B · Post by **Mike B** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:17 pm

All directions will be given from the main menu. This is all based on a conventional A9 with operator select scanning.

First thing is to select and setup MDC (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F3> Conventional Configuration) and Call Signaling (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F5> Mode Configuration). You can only have MDC or DTMF Call Signaling, not both together. In fact you may want both disabled.

If you look at the (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F3> Conventional Configuration) screen with Zone Operation disabled (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F2> Radio Wide Configuration) and Scan enabled in at least one mode (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F5> Mode Configuration), two programming options will appear under Scan Type (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F3> Conventional Configuration). These are “Non-priority List” and “Priority List”. Make sure Priority List is set to “Op Select”. If Zones are enabled or Scan is not enabled in any mode you will not see the two Scan type selections (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F3> Conventional Configuration).

The reason for doing this first is if you ever change the MDC signaling (enabling DTMF Call Signaling will also cause MDC to change) it will force the “Priority List” back to its “Mode Slave” default. Further more, if you are using Zones then the two Scan type selections (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F3> Conventional Configuration) are hidden and not accessible. If “Priority List” is not set to “Op Select” then you will not be able to use “Dynamic Priority Assignment” (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F2> Radio Wide Configuration, <F6> Scan Options).

In short, if you mess with MDC or DTMF Call Signaling after you enable Zones you will loose the ability to use the “Dynamic Priority Assignment” function. In order to re-enable “Dynamic Priority Assignment” you will have to disable Zones. Disabling Zones will throw away all the Zone information you programmed and make you start over from scratch entering all the Zone information all over again. This is the reason for setting up MDC and DTMF Call Signaling first, before you start programming any Zones for the first time.

Now, to program Zone modes (after taking of all the above into account and enabling Zone Operation) start with the Scan options (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F2> Radio Wide Configuration, <F6> Scan Options). As already pointed out this is where Scan Off HUB is set. The “Dynamic Priority Assignment” setting is also here. If “Dynamic Priority Assignment” shows “Not Available” then the Scan Type “Priority List” is set to “Mode Salve”.

Next go to the Zone programming screen (<F4> Get/Save/Program, <F2> Radio Wide Configuration, <F7> Zone List). This is where you create each Zone and name it. It has the function key menu selections “Mode List (F2)” for selecting which modes go in each zone, “Scan List (F7)” for selecting scan modes in each zone and “Scan Options (F8 )” for selecting options for each zone scan list. Remember all three of these sub-menus (F2, F7 and F8 ) must be setup for each Zone that you create. Use the goto, next or previous zone function keys to change zone selections and the page up/down keys to go through the mode lists for each zone.

Even though your scanning is operator select (if you set the F8 Scan Options set correctly), entering scan modes in the F7 Scan List is only a default starting list that you can change from the control head. These scan list modes are not Zone Slaved unless you messed up the F8 Scan Options Operator Select setting. I only mentioned this because some other Motorola radios force the modes entered into the scan list to be Mode Slaved, which the Spectra does not do.

Be careful. After you delete a Zone there is no way to restore it. It has to be entered all over again if you add a deleted Zone back to the Zone list.

The bad thing about Spectra scanning is you are limited to 16 scan modes at one time. The cool thing about Spectra Zones is each Zone has its own 16 mode scan list. Another thing to be aware of on the Spectra is one of your scan modes will always be whatever you have selected on the control head when you start the scan. This is shown as <SELMOD> in the scan list programming. At least it guarantees what you see on your control head display is included in the scan list. Some older radios like the Syntor X 9000 do not require the selected mode to be in the scan list, which means what your control head is displaying while scanning may not be in the scan list (it can be misleading).

If you use scanning allot then the Scan Off HUB feature is the best thing going. I wish the Dynamic Priority Assignment programming was not so fussy, but this is just the way it is. Dynamic Priority Assignment is really useful for temporarily bumping up a non-priority scan mode to secondary priority when you hear something interesting you want to listen too.

wb4bsd · Post by **wb4bsd** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:03 am

Now for another question.

For some reason, my radio isn't decoding PL to unmute the audio on those channels that i have programmed with RX PL.

I like to keep the Monitor Off so that i dont hear other counties coming in.

I know that the repeater is encoding PL because i use this feature on my XTS3000 and it works fine.

I have tried all the unmute options (std/std, And/std, And/or) but it still doesnt work...

am i missing something?

JAYMZ · Post by **JAYMZ** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:15 am

Do you have the HUB scan and PL settings disabled. This way the radio will not change it's scanning or moniter state based on the HUB switch.

wb4bsd · Post by **wb4bsd** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 8:48 am

Jaymz,

Its set to go to monitor when i take the mic off the hub...

but this shouldnt make a difference..

the root problem is that the radio is not unmuting when monitor is set to off and it receives proper PL and carrier...

I can sit there in my truck with my XTS, key up on a simplex freq that is transmitting PL and my spectra WILL NOT unmute with monitor turned off...

It should unmute though when it hears the PL and see's the carrier..

I can see the busy light light up but nothing comes out of the speaker...

Rick Rock · Post by **Rick Rock** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 9:45 am

That sounds like the wrong PL tone programmed or you don't have the frequency entered completely.

wb4bsd · Post by **wb4bsd** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 10:51 am

Rick Rock wrote:That sounds like the wrong PL tone programmed or you don't have the frequency entered completely.

double checked all that..

there has to be something that i am missing.

all freq and PL's are correct...

I mean, i can see getting one PL wrong and this happening, but i have about 20 channels setup like this and none of them work.

So my thinking is that its a radio wide issue and not a per-channel problem.