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Motorola®

Figuring out what you have   by Mike Morris WA6ILQ
Cracking the model / ID number... with explanations of power levels, frequency bands, and a suffix table... (a work in progress, contributions welcome)
How to order manuals or parts from Motorola®   by Mike Morris WA6ILQ
Micor Mobile and Station pages
Mitrek and MSR-2000 Pages
Syntor, Syntor X, Syntor X-9000, MCX, MCX-100 and Mostar Pages
Maxtrac, Radius M100 / M214 / M216 Series and similar radios
While the Radius M10, M120, M130 and GM300 radios look a lot like the Maxtrac they are actually quite different internally. This page has some information on them as well.
Spectra Radios    
Motorola has discontinued manufacture and depot service on this radio, and many police, fire and other agencies are replacing them. While Mike Blenderman K7IC has the definitive resource web site on the Spectra radios, we have a few goodies here.
Saber Handheld Radios
Motorola has discontinued manufacture and depot service on this radio, and many police, fire and other agencies are replacing them. Here's an overview.
GTX 900 MHz Radios    
Information about the Motorola 900 MHz GTX mobile and handheld - probably the fastest and easiest way to get on 900 MHz.
The MSF and PURC Stations
At the moment most of the information on this index page is UHF, but that totally depends on the information donations that we get... Repeater-builder would welcome additional articles on high-band and 900 MHz units.
The MX Series of radios
The "MX Series" includes several crystal based (actually channel element based) and synthesized products that were first introduced in 1975. These radios including the MX320, MX330, MX340, MX350 and MX360 handhelds, the PX-300 and 500 packsets, the MTR-300 firetower repeater, the "APCOR" emergency medical repeater, and several others.
An Overview of the Motorola MaraTrac mobile radio    
The MaraTrac is like a MaxTrac on steroids. Up to 99 channels, 100-110 watts, remote-mount. This article shows what's inside a UHF unit.
An overview of the Motorola Radio Service Software (RSS) and the Radio Interface Box (RIB)   By A. Nony Mous and friends
Some problems and some solutions... Compiled from information provided by several knowledgeable folks.
Adding analog modulation to a 900 MHz Nucleus-II paging transmitter for 927 MHz amateur service   By Robert W. Meister WA1MIK
Info on the MTR2000 Base Station and Repeater Information and Modifications
Info on the Genesis Series of Handheld Radios   by Mike Morris WA6ILQ
This series includes the HT600, the HT600E, the MT1000, the MTX800, the MTX Classic and the MTX900.
Anybody want to do a similar article on the Jedi series? Or the Waris series?
Until then, all we have is a Jedi model chart.
Using the Motorola GR1225 or GM300 as an IRLP repeater   By Don L. Blanchard, WA7GTU
Plus a few notes about using a GR1225 as a full duplex point-to-point link radio
Making your own TRN-4224A PL tone plug   by Mike Morris WA6ILQ
This device is used in mobile radio internal PL boards (i.e. Mitreks, Syntors, Maxar, Moxy, etc.), Systems-90 multi-PL mobile encoders and some other models.
Since I first ran into the TRN4424 when modifying a Mitrek that had an HLN4181 tone board in it this article is oriented towards that radio and that PL board, however the information is valid for any equipment that uses the TRN-4224 plug-in tone element.
Making your own TRN-6005A DPL code plug   by Jerry Matthews WAØUZI
A quad DPL board for a Micor base station is shown in the article, but the techinque is universal to any equipment that uses the TRN6005 including Mitreks, Syntors, Systems-90 multi-DPL mobile encoders and others.
This article also includes a table of normal and inverted DPL codes.
Modifying the Moto touchtone mobile microphone for 16-button operation   1.89 MB PDF file  By Jim Reese WD5IYT
Spectra-TAC Receiver Voting System Notes    
A collection of hints and tips for modifying the Spectra-TAC Voting panel.     Compiled by Kevin Custer W3KKC
The Motorola Portable Test Set Page  
Information on several vintages including the P-8501, TU546, S‑1056 / 1057 / 1058 / 1059 series, R-1033, RTX4005 and several base station / repeater test sets.
The UHF R100 Repeater Service Manual   This is the no-longer-available 6881078E15-O manual.   25.4 MB PDF Donated by A. Nony Mous
The R-100 was based on the German MCR100 unit, and that radios manual is also no longer available... 6881071E50-A (this PDF is also about 25.5 MB). It's also similar to the MC-Micro repeater which is available in a factory 220MHz split.
A note on the R100 - it's built for either Carrier squelch / PL or Carrier squelch / DPL and can't be switched without replacing the main CPU chip, and that is no longer available as a spare part.   I've heard horror stories from hams that bought surplus R100s that were configured for DPL and wanted to put them into amateur service with PL...
Connecting the R100 to an external controller   A tech writeup from Connect Systems Inc describing how to connect an R100 to their TP-154 panel. It's written well enough that the information is adequate to connect any other brand: ICS, Link, NHRC, Scom, etc.
Translating the date code on a Motorola battery   by Mike Pugh KA4MKG
Determining Date of Manufacture from the Serial Number   by A. Nony Mous
Info on the Motorola T1500 series 4-can duplexer / cavity filter panel   by Mike Morris WA6ILQ
The manual for Motorola's S-1318A, S-1319A, S1320A, S1321A and S1329A Signal Generators
PDF'd and Donated by Howard Thompson K2LAW
Schematic of the Motorola T1034 signal generator   a 100 kB GIF file donated by A. Nony Mous
All he had was the pullout schematic - he's still looking for the rest of the manual... If anybody else has it, let us know.
Moto transistorized voltmeter manual - models S1051 and S1053C   2.9 MB PDF     Donated by A. Nony Mous
Moto transistorized audio oscillator manual - models S1067   4.6 MB PDF     Donated by A. Nony Mous
Motorola S1339A RF MilliVoltmeter Instruction Manual   4.6 MB PDF     Donated by A. Nony Mous
It's actually the Boonton 92E manual, but the Moto S1339 was a relabeled Boonton, so it works just fine.
Moto "Transistorized Dispatcher" radio   7.2 MB PDF   Photo   This is the manual for the 1965 D33CMT series - a 15w pre-Motrac model.
Note from WA6ILQ: I have good memories of the CMT - I used one of these as a base station on a couple of local 2m repeaters for several years in the mid to late 1970s / early 80s (it replaced a Link 1905ED mobile that I had hand ground the FT243 crystals for it and swapped a power transformer in place of the receiver vibrator and transmitter dynamotor).   Adding enable / disable switching to the PL encoder took a SPST switch and a piece of wire.   Adding a second encode tone took a DPDT switch, a reed socket and a second reed.
Moto "Remote Radio Switch"   5.3 MB PDF   This is the manual for a rather unique special purpose receiver.

Operating / Service / User / Parts / Accessories manuals:
Manuals for radios that have their own pages (like Saber, Spectra, Mitrek, MaxTrac, MSF, MX, etc.) are on that appropriate page.
MaraTrac Sales Brochure   92 kB PDF   Donated by A. Nony Mous
MaraTrac Low-Band Service Manual   6880102W95   25 MB PDF   Donated by A. Nony Mous
HT50 User Guide   6881055C65   2.4 MB PDF   Donated by A. Nony Mous
HT750/1250/1550 Basic Service Manual   6880906Z54   5.2 MB PDF   Donated by A. Nony Mous
Syntor X-9000 Operators Manual   971 kB PDF     Donated by A. Nony Mous
Syntor X-9000 Trunked and Conventional Manual   1.14 MB PDF     Donated by A. Nony Mous
Syntor X-9000E Operators Manual   1.02 MB PDF     Donated by A. Nony Mous
Syntor X-9000 High Band, UHF and 800MHz Supplement   2.39 MB PDF     Donated by A. Nony Mous
This is the 6880100W94 manual (99 pages) that, when combined with a High Band or UHF Syntor X manual, makes up the X-9000 documentation.
AP73 Operators Instructions   420 kB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
The AP73 was a poorly done rehash of the GP-6x series commercial handheld for the amateur radio market. It flopped. The first few pages are a quick reference card.
JT1000 Operators Instructions   583 kB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous    The last page is a quick reference card.
GP300 Parts List and Accessories List   1.2 MB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
MT500 Parts List and Accessories List   360 kB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
MT2000 Catalog Sheet   83 kB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
MT2000 Parts List and Accessories List   1.4 MB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
MTS2000 Parts List and Accessories List   1.98 MB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
MTX9000 User Manual   817 kB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
XTN Series User Guide   6864110R04   2.9 MB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
The channel charts in this manual are also applicable to the Spirit M, GT and S series radios.
The Moto R-1034B Control Line Test Set   511 kB PDF file     Donated by A. Nony Mous
This is essentially an AC VOM customized for working on the wirelines that connect a base station to a dispatch point. It was designed by a joint team from Moto and Triplett, and built by Triplett. Both Tripplett and Moto sold them in their respective catalogs.

If anyone wishes to donate additional scans, let us know. We'd really like to get parts lists and user manuals for the XTL, XTS, MCS and MTS.

History:
A very interesting web page on the history of Motorola Land Mobile radio
Well worth reading - and yes, 33mhz was once considered to be the ultra-high-frequencies!   by Geoff Fors, WB6NVH   (offsite link)

Mobile radio as used by the California Highway Patrol from the 1960s to current
  Another page from Geoff Fors, WB6NVH   (offsite link)

20KHz Channel Spacing on UHF and Motorola radios:
In some parts of the country, especially southern California, the UHF band has been "full"... i.e. there's at least one coordinated system on every pair, and has been for years. Southern California is probably the most complex radio frequency environment in the world where all useable frequencies and channels are in use by someone, somewhere. An unofficial repeater list is here. Even six meters is pretty full. Decision makers in many areas watch what goes on in SoCal as a predictor of their own area by anywhere from 5 to 15 years.

The UHF control and linking part of the band is narrow and was filled for years long before the repeater portion filled up (SoCal UHF bandplans and more are here). To "make room" a number of linked systems did an experiment and switched to link channel spacing of 20khz in the 420-425MHz and the 439-440MHz range, and there were very few problems, none of which could not be overcome. It's common knowledge in the 2-way business that low band IF filters (20KHz spacing) can usually be transplanted into older UHF (25KHz spacing) and into High Band (30KHz spacing) radios of the same family to tighten things up... all that is important when swapping IF filters is the IF frequency and the physical mounting.

After the outstanding success of the link experiment a number of privately owned systems that were on adjacent pairs in the repeater range did a second stage test and moved their systems to 20KHz spacing (note that SoCal repeaters listen from 440‑445 and talk on 445‑450). Again, the 20KHz spacing in the repeater spectrum provided major success, providing one new channel for every 100khz.

At the May 1, 1999 meeting of the UHF coordination group the major topic of discussion was that the band was full, had been full for a decade, and new systems were waiting and waiting for pairs. A motion was made and a vote was taken about moving to 12.5KHz spacing and the result was a total defeat of the idea - that of all the user radios "out there" maybe 10% could do 12.5KHz spacing (remember, this was 1999) ‑ the major problem was not VFO steps (that was a consideration), but IF bandwidth (i.e. hearing the adjacent newly coordinated system 12.5KHz away). So the discussion moved to 20KHz spacing and the experimental test results were presented to the membership. It was pointed out that there were areas of the band were all the systems in a 100KHz block were privately owned, and had been running on 20KHz steps for quite a while (just like when UHF channel spacing went from 50KHz to 25Khz ("narrowband") back in the 1960s). Again, concern was expressed about user radios that would and would not work on 20KHz spacing... at this point this chart was shown on the overhead projector (the list was last updated in 2003) at the the meeting, and copies were handed out. To make a very long story very short, once the assembled system owners (over 350 were there) were assured that they would not have to go out and buy all new radios they voted to re-engineer the entire 440‑450 spectrum to 20KHz spacing.

Over the next few months all of the systems on 44x.y00 channels stayed where they were, all the systems on 44x.y25 moved fown to 44x.y20, those on 44x.y50 moved down to 44x.y40, and those on 44x.y75 moved up to 44x.y80... in 99.5% of the cases it was a minor tweak of the screwdriver on the channel element or Icom. A few folks whose adjustments were already at their limit had to order new crystals. Purists tweaked the duplexers as well. Once each 100KHz group moved, the 44x.y60 channel was available for new system coordination, providing 10 new channels per megahertz. Only one problem showed up - and it was one that was totally unexpected ‑ news crews and other scanner listeners monitoring 470-471MHz public safety channels (for example, Los Angeles County Fire Dispatch) on cheap single conversion scanners were hearing amateur systems along with the fire department dispatcher ‑ read the whole story here.

The Motorola radios that work just fine on 20KHz steps are the newer ones: GM300, GP300/350, HT50/600/600e/1000, JT1000, M100/120/200/1225, MaraTrac, MaxTrac, MCX100/1000, MSF5000/MSF10000 Analog/Digital, MT1000/2000, MTR2000, MTS2000, MX300-S, P100/110/200, Quantar, R100, Saber, Astro Saber, SM50/120, SP50, Spectra, Astro Spectra, Syntor X & X9000, Visar, XTS.

There are some that depend on the individual radio: for example, the GP-300 handheld has two different RF boards, one does 20/25khz steps, the other does 12.5/25khz steps.

The ones that are known NOT TO WORK are quite older models: Mostar, Syntor (the original Syntor, the Syntor-X works fine). And of course, the crystal based radios work just fine...

If anyone has an update to this list, let Mike WA6ILQ know at (callsign) at arrl dot net.


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Motorola® is a registered trademark of Motorola Inc.     Logo image used with permission.

Registered trademarks, service marks, or copyrights of Motorola Inc. include the "batwing" M logo, Astro, Astro Saber, Astro Spectra, Channel Scan, Compa-Station, Consolette, Convertacom, Coronary Observation Radio, COR, "Deluxe Line", DPL, Digital Private Line, Extender, GM300, GR300, GR500, GTX, Handi-Com, Handi-Talkie, Hear-Clear, HT50, HT90, HT100, HT200, HT210, HT220, HT440, HT600, HT1000, HT1250, JT1000, MaraTrac (a.k.a. Maratrac), MaxTrac (a.k.a. Maxtrac), MCX, MCX-100, MDC-600, MDC-1200, Mem-o-Lert, Micom, Micor, Mitrek, Mitrek Plus, MPL, Mocom, Mocom 10, Mocom 30, Mocom 70, Modat, Mostar, Motrac, Motran, MoTrek, MSF5000, MSF10000, MSR2000, MT500, MT1000, MT2000, MTR 2000, MTS 2000, MVA, MVS 10, MVS 20, P10, P50, P200, Power Voice, Privacy Plus, PT200, PT300, PT400, PT500, PL, Private Line, Quantar, Quantro, Quick Call, Quick Call II, Radius, Radio Service Software, Radius, "Research Line", RSS, Saber, Securenet, Sensicon, Sensitron, SM10, SM50, Smartnet, Smartzone, SP10, Spectra, Spectra II, Syntor, Syntor X2, Syntor X3, Syntor X, Syntor X-9000, Syntor X 9000E, Syntrx, System 90, System 90S, Systems 9000, T-Power, Talkabout, Talkaround, Talkback Scan, Touch Code, UniChannel, the stylized and drop-shadowed X on the Syntor X logo, XTS3000, XTS5000, and a big bunch more that I can't remember at 3am as I'm creating this page.   In short, trademarked names belong to the owner and no misuse, violation or infringement is intended.   All usage on these web pages at this web site is in a descriptive or educational use.

This web page, this web site, the information presented in and on its pages and in these modifications and conversions is © Copyrighted 1995 and (date of last update) by Kevin Custer W3KKC and multiple originating authors.   All Rights Reserved, including that of paper and web publication elsewhere.