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Change channels on Motorola Spectra

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Ebaum744

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Alright so first off I'm pretty new to the whole two-way radio scene, so any answers may have to be dumbed down haha, alright so I bought 3 Motorola spectras off ebay, all the same model; D43KMA75ABK. Now when I hook them up and turn them on all is good, they recieve very clearly, but they're receiving a billingual weather channel, basically an automated transmission, I was wondering how I change the channel it is set to so I can keep in contact with my two friends to whom I'm giving the other radios, we're a mobile crew essentially and being that talking on cell phones while driving is illegal and they've cracked down on it big time in my city, these radios would be a great asset. All input is appreciated.
 
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Posting here I assume that you all are licensed Amateur radio operators? The radios you have are VHF and require specific DOS based Motorola RSS software along with a programming cable either ribless or with a RIB and the correct Spectra cable. You will need a computer running in DOS, not a Windows computer!

If you aren't HAMS then how do you propose to legally obtain a FCC license; there is no "unlicensed" services available to you for the class of radios you have.
 

WV8VFD

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Well, they are VHF, so they will work in the ham 2 meter split. But, you say you are a mobile crew? Is this business activity? If so it can be on ham radio. Do you guys have ham licenses? If not, you need to get them to use the 144-148 ham band. Any other frequencies you use these on you will need a commercial license (read very expensive)

If its not for business, and you guys have your ham licenses you will need a programming cable, RIB box, and the software. Once you have that, boot the computer in dos, start the software, connect the cables, read the radio, and make the changes.
 
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kb0nly

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MURS...

Set to 2w, program the five channels in, and there you go. No license needed.
 
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MURS...

Set to 2w, program the five channels in, and there you go. No license needed.

Spectra's are mobile units, wideband only, cannot be used on MURS. If they are going to be used for strictly non-business chit chat then you can use them 2 Meter, provided you are licensed Amateur radio operators. If you are going to discuss business related activities then Ham radio is out. A proper Business license will be required at a cost of several hundred dollars.

The actual purchase of the radios ws the easiest part, some research should have preceeded the purchase.
 

KG4INW

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You'll also need to check whether or not they had their leaky capacitors replaced, as that was a problem for every Spectra made: Recapping the Spectra

Also, since they're not narrowband, they won't be legal soon anyway except for ham use.
 
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kb0nly

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Spectra's are mobile units, wideband only, cannot be used on MURS. If they are going to be used for strictly non-business chit chat then you can use them 2 Meter, provided you are licensed Amateur radio operators. If you are going to discuss business related activities then Ham radio is out. A proper Business license will be required at a cost of several hundred dollars.

The actual purchase of the radios ws the easiest part, some research should have preceeded the purchase.

Yeah DUH... Thank you but i do know Spectra's are mobile radios. And they are not wideband only, there was narrowband Spectra's, though rare, and the Astro Spectra which is also narrowband, but lets not split hairs here. My point was it was said there is NO unlicensed use for them other than ham. You can set them down to 2w, i have done it on the dash mount version, the 100w trunk mount no, the PA would be unstable and spurious at that level, we have tested it as such. I have set many of the dash mount 45w radios to 5w for APRS use and they are clean and no worries. Yes they will work at 144.390 also no problems, i get asked about that all the time.

The Spectra is Type 90 obviously. Plenty of Type 90 radios on MURS but thats another discussion.

NONE of the MURS stuff is narrowband anyway so what does it matter. The radios sold by RadioShack and many other online sources and manufacturers as MURS are NOT narrowband so who cares.

Around here its just a bunch of kiddies playing on them anyway.
 

62Truck

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The first 3 channels of murs are narrowband but they should be if they use Murs 4 and 5 with it set down to two watts.
 
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kb0nly

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The first 3 channels of murs are narrowband but they should be if they use Murs 4 and 5 with it set down to two watts.

Thanks for bringing that up, forgot to mention it.

Yes, 1-3 is supposed to be narrowband... I say SUPPOSED to be, because every MURS radio i have seen in store or in use so far were wideband on all five channels. Technically i suppose they have to be selling units that are narrowband now on at least the first three channels, but all the ones i still see being sold are wideband.

Channels 4-5 are still wideband, and are supposed to remain so. Not sure why they did this, since people with the older MURS radios don't know the difference and ignorant to this change and still use 1-5 with wideband radios anyway.

Also technically MURS radios are supposed to be Type 95, but since so many Type 90 licensees were grandfathered in they are staying on with whatever they have as well. One local school here is on 154.600 with 5w HT's and some 25w mobiles. They wipe out the kiddies playing on their rat shack HT's.
 
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Ebaum744

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Thanks all for your input, we aren't technically a business so that licence wouldn't be needed, but we are looking to get our licences, I'm curious as to how to actually change channels on the radio itself once they've been set and it's mounted in our vehicles.
 

62Truck

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well once they have been programmed for the frequencies you plan on using there should be a channel selector knob or button and you would use those to change the channels.

And plus its murs who cares what you do on it, as long as you are not interfering with other services..
 

N4KVE

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Thanks all for your input, we aren't technically a business so that licence wouldn't be needed, but we are looking to get our licences, I'm curious as to how to actually change channels on the radio itself once they've been set and it's mounted in our vehicles.
The switch you are looking for is called "MODE". GARY N4KVE
 

Ebaum744

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Alright that makes sense, I'm guessing there aren't any frequencies preset into the radio then, at least until I do it myself. Pressing the mode button does nothing right right now.
 
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