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Spectra Consolette questions

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Anderegg

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I bought a used Spectra Consolette, and want to turn it into a base station for mounting 3 Spectras in sort of a block configuration. I will be placing an Astro Spectra W7 inside, with 2 analog Spectras on top of the box. These will be RX only, so I will feed them all from the Consolette power supply. Will install NMO antenna mounts on the top/back surface of the Consolette lid, trying to make a compact 3 radio system that takes up as little land as possible and is completely self contained.

I would like to know if the Spectra and Astro Spectra Cnsolettes are interchangeable, can I put a W7 in a C7 Desktrac?

I also wish to intermix all three radios through the Consolette speaker. Would there be any concerns doing this? I run a lot of scanners and such mixed through the same lines for feeding and such, and know a news stringer who runs three radios and scanners off of one speaker, but I know the Spectras pump out a lot of "audio juice", so I don't want to blow anything!

Can the rear ports be utilized for programming? The manual says no, but the pin-outs seem to say yes. I wouldn't want to risk bricking a radio just to not have to take the lid off though.

Lastly, the fan on my Consolette is excessively LOUD, sounds like a jet engine idling. Will an off the shelf PC case fan bolt up to the four screw holes? If not, I can just Jerry rig a fan against the back port, but if there is an existing PC fan that will mate up, that would be preferred.

Thanks!

Paul
 

cmdrwill

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One of the problems using the Consolete as a portable unit: the plastic case falls apart. We had one as a portable UHF repeater and every time it got moved the plastic case came apart.

Yes the fan is a standard size, check out frozencpu for thermal controlled fans. (I just use them)

The cooling is poor and the power supply is flakey some times.

Look for a GR case that held two Maxtrac radios, duplexer and power supply. They will hold three Spectras and a small switching power supply. And they are made of metal,,,
 

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Anderegg

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Thanks guys. This will be a base station install, which currently consists of radios, speakers, cables, power supplies, and magnet mounts scattered across a desktop. One thing to be most careful of is the fact that the front face basically slots down in the casing, but is not bolted or attached to the unit, so if you pick it up, don't lift from the front edge, get some fingers under the lower case portion of the face could snap off! :-O

And I like the idea of the GR case. :)

Paul
 
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