Micor Compa-repeater Channel Elements

[rys092209]

I have a UHF Motorola Micor Compa-Repeater that I am trying to get up and running for Sh*^s and giggles. The receiver works just fine but I cant get the transmitter to work because I have no channel elements in the station. I was really disappointed when I discovered the lack of these channel elements and after making a phone call to a very nice representative at ICM, I discovered that replacing these channel elements (KXN1052 is the channel element part number) would cost me $265 PER ELEMENT! So I have two questions for the RadioReference community at large:

1) Can I, instead of using a KXN1052 channel element, use another Motorola UHF element that has the same female receptacle pin configuration such as the TLN1146B or the TLN8967A? - ebay listing for reference is as follows;

Motorola TLN8967A Channel Element Crystal Oscillator 405 470 MHz 463 675 | eBay
OR
Motorola TLN1146B Channel Element Crystal Oscillator 467 125 | eBay

2) What are some of the work-around suggestions you all (RadioReference community) might have in the event that I cannot get channel elements for my Micor? I would like to get this repeater running for less than what I paid for this machine, and really, I am not really interested in even spending over $100. Is there a way to update the exciter board in the Micor? or is there a way to replace the exciter/transmitter by swapping in another transceiver?

I have done extensive google searches and I have read the entire manual for my station and the supplemental Control and Applications manual. I have also utilized repeater-builder.com to no avail. The closest thing to a solution that I have come up with is a complete conversion to a synthesized controller which would eliminate the exciter in favor of other components. This is a really complicated conversion and I almost feel like it would not be worth it since I am more likely to break my station than convert it.

Thanks for all of your help.

Amateur Radio Hobbiest

 

[Tech792]

Thats a 25+ year old station and not worth spending the money. Plus it won't do narrow band. If you can find the TX element used on ebay, one of the crystal companies can make you a new crystal for a lot less than the price of an element. Use to be $10-$20 for a crystal. No idea what it cost these days. Then you just open the element and swap the crystal inside. This requires desoldering the old xtal and resoldering the new one. Then it has to be aligned on frequency. So you'll need access to test equipment.

 

[rys092209]

Tech792

Yeah that would be simple if i could FIND the element. Then, I would have to buy the crystal which may or may not be a resonable price for me. The ICM rep explained to me why these parts are so expensive these days, according to her, these elements and crystals are getting extremely rare. I can find RX Elements by the batch (20 - 50 a lot) but no TX elements. I am seriously considering, since I am in the hole for buying this Micor station in the first place, just taking out the exciter and transmitter and substituting it with a transciever I have laying around. I imagine that I could set up the transciever to do VOX opeations so that input signal from the reciever will trigger a transmit. I have some work to do.

Any other work arounds?

Thanks for your reply Tech792

 

[petnrdx]

I am a MICOR lover. (I work on some form of MICOR pretty much every couple days.)
I am sure there are LOTS of those elements around. Maybe not with ham crystals, but at least something to let you test it and see if it is worth finding or buying the right crystals for your elements.
The crystal companies really don't want to make crystals for ham radio much anymore, hence the high prices.
There really is not much profit in making crystals individually. I guess I can't blame them.
Their time is better spent making a production run of thousands of crystals for another product.
The trusty MICOR line is about 40 years old, and most of them date from the 70's.
Post your question on the Repeater-Builder Yahoo! group and I bet you get better response.

 

[cmdrwill]

" The trusty MICOR line is about 40 years old, and most of them date from the 70's.
Post your question on the Repeater-Builder Yahoo! group and I bet you get better response. "

The Micor IS one of the best radios out there. And they are not that hard to work on.
I heard a rummer about a programmable Chanel Element being available.

Ask you question on Repeater-Builder Yahoo Group.