It looks like a VERY easy radio to board swap, even getting at things like the external sockets and antenna connector are stupid easy to tackle. I think the two other units should arrive on Tuesday.
Antenna for URC-200
- Thread starter pcblah
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prcguy
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Very nice, thanks! Looking over the boards I only see one adjustment pot and I would like to increase my mic gain a bit. If you still have the lid off could you take a closeup of the upper right part of the board with the pot in the second pic so I can see the chip #s?
Did you discover what that pot was for after looking up those nearby chips? My other two units arrived, tried the PL enabled model, works just fine on TX/RX so assume they didn't bother to test it. I opened the lid, it had an additional substantial circuit board added with what looks like an FPGA. Also the main board has been factory modified with wires solded onto existing chips.
prcguy
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Not really, can't see all the related components. It appears to be connected to a timing chip similar to a 555 timer on the upper right and I can't see where the traces go on the lower left.
prcguy
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Interesting, is that the PL equipped unit?
Yes
prcguy
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In case people are wondering what radio we are discussing, here is my current URC-200 project. The factory sells a 19" rack tray that holds a 50w amp, power supply and the radio and I didn't want to be stuck with just a rack version so I mounted all the same components to a wood grab and go plate that will still fit inside a deep 19" rack tray. The radio and power supply came from eBay and the 50w amp from a nice RR member. The speaker is a universal military amplified job off eBay. I just received the same mic sold by the factory (Shure 596LB) from eBay and wired it up today, sounds much better and louder than any of the military mics I've tried. This is now my main VHF/UHF AM air scanning radio and it will also do 2m amateur and marine band in FM mode at 50w. The URC-200 manpack also operates off a battery pack with attached antenna.
Do you not find the standard GD power supply sounds like a jet engine? I had to switch to an Ultralife pack on the back to go quiet.
Intersting on the Shure, so it fixed the lack of modulation you've experienced?
Intersting on the Shure, so it fixed the lack of modulation you've experienced?
prcguy
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Yes, I'm going to open it up and put up a resistor on the fan line to slow it down. No doubt its designed for 100% duty cycle for the radio and 50w amp in the Sahara desert. Military hand mics and handsets sound a bit bassy and you have to eat the mic and yell to get decent transmit audio. The Shure is much more intelligible and has more output so you can close talk in a normal voice and it sounds nice. I can see why the factory sells this model.