Pro-2030 on VHF-Midband

[kb4cvn]

Picked-up a Pro-2030 scanner at a yardsale. Interesting little box!


In the service manual for the unit, it lists frequencies automatically loaded when the radio is put into test mode. These include three in the VHF-Midband (68-88 MHz) range.


I have seen a mod to open-up the 800 MHz band listed on the internet. But I haven't seen one yet to open up frequency ranges locked out in North America. The Euro model of this receiver has 68-88 MHz open, and 29-54 MHz locked out.


Any suggestions?


My other base/home style receivers are all Pro-2006's (six of them), and cover this interesting band.



Thank you in advance...

 

[KNY2ADQ]

Are you asking if you can add VHF-Mid? ... Usually it can be done at the expense of losing VHF-Low.

 

[Ubbe]

They use the same CPU program for both versions so that they only need to have a factory deliver one type of masked programmed CPU.

What I have seen are that it is the pre-filters that differ. They use the same filter but components have been changed to handle either the US or EU band. We have no restriction of frequency bands in EU so if the filter could cope with both frequency ranges they would have included them in the EU version. I guess that goes for US as well, there's no restriction for the 68-88MHz range but there is not much to listen to in the US. In EU we have not much activity in the 30-50MHz band but a lot in 68-88MHz so really no need to make the scanner worse by trying to make the filter wider.

/Ubbe

 

[kb4cvn]

Are you asking if you can add VHF-Mid? ... Usually it can be done at the expense of losing VHF-Low.

Yes, want to add Midband, or swap for Lowband.


When I got my first Pro-2001, I removed the VHF-Lowband components and replaced for the correct Midband values. Preformed outstanding!


When I acquired my first Pro-2006, factory supported Midband use.


Where I live, I am within reception range of West Virginia, who uses Midband for linking. You often here some interesting comms on these, which you are outside the range of the VHF-Hi and UHF primary channels being linked via Midband.


Plus, there is a VHF-Midband beacon in an adjoining county on 70.005 MHz, which is in the 4-Meter Amateur Band. Not currently authorized in North America, the owner (Brian Justin, WA1ZMS/4) has it FCC Licensed under Part-5 (Experimental), running 3 kW ERP from VUCC Grid-square FM07fm.


Brian has renewed the license a 4th time. Here are a few articles on this beacon:


https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/wg2xpn-70-mhz-beacon-update.467361/


The Four Metres Website


New Beacon On the Air


Video of Beacon being received with a 70 to 28 MHz converter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtv2diQ5DV8

 

[kb4cvn]

They use the same CPU program for both versions so that they only need to have a factory deliver one type of masked programmed CPU.

What I have seen are that it is the pre-filters that differ. They use the same filter but components have been changed to handle either the US or EU band. We have no restriction of frequency bands in EU so if the filter could cope with both frequency ranges they would have included them in the EU version. I guess that goes for US as well, there's no restriction for the 68-88MHz range but there is not much to listen to in the US. In EU we have not much activity in the 30-50MHz band but a lot in 68-88MHz so really no need to make the scanner worse by trying to make the filter wider.

/Ubbe

Thanks. My humble guess is the required filters are already present in the receiver, with the lockout being via a required jumper connection, as I have seen in other brands of radio, both amateur (IE: Icom IC-706MG2) and scanners.

 

[Ubbe]

There's no logic in disable already fitted hardware for frequency bands that have no restrictions in the country.

/Ubbe