Use for 800mhz MCS2000

[snakecharmer]

I got this MCS2000 with the plan of having it programmed with my local 2meter HAM frequencies. According to the model number, it turns out that it is a 800mhz radio. I honestly dont have a clue how these particular radios work so I am wondering if it could be programmed as a scanner for a couple of the local systems that I listen to or anything like that. For reference, the model number is M01UJM6PW6AN.

On a side note, I would happily trade it for something that would be more usefull to me like a trunking scanner, 2meter tranceiver or possibly a nice CB if anyone has any intrest.

 

[APTN]

Scanning

I got this MCS2000 with the plan of having it programmed with my local 2meter HAM frequencies. According to the model number, it turns out that it is a 800mhz radio. I honestly dont have a clue how these particular radios work so I am wondering if it could be programmed as a scanner for a couple of the local systems that I listen to or anything like that. For reference, the model number is M01UJM6PW6AN.

On a side note, I would happily trade it for something that would be more usefull to me like a trunking scanner, 2meter tranceiver or possibly a nice CB if anyone has any intrest.

Are these systems trunked ? If so, I'm not sure how far you'd get without a system key. I don't think you have much trouble with conventional systems.

 

[snakecharmer]

Are these systems trunked ? If so, I'm not sure how far you'd get without a system key. I don't think you have much trouble with conventional systems.

Yes, everything around me on 800mhz is trunked. Probably a stupid question but what is a system key?

 

[radioman2001]

Even if you had a key is that model rebandable?

 

[snakecharmer]

Even if you had a key is that model rebandable?

I honestly know nothing about these commercial radios other than what I was able to determine from the model number so I cant answer that question but I am not sure what you mean by rebandable.

 

[APTN]

System Key

Yes, everything around me on 800mhz is trunked. Probably a stupid question but what is a system key?

Think of a system key like a password. If you don't know the password, you can't come in the door. If the radio does not have the proper system key, it can't access the system, and will be ignored by the system controller.
System keys are only given to persons who are authorized to use the system.


Trunking Basics - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[Luis_R]

Even if you had a key is that model rebandable?

Doesn't really matter if it's rebandable, just as long as it can do the lower 800mhz freqs.

 

[Skypilot007]

What is the mfg code (flash code) from the radio lable? This will tell you what you might be able to do with the radio as far as using it to scan conventional or trunked channels.

 

[snakecharmer]

What is the mfg code (flash code) from the radio lable? This will tell you what you might be able to do with the radio as far as using it to scan conventional or trunked channels.

I think it is 000004000006. Can you decode that?

 

[N4DES]

I think it is 000004000006. Can you decode that?

I think your one digit short, but adding an extra zero to the left it coes up with:

00000-400000-6

H07 Multikey software encryption

So the radio looks to be just conventional, but the posted flashcode is one digit short so you might want to double check it.

 

[SCPD]

I you had a zero to the right of the 4 then its does smartnet

 

[snakecharmer]

I you had a zero to the right of the 4 then its does smartnet

I do believe there is another zero between the 4 and the 6 but I will have to check this evening. Dont have it in front of me.

 

[RKG]

Doesn't really matter if it's rebandable, just as long as it can do the lower 800mhz freqs.

Actually, it does matter if you intend to monitor a SmartNet II 3600 baud trunked system that has rebanded. The radio's internal table that converts the integer channel numbers sent by an OSW will no longer apply to some of the voice channel assignments, and the radio will sit and listen to the wrong voice channel frequency.

Some MTS2000s can be firmware uplifted to handle rebanding, and some cannot; it depends on the date of manufacture and memory size. However, as a practical matter, you are unlikely to find anyone who will be willing to uplift a single MTS2000 that is not part of the fleet of an trunked radio system operator.

This, plus the system key issue, makes these radios essentially useless into the future.

 

[KM4WLV]

We are going through the rebanding process now where I live. The majority of our radios are MTS & MCS2000's (800 system). These radios are able to be rebanded. They just came last week & flashed all of our radios with new firmware.

 

[mancow]

System keys are a software level issue. Lack of a system key locks you out of many of the fields in the trunking section of the software. It has nothing to do with the radio's communication with the actual RF system. That would be a system ID.

Think of a system key like a password. If you don't know the password, you can't come in the door. If the radio does not have the proper system key, it can't access the system, and will be ignored by the system controller.
System keys are only given to persons who are authorized to use the system.


Trunking Basics - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[Gezelle007]

Besides trying to do something illegal with an 800MHz radio... is there any real use for them? I've been seeing a lot of good deals on ebay lately...

 

[Jay911]

I don't know if there is baseband audio on the MCS connector like there is on the Maxtrac connector, but, if it does, and IF you are able to program the radio with the frequencies you want (you need MCS RSS/CPS, which you can purchase from Motorola), you could make it a "discriminator tapped" radio for using Unitrunker or Trunk88 or similar software to monitor/identify local trunk systems.

 

[RodStrong]

Maybe you can use it to monitor the 8 Tacs???? Any other conventional analog 800 stuff in your city you might be interested in?

 

[Quickcall]

Save yourself the hassle of all this by selling it and buy something you can use better.