Motorola and ham radio??

[avdrummerboy]

Hey all, I just had a question, figured this was the best forum for it. I have looked and cannot find much of anything on this but I was wondering if motorola at any time produced ham radio gear? Yes, I know that you can get commercial radios from them and reprogram ham freq.'s in, but did they ever make anything specific for ham radio and if not does anyone know why? It just seems odd, they are one of the more popular companies now- with pretty darn good product- and most all other major manufactures of commercial gear also have their hands in the ham radio market.

Just a curiosity of mine, any information is greatly appreciated, thanks.

KD7WNJ

 

[jhooten]

Yes, Micom-2H. You couldn't buy one anywhere but they did make them for a short while.

 

[MTS2000des]

and don't forget the "one off" HT220's that failed QC and were sold to hams back in the 1970's.

of course ma M put the brakes on this when some enterprising hams were buying them, and reselling them to LMR customers (at a great profit). Ma M didn't like these radios showing up at their depots and service shops (the boards were marked).

 

[FFPM571]

the Spectronics specials!

 

[zz0468]

Don't forget the AP73.

 

[n5ims]

Motorola even made CB radios (27 MHz CB that is, not the old "class A" CB that was the early form of the "business band" radios) for a time. There are a few now on e-Bay:
Motorola Mocat 40 Channel CB Radio | eBay
MOTOROLA MOCAT CAT # 4005 40 CHANEL CB | eBay
MOTOROLA MOCAT VINTAGE 23 CHANNEL CD RADIO | eBay
MOTOROLA MOCAT CLASSIC 1970'S 23 CHANNEL CB RADIO. WORKING. | eBay

 

[avdrummerboy]

Wow, did not know any of that (obviously,) thanks for the info, as I said it was just a curiosity, I don't know why or if MO would be any better or worse than Kenwood, Icom, Vertex (Yaesu), or any of the other big ham radio names.

 

[fineshot1]

I think it was back in the 70's moto also made a model Metrum II FM VHF 2 meter mobile.

There were two versions of this made, a 10 watt and I think a 20 watt models.

They were crystal controlled model radios, and I think they may have been based on
a marine radio model that moto was making at the time.

 

[K9WG]

OK - you got my curosity up and I came across this.....

RigPix Database - Other ham radios - Motorola-Mobat Micom-H

http://www.rigpix.com/mischam/motorola-mobat_micomh.pdf

 

[JnglMassiv]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but my impression is that the Micom-2H was never made available for general sale and was sort of cooked up by the boys in back without authorization from Schaumburg. By most accounts, the VFO is only marginally useful.

 

[jhooten]

That was the problem. It was never advertised, it was only available through the dealer network, and it was over $2k when a premium radio from the big three was under $1k. It was doomed from the beginning and gave /\/\ the opportunity to say "See there is no demand. We gave you what you asked for and you didn't buy them."

Mobat made them just as they do now with the Micom family. BUT they had the /\/\ logo on them and that would not have happened without the consent of the powers that be.

 

[rja1]

What about the Motorola GP68 ??

Bob
N2OAM

 

[rfradioconsult]

Back in the mid 60's Motorola and GE were the radios of choice for HAM operators on FM, terms such as 80D, 140D, Twin Vee, T41, Progress Line, Pacer, Busoness Dispatcher were popular radios and fueled the popularity of 2 Meters and 440, along with 6 & 10 Meters. The Regency HR2 was the first popular HAM band 2 Meter FM radio.

 

[zz0468]

What about the Motorola GP68 ??

Bob
N2OAM

That was an export radio, not an amateur radio. The AP73 was essentially the same thing, aimed at the amateur market.

 

[zz0468]

Back in the mid 60's Motorola and GE were the radios of choice for HAM operators on FM, terms such as 80D, 140D, Twin Vee, T41, Progress Line, Pacer, Busoness Dispatcher were popular radios and fueled the popularity of 2 Meters and 440, along with 6 & 10 Meters. The Regency HR2 was the first popular HAM band 2 Meter FM radio.

Ah, the memories! My first UHF radio was a BBT, my first repeater used a T44 transmitter, and I had a couple of business dispatchers on .52 and .76

 

[jimvm]

Motorola HT220 Spectronics special

I bought a HT220 UHF slimline, 2 channel with acc. at Spectronics, Chicago in 1971.
Cost $170.00. It was missing one resistor. Great radio!

jim vm