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Handheld Control Head Question

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pilondav

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Hi. I know this is pretty obscure information, but I'm looking to interface a Syntor X9000/Spectra handheld control head (HCN4027C) to a Radius M400 mobile (almost the same as a Maratrac). It looks like the Syntor/Spectra HHCH is the same as the Maratrac HHCH, but with a round connector instead of a rectangular one. Has anyone else been down this road? Thanks. Dave K8DTP
 

a417

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Hi. I know this is pretty obscure information, but I'm looking to interface a Syntor X9000/Spectra handheld control head (HCN4027C) to a Radius M400 mobile (almost the same as a Maratrac). It looks like the Syntor/Spectra HHCH is the same as the Maratrac HHCH, but with a round connector instead of a rectangular one. Has anyone else been down this road? Thanks. Dave K8DTP
Visited this site, yet?
 

pilondav

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I’ve been trying that link for a week or more, but it appears to be down. Thanks anyway. Hopefully it’s not gone forever.
 

petnrdx

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I tried that several years ago, but I am pretty sure the HHCH for the Syntor is different from the MARATRAC / M400 one,
never got it to work.
I did get the MARATRAC version to work fine on a UHF and a VHF MARATRAC, but it would not work very long on a
Low band one.
Probably the HHCH was not "included" in the firmware that I had for LB.
I forget now what caused it to lock up, but it was something like passing thru CH 16 or something.
Gave up on it and just used the rotary head as that was small enough.
 

petnrdx

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I think Mike B's site is gone.
Repeater-Builder is likely the only source anymore.
There or actual original manuals.
 

petnrdx

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Last thing, I did a quick comparison and the circuit boards of the Syntor version and the MARATRAC version are different.
And I *think* the BUS parameters are different.
 

pilondav

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Thanks for the follow-up! I'll keep my eye out for a HCN1071. I read somewhere that the M400 is only compatible with the HCN1089/HCN1090 "advanced" control head, not the "basic" rotary one or the HHCH. I have a low-band Maratrac and a hi-band M400. If I can get a HCN1071, I'll verify what works with what and post in this thread.
 

pilondav

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Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but are you sure the model number for the Maratrac HHCH is HCN1071? There's a HCN1071D listed on eBay, but it's a Spectra Systems 9000 dash-mount control head. See the label on the bottom left control head in the attached picture.
 

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pilondav

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I checked out the Syntor/Spectra page on IA and found that the HCN1051 HHCH is the same as the HCN1053 HHCH used on the non-Astro Spectra, but with a different connector. There may be hope for me yet!
 

petnrdx

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Its been so many years since I messed with those, some of this could be wrong...
But I know I switched the heads around a lot.
You do have to "reinitialize" the radio to match the head you are going to use.
They can be 8, 16, or 99 ch.
Pretty sure the firmware contains all the data to initialize for any of the selections.
I had piles of the rotary heads but fewer of the A7 heads and a lot more radios.
I may still have that HHCH.
Will look.
 

petnrdx

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You caught me in a typo!
Then I started to question my memory and my notes.
I dug out the HHCH (A5) head I have and it says HCN1051A on it.
It has the DB25 connector and I have the mating cable for it.
It came on a VHF radio originally and as I mentioned before, it seems to me it worked OK on VHF and UHF, but locked up on
low band.
I had wanted to use in in a Toyota Celica on 6 meters, but that didn't work out.
 

pilondav

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Ah ok. Thanks for the info.

I have a hi-band M400 and a low-band Maratrac. Sounds like neither one will function with a HHCH.

The next thing I need to figure out is how to program these beasts. I have the software, RIB, and cables, but I lack a DOS PC (so far). The oldest operating system I have running right now is Win2k, which won’t run the RSS.
 

petnrdx

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I am pretty sure you can initialize (re-intrialize) your M400 as a MARATRAC.
I ran both RSS, M400 and MARATRAC, just now and I didn't see a choice for changing the control head setting.
So I am pretty sure you have to blank and re-initialize a radio to change it's control head config choice.
As I recall, I used MAXTRAC LAB to BLANK the logic board.
Then ran MARATRAC RSS to initialize the radio and made it an A2, A3 or A5 as needed. (or A7 of course)
Rotary head A2 being 8 Ch with repeat / direct , 3 being 16 ch with SCAN.
Going from memory here.
You will absolutely need an old 286 or 386 or 386 SX to get those two programs to run AND to program a radio.
Many have tried, and some claim success, but I have never gotten a newer computer to run AND program a couple of
these old RSS programs.
I will look for some A5 files, but I am a few computers beyond having an A5, so might not find a file.
 
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