DeoVindice
P25 Underground
My current employer is using a MASTR II on an 800MHz commercial system. Is 800MHz subject to the narrowband mandate, and if yes, is it possible to convert a MASTR II to narrowband operation?
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MASTR II on 800MHz?
- Thread starter DeoVindice
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prcguy
Member
That's a question you should have asked many years ago. 800 is not required to narrowband and you can run your Master II until it or the sun burns out. Good chance the sun will go first.
DeoVindice
P25 Underground
Thanks for the reply. I only took the job earlier this year, and their radio system far predates me.
Project25_MASTR
Millennial Graying OBT Guy
The better question, why in God's Green Earth is someone still running a MASTR II in a commercial environment?
prcguy
Member
Project25_MASTR
Millennial Graying OBT Guy
As long as you don't need to change frequency.
DeoVindice
P25 Underground
Here's the dinosaur in her natural habitat, second floor of a maintenance shop along with spare light bulbs and equipment drive belts. This site has the single most boneheaded radio arrangement I've ever seen - the repeater's antenna is only about 20' AGL, and is located in a valley. Much of the intended service area is a plateau 40' above said valley, with a huge pile of waste material stacked on top of it. Lots of complaints about scratchy signal or transmissions not going out, and management is totally uninterested in having a talkaround programmed. I've tried.
12dbsinad
Member
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Why not? That repeater actually has a front end (helical) compared to the newer stuff..
Project25_MASTR
Millennial Graying OBT Guy
As a repeater it's a little more understandable. As a mobile, not so.
The big issue with the crystal controlled stuff is you are up a specific creek without a problem if you either need to change the operating frequency or the tech who used to work on it has retired and his/her replacement doesn't want to touch it. Yes they are reliable, fairly stable, but keeping them up can be a bit of a challenge these days.
12dbsinad
Member
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Oh yeah, I wouldn't even consider running M2 mobiles.
Agree on the frequency part. Now that ICM has gone out of business you are indeed up a creek with re-crystalling (the right way) as they performed temp compensation. I don't know of anyone else who does that now. If and when the station breaks or need to change freq or modulation scheme they can throw it away and enjoyed having it..
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
The one pictured isn't as antique, based on the 1990s "GE Mobile Communications" font and stylized logo. If it's an 800MHz conventional system, that repeater will probably indeed outlive all of us and not necessarily needing replacement if it's working fine.
When I took my position 5 years ago, there was still a Micor 800MHz repeater located at our jail- still working despite layers of dust on it. Per the date codes on the caps in the power supply, it was made in 1985. Don't worry, we replaced it with a GTR8000 2nd gen.
prcguy
Member
There is a local organization that has over 30 repeaters with most being Master II with a couple of MSF5000s and I usually get the call when any repair is needed. Its extremely rare that I get a call to do anything on that system, it just keeps working.
Bomar Crystal still does the xtals for Mastr ii repeaters. Did a great job on a pair for me not to long ago. Very stable I must say.
apco25
Batlabs OG
Are you sure that isn't just a MastrII cabinet with another newer repeater in it? Have you even unlocked and looked inside? Were you not affected by Nextel rebanding 10+ years ago?
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