• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

MaCOM MRK transmit problem

Status
Not open for further replies.

XboXC

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
15
Hi.
I have a MRK radio from Macom. It use in edacs trunking system but i have a two problems.
First, and the main problem is in transmit signal. I can normal receive calls and it works fine, but if i try transmit (press PTT) then my signal is very low (radio is in HI mode).

Second problem is in model number. I have radio model ZGT (Z mean - this model works on 800MHz) but my edacs run on 440-470MHz. So the radio must be converted to 470. That's possible?

Maybe if this is possible, my anntenna is from 800mhz and it's not good working on 470mhz.
 

ElroyJetson

I AM NOT YOUR TECH SUPPPORT.
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 8, 2002
Messages
3,687
Location
DO NOT ASK ME FOR HELP PROGRAMMING YOUR RADIO. NO.
No, the conversion isn't possible unless you just want to open the case, dump the guts in the trash, and put in all new guts.

The M-RK is such an old radio, locked into the past, that it's no longer supported and won't do P25-anything.

I'll bet long odds that if you have a legitimate need to transmit on an 800 MHz system, then you will
be ISSUED a suitable radio by your supervisor. So go with that.

No, an 800 antenna won't work well on a UHF radio. And there is NO WAY that you are accessing an 800 system with a UHF radio
unless you're in a cross-band situation and if you are, then...well, I know you're not. You wouldn't be asking these questions if you
had access to a trunked cross-band radio system.
 

kb4cvn

Silent Key
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
884
Location
Nowhere near a paved road, away from the maddening
Don't even try to convert it unless you know what you are doing.

First:
It would require changing the RF deck in the radio from 800 MHz to 440-470 bandsplit. Unless you have a spare UHF RF Deck in the correct bandsplit sitting around, it will be a costly purchase, if you can find them.

Second:
UHF in the USA, narrowband is now the norm. You would also have to find a narrowband capable UHF RF Deck.

Third:
M-RK series radios were manufactured in three different control/logic board memory sizes: 128k, 256k and 512k. Only the 512k Control/Logic Boards in the M-RK series radio support narrowband operation. This gives you a 1 in 3 odds of having the correct board to support narrowband operation.

I have band-swapped a few dozen radios over the years. It can be done. But only if you have all the correct bits and pieces to do it.

My humble suggestion……………Just find a complete radio in UHF for your requirements.
 

XboXC

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
15
My MRK is a 512k version.
I opened it and this radio has 440-470Mhz module so it propably UGT model (but i can't understand why it has a info stick from ZGT model).

But I have biggest problem with signal. I can receive any signal, just work's fine. But if i want transmit signal, the signal is very low or i can't transmit. But if i go to 14'th floor in my house building then i have no problem with transmit any signal. So antenna is broken?
 

ElroyJetson

I AM NOT YOUR TECH SUPPPORT.
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 8, 2002
Messages
3,687
Location
DO NOT ASK ME FOR HELP PROGRAMMING YOUR RADIO. NO.
The transmitter is probably damaged. IF you attempted to transmit on a UHF frequency, with an 800 antenna, you could have damaged the transmitter.

If you are attempting to use the wrong antenna, it's not going to transmit very well.

They're TUNED devices, Use the right antenna for the band being used. If you want to stick a different antenna on because it LOOKS COOL, then, well, I'm just not going to say what I'd really think about that because it would not be polite.

Using the wrong antenna is the SUREST possible way to damage a transmitter, short of using no antenna at all. (Which may actually be less damaging!)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top