VRS750 or VRS300EP on XTL5000 with O5 head

[dbusse]

According to Motorola, the VRS750 compatibility went by the wayside with the advent of the O5 control head (they evidently work with the W series, that's it).

I don't have the space, need, or funds for the Futurecom DVRS system. I understand that the Pyramid system should work with the O5 head, but you lose mode steering.

Can anyone confirm or dispute the fact that the Motorola vehicular repeaters will or won't work with the newer XTL5000's with the O5 heads?

Dan

[a1emt]

I recently purchased a VRS750 and have it interfaced to a UHF XTL5000 (high power) with 05 head. Works great! It interfaces to the 25 pin "legacy" connector on the transciever unit. A different cable may be needed for the mid power version. There is a Service bulletin out there that discusses audio adjustments to match the VRS750 to the XTL5000, I'll see if I can find the number on that... however mine works very well without any tweaking.

Jim

[dbusse]

I recently purchased a VRS750 and have it interfaced to a UHF XTL5000 (high power) with 05 head. Works great! It interfaces to the 25 pin "legacy" connector on the transciever unit. A different cable may be needed for the mid power version. There is a Service bulletin out there that discusses audio adjustments to match the VRS750 to the XTL5000, I'll see if I can find the number on that... however mine works very well without any tweaking.

Jim

And the VRS750 programs through the Astro software, just as you would expect? I would be surprised if the cable is any different, as there had been no differences that I am aware of between the mid-power and high-power in the analog Spectras or the Astro Spectras. This is great news. Anything you can provide further would be very useful information.

Thanks, Jim.

Dan

[a1emt]

Yep, in the Astro25 mobile CPS all the settings for VRS frequency, channel steering, etc. are programmed. My previous experience was with a Spectra 9000 and VRs and I wasn't too impressed. The VRS750 has much better audio quality and a host more features. I purchased it because it is advertised to pass P25 audio back and forth between an analog portable and it does this even better than I expected.

Jim

[dbusse]

Yep, in the Astro25 mobile CPS all the settings for VRS frequency, channel steering, etc. are programmed. My previous experience was with a Spectra 9000 and VRs and I wasn't too impressed. The VRS750 has much better audio quality and a host more features. I purchased it because it is advertised to pass P25 audio back and forth between an analog portable and it does this even better than I expected.

Jim

Jim-

Curious if you have any experience using a UHF VRS with a UHF mobile (i.e.: will the Astro software let you program a UHF VRS in-band). I have had limited success doing this with analog Spectras for obvious reasons. The thought here was perhaps that the VRS750, using a HT750, goes all the way down to 403 MHz, or else use suitable filtering and/or antenna separation.

Dan

[a1emt]

Hey Dan,

funny you ask about an "in-band" application. I actually purchased mine to do just that, in a fixed base setting. There is a local UHF P25 repeater that I have some trouble accessing from my in-building location. So... I interfaced a UHF VRS750 to a UHF XTL5000-05. Because it is in a base configuration, I was able to seperate the antennas by about 40 feet vertically, so no cans/duplexers/filtering were needed. I also set the VRS to low power (250 mw). Yes, the CPS cautions about setting up a VRS in-band, however it will allow you to program in any frequency. I've had good results.

[flyinace09]

Yep, in the Astro25 mobile CPS all the settings for VRS frequency, channel steering, etc. are programmed. My previous experience was with a Spectra 9000 and VRs and I wasn't too impressed. The VRS750 has much better audio quality and a host more features. I purchased it because it is advertised to pass P25 audio back and forth between an analog portable and it does this even better than I expected.

Jim

Don't mean to dig up a dead thread but after a LOT of searching on here and Google - and having a copy of the VRS750 DSM - but read this above and threw me for a loop. Half the sources I read tell me that the VRS750 is analog only, while others say it will pass P25. I am trying to figure it out since I am about to buy one and want to know if I can pass P25 from end-to-end or if it will RX P25 and TX it back out in analog.

[a1emt]

The VRS750 is analog, but if your XTL5000 mobile is on a P25 mode it will pass audio back and forth...and actually sounds pretty good.

[flyinace09]

Ah ok well there's where my project ends then I guess. I was hoping for something that would do P25 end-to-end and be able to pass IDs and/or encryption. I was thinking the VRS750 would be more like the DVRS, just an older product... and for MUCH less money.

[dbusse]

It will pass the ID of the mobile when you are transmitting. Much smaller, too. DVRS is HUGE!

[flyinace09]

I guess the ID part I could live with - mostly that function would be if/when I mode steered it to a specific frequency for my wife and I to use. Otherwise I was planning to have it up as analog GMRS and ham P25. That is why I wanted something that would to P25 both ways.