Motorola xts5000 vhf won’t transmit pl

[murrayustud]

I have a Motorola XTS5000 vhf radio that’s programmed for ham radio but it won’t transmit the pl for my local repeater even though I have everything set up correctly in the software. I’ve tried everything but it transmits on the correct input to the repeater but no pl.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

The modulation compensation (balance) is probably way off. not easy thing to tune. If you have a working radio, maybe you can write down soft pot values and 'ball park it". But usually thats how these get messed up, the radio tuning was cloned from another radio. But first, is the radio programmed wide or narrow band?

 

[murrayustud]

The modulation compensation (balance) is probably way off. not easy thing to tune. If you have a working radio, maybe you can write down soft pot values and 'ball park it". But usually thats how these get messed up, the radio tuning was cloned from another radio. But first, is the radio programmed wide or narrow band?

How do I tell ?

 

[a417]

How do I tell ?

In the CPS.

are channels programmed for 25khz wide channels or 12.5 khz?

 

[murrayustud]

In the CPS.

are channels programmed for 25khz wide channels or 12.5 khz?

most are 12.5 but the ham stuff is 25kz

 

[a417]

Tuning of the softpots is done in the Astro 25 Tuner software, you will need your radio correctly connected to the computer to read the current values.

 

[n3obl]

Tuning of the softpots is done in the Astro 25 Tuner software, you will need your radio correctly connected to the computer to read the current values.

And a service monitor. You can’t just nilly Willy these things. Xts portables have been out for a long time and if you don’t know the last time it’s been bench tested then I would advised having it tuned.

 

[a417]

And a service monitor. You can’t just nilly Willy these things. Xts portables have been out for a long time and if you don’t know the last time it’s been bench tested then I would advised having it tuned.

Yeah, i didn't figure the OP had access to a service monitor. I was trying to preempt the question of "where are the softpots in CPS" that I anticipated follwing @RFI-EMI-GUY's post.

The radio likely does need a full service monitor date.

 

[MTS2000des]

A competent MSI service shop should be able to auto tune one for around a half hour labor and provide a print out of the results. Remember these radios are now teenagers, and many have been whored out worse than the captain of the cheerleading team with parts cobbled together, and "depot teknishuns" dicking around with stuff so it could be WAY off.

When they perform poorly, it's time to use the right tools and skills to bring them back to spec.

 

[GTR8000]

The XTS 5000 is way older than teen years...iirc first introduced around 2001, EOL in 2014. Even the first APX 7000 is already 15 years old at this point.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

How do I tell ?

If you program a DPL code, you may notice the transmit waveform is very distorted on a scope.

However, the only way to know for sure is to tune per the service manual. I don't have specifics on that model, but generally it is done by carefully injecting a ~ 20Hz tone and a 1000 Hz tone and balancing the Mod Comp deviation. It is a fiddly thing requiring test cables, and setting the filters in the modulation analyzer to allow the 20 Hz to pass.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

If you program a DPL code, you may notice the transmit waveform is very distorted on a scope.

However, the only way to know for sure is to tune per the service manual. I don't have specifics on that model, but generally it is done by carefully injecting a ~ 20Hz tone and a 1000 Hz tone and balancing the Mod Comp deviation. It is a fiddly thing requiring test cables, and setting the filters in the modulation analyzer to allow the 20 Hz to pass.

XTS's generate their own tones so it's as simple as setting deviation points via tuner CPS. Don't even need a break out box to do it, just the programming cable and a test cable from the antenna port to the CSM's RF IN port.

 

[rescue161]

I have seen a lot of folks look in CPS and set the RX PL, but forget to scroll to the right and set the TX PL. Maybe this is rhe case here?