Desktrac Modification???

[centuryvrproductions]

I am looking to getting a desktrac for my repeater. I have 2- 440 Maxtrac 50's. If i purchase a 800Mhz desktrac can i replace the transciever inside the desktrac with my maxtracs for it to work as a 440 repeater? Just wondering...

All i can find is the 800Mhz desktracs. others are like $200 ebay

After seeing pictures, it looks like i can replace it and make it a 440. But i dont know thats why I am asking

 

[kb2crk]

I am looking to getting a desktrac for my repeater. I have 2- 440 Maxtrac 50's. If i purchase a 800Mhz desktrac can i replace the transciever inside the desktrac with my maxtracs for it to work as a 440 repeater? Just wondering...

All i can find is the 800Mhz desktracs. others are like $200 ebay

After seeing pictures, it looks like i can replace it and make it a 440. But i dont know thats why I am asking

same answer as the maxtrac. several board changes and firmware swap. by the time you get all the necessary parts to a change you could spend more. the uhf maxtrac will be getting cheaper as the narrow band mandate gets closer. go look at batlabs.com and look it up for yourself. I am having a little problem with the same question being asked over and over about the same brand of equipment and i am beginning to believe these are troll posts.

 

[centuryvrproductions]

same answer as the maxtrac. several board changes and firmware swap. by the time you get all the necessary parts to a change you could spend more. the uhf maxtrac will be getting cheaper as the narrow band mandate gets closer. go look at batlabs.com and look it up for yourself. I am having a little problem with the same question being asked over and over about the same brand of equipment and i am beginning to believe these are troll posts.

The reason i asked is because it looks like there is a maxtrac mounted inside the dekstrac and connected differently. After seeing that i figured i could put my maxtracs in it and use the power supply.Thats what it looked to me but i guess its not. like this picture here:

http://www.repeater-builder.com/maxtrac/desktrac-pix/900pp-inside.jpg

 

[centuryvrproductions]

other thoughts....

I was thinking as this picture shows, the red area is for where maxtrac 1 goes and the other can replace the 800 mhz transmitter where the one is in the picture now. or will i run into porblems doing this?

Picture here...

http://www.repeater-builder.com/maxtrac/desktrac-pix/desktrac-inside.jpg

-KB1VSP

 

[kb0nly]

I have a desktrac that was a lowband repeater, i pulled the lowband radios out and stripped down two UHF radios to toss inside, along with a small 50w duplexer. Worked great. You don't need to do much in the form of programming it uses the pins off the logic board to interface with the front board, if your Desktrac is already a repeater, not a remote base with only one radio in it, then you just program the radios pull their heads off and put them in the desktrac, done...

 

[kb0nly]

I was thinking as this picture shows, the red area is for where maxtrac 1 goes and the other can replace the 800 mhz transmitter where the one is in the picture now. or will i run into porblems doing this?

Picture here...

http://www.repeater-builder.com/maxtrac/desktrac-pix/desktrac-inside.jpg

-KB1VSP

Where the red box is you would put your transmit radio, where the 800 mhz radio is you would put your receive radio. If your desktrac only has one radio though its setup as a remote base not a repeater, you have to take the transmit audio, PTT, and a ground from the connector that goes to the left radio and wire it onto the right radio so you split the functions, this is how i have turned some of the desktrac remote bases into repeaters.

 

[centuryvrproductions]

Where the red box is you would put your transmit radio, where the 800 mhz radio is you would put your receive radio. If your desktrac only has one radio though its setup as a remote base not a repeater, you have to take the transmit audio, PTT, and a ground from the connector that goes to the left radio and wire it onto the right radio so you split the functions, this is how i have turned some of the desktrac remote bases into repeaters.

Yes, thats exactlly what i was looking to do. Does it have a built in repeater controler or does it need an external? I was planning on using Echostation but if it has one even better

adn does the mactrac for TX/RX have to have 16 pins on back? Mine only have 4 pins.

 

[centuryvrproductions]

Does this radio look to be suitable for conversion to a 440 duplex repeater with maxtrac 50's?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5188/5622176750_2ea6488366_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5622176760_19cb3755e6_b.jpg

its a Motorola Desktrac L35ZXM5174AM Base Station 800MHz, 15 Watt...

 

[petnrdx]

That is actually not a Desktrac, its a Spectra consolette.
So no, it won't do what you want.

 

[centuryvrproductions]

That is actually not a Desktrac, its a Spectra consolette.
So no, it won't do what you want.

Ya i saw that.Man, i was wondering why so cheap. anyway, what features does Desktrac give me if i use it as a repeater. does it have a controler?...

Listing;

http://cgi.ebay.com/MOTOROLA-SPECTR...ltDomain_0&hash=item1c1d633a3b#ht_2266wt_1185

 

[cmdrwill]

what features does Desktrac give me if i use it as a repeater. does it have a controler?...

The desk trac does not havea controller per se. It does have a interface from the receiver to the transmitter that passes the RX audio and PTT to the TX radio.

TOT is in the Transmit radio, left side.

The receiver provides RUS/ PL/DPL plus carrier squelch to the front panel board. This passes thru a Drop out delay and becomes the PTT for the TX.

You will have to build the RX radio to Front panel cable.

BTW Maxtracs do NOT work down below 449 TX....

 

[centuryvrproductions]

Crap... I won the auction, Is there anything I can do with this Desktrac Spectra? Becides the powersupply built in

And my maxtrac does go to 440, I used lab software... Works fine,

 

[kb0nly]

Its a very basic controller inside, COR, PTT, TOT, thats it. I tossed NHRC controller in mine.

Any yes Maxtracs work below 449, stop posting the disinformation on every maxtrac post.

 

[kb0nly]

Crap... I won the auction, Is there anything I can do with this Desktrac Spectra? Becides the powersupply built in

And my maxtrac does go to 440, I used lab software... Works fine,

You could get a couple Spectra's to put in there... LOL

Otherwise you basically got a base station Spectra that you could toss any band Spectra in that you want. However i do know one guy that got one working as a repeater. Put a Maxtrac in as a transmitter in the empty spot, used the Spectra as a receiver, and wired in a seperate controller and left the desktrac set as a base. Worked great.

 

[centuryvrproductions]

I have no money for this, I need to use maxtracs that i have. and i am just going to find a real desktrac

 

[centuryvrproductions]

OK so i bought the spectra desktrac and i am going to use it for a repeater housing. it has a power supply and both my maxtracs will fit in it. i am going to rip out the mother board for the spectra system and just use my homemade repeater controller interface for the computer. I also got a 50Watt duplexer tuned to my repeaters system so now i am installing the antenna system

 

[Batwings21]

Well, I hope it works out for you.