Astro Spectra config questions

[ElroyJetson]

I've been asked to help a guy out with acquiring an Astro Spectra to be used to complete a replica of a mid 90s LAPD police motorcycle,
and the guy wants it to be complete and accurate.

A lot of you guys have forgotten more about Spectras and Astro Spectras than I'll ever know. I've had LIMITED involvement with Spectras.
Basic question, can a dash mount Astro Spectra be converted to remote mount with the appropriate hardware kit, without needing software we
don't talk about?

I've never tried it so I don't know. The head type won't change, it's an A4 knob head, it just needs to be remote mounted.
Does anyone have a list of the small parts that'll be needed to convert the dash mount head to remote mount? And do you maybe have a kit of those parts kicking around you want to sell?

There's no need for this radio to transmit, and it'll be programmed so that the channel list has the right names for an LAPD radio in that period, but they'll all be set to an itinerant frequency with TX disabled. And of course, no trunking is even required.

 

[N4KVE]

I still have a pair of Spectra Motorcycle mount UHF radios. Motorcycle radios were 15 watts, & used a specific microphone with a different connector. The mike jack on the CH was blocked. I used one as a front mount radio, & no software was needed to convert it. Just hardware.

 

[merlin]

Can't add much here. The motorcycles use a specific control head, different mic aragement.
Spectra for motorcycle came in low band (Like CHP) VHF (like LAPD) and UHF (a lot of agencies used this)
All this stuff turns up on ebay now and then.
Yes, dash mount can be converted to remote, there are kits for that, some for the motocycle.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Got any info on that specific control head? Photo, part number, etc?

 

[KJ4DHF]

https://repeater-builder.com/motorola/spectra/pdfs/astro/as-basic-service-manual.pdf

pg 151 shows the numbers for motorcycle

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

https://repeater-builder.com/motorola/spectra/pdfs/astro/as-basic-service-manual.pdf

pg 151 shows the numbers for motorcycle

And model breakdown schedule xvii and xviii pages.

 

[petnrdx]

I'm pretty darn sure there were never any VHF LOW Spectras.
Just VHF-HI, UHF, 800 and 900.

 

[radioman2008]

I'm pretty darn sure there were never any VHF LOW Spectras.
Just VHF-HI, UHF, 800 and 900.

I have NEVER seen a LOW band in 25 years

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I'm pretty darn sure there were never any VHF LOW Spectras.
Just VHF-HI, UHF, 800 and 900.

Or DARKSTAR-512 encryption.

 

[AFD103]

A little late to the game here.

To directly answer the first question, yes, you can convert a dashmount Astro Spectra to remote mount with just hardware. No software tweaks needed.

The motorcycle config uses hardware that is gasketed and sealed from the elements. The motorcycle W4 head is electrically identical to the standard W4 head. The biggest difference is that the mic port is sealed (molded closed, not knocked out, etc). That then requires the moc to be plugged in at the back of the head.

Do you want it to just function, or do you want to to be 100% historically accurate?

 

[nokones]

There would have been if Motorola won the bid. They were willing to produce them. One of the reasons why they lost the bid was because it required a custom control head and they were not willing to make that happen and GE was willing to make the custom control head.

 

[FedFyrGuy]

Possibly of interest:

MOTOROLA

 

[ElroyJetson]

Thanks, this info has been submitted to the guy who reached out to me looking for help with the project.