MTS2000 Model III (450-520)

[Sandman8105]

My model 3 mts2000 will receive from the local gmrs repeaters but, it won't transmitt on them. Is there something in the programming that needs to be changed, or is it something totally different? Thanks for your help.
WRUP739
Baytown, Tx

 

[mmckenna]

We'd need more details.

So, it receives the repeaters. That means that at least you have the RX frequencies set correctly. You are also close enough to the system to hear the repeaters.

Not being able to transmit can mean a number of things:
A hand held radio is going to have a really weak signal. If you are too far from the repeater, it is entirely possible that you can hear it, but they cannot hear you. Try taking your radio closer to the repeater.

It could be a programming issue. Make sure you have the bandwidth set to 25KHz. Make sure you have your TX frequency set correctly. Make sure your PL/DPL is set correctly.

These are also 30 year old radios. Consider that its had a hard life and is tired and in need of a vacation and a trip to the spa. If it has not be aligned in those 30 years, it needs to be. Being slightly off can impact performance. Do you have another radio you can try with?

30 year old antennas can take a lot of abuse also. If it is original, it may need replacement in addition to all the above.

 

[Sandman8105]

We'd need more details.

So, it receives the repeaters. That means that at least you have the RX frequencies set correctly. You are also close enough to the system to hear the repeaters.

Not being able to transmit can mean a number of things:
A hand held radio is going to have a really weak signal. If you are too far from the repeater, it is entirely possible that you can hear it, but they cannot hear you. Try taking your radio closer to the repeater.

It could be a programming issue. Make sure you have the bandwidth set to 25KHz. Make sure you have your TX frequency set correctly. Make sure your PL/DPL is set correctly.

These are also 30 year old radios. Consider that its had a hard life and is tired and in need of a vacation and a trip to the spa. If it has not be aligned in those 30 years, it needs to be. Being slightly off can impact performance. Do you have another radio you can try with?

30 year old antennas can take a lot of abuse also. If it is original, it may need replacement in addition to all the above.

Antenna was replaced about 3 weeks ago. The other radios that I have (just like this one) work fine. It is programmed the same as those.

 

[mmckenna]

The other radios that I have (just like this one) work fine. It is programmed the same as those.

OK, so if it is programmed identically to the other MTS-2000's, and they all work but not this one, that would indicate an issue with this specific radio.

Like I said, 30 year old radio needs a spa day. Getting it to a radio shop that has a service monitor would be the next step. They can/should be able to put it back on factory specifications. Its likely drifted and needs the realignment to make it work.
Finding a radio shop that has the alignment software for these radios and is willing to do it will be your challenge. Not many of these radios in use anymore, and some radio shops won't service really old stuff like this.
Bench time can be $80 - $100/hour.
Figure for yourself if this radio is worth that much. Might be a better approach to retire this radio and get a newer model.

There's a number of alignment issues that could be causing this:
Low PL/DPL deviation
Low TX power output
Frequency drift

Not something you can fix/adjust on your own, unless you have a service monitor, software, and the skills/knowledge.

Lots of suitable/newer radios available. Don't put a lot of time/effort into making this one work.

 

[Sandman8105]

10-4. Thank you. Those are a few of the things that I was wondering about.

 

[KevinC]

Is it in "direct" mode?

 

[Sandman8105]

Is it in "direct" mode?

Trying to get a answer to that. My buddy programmed them. I am waiting for his reply.

 

[KevinC]

Trying to get a answer to that. My buddy programmed them. I am waiting for his reply.

You may have a button or switch for that.

 

[a417]

Trying to get a answer to that. My buddy programmed them. I am waiting for his reply.

That's an answer you give.

Do you see this?

 

[Sandman8105]

Only on the simplex GMRS channels.

 

[Sandman8105]

I can talk between my radios but, this one doesn't hit the repeater. It makes me wonder if it is a low transmit power issue. The other radio hits the repeater just fine.

 

[mbnv992]

If you didn’t program the radios and your “buddy” did - the answer is simple - it’s a programming issue. Did this radio work correctly before and now all of a sudden it doesn’t ?

If the radio works on the other repeaters and not on that specific one, he probably programmed the codes incorrectly.

BTW - the MTS2000’s are awesome radios. I use them on my local GMRS repeaters daily and they still work like new.

 

[AM909]

What was the antenna replaced with? In the past few months, I've seen (3) radios with the same supposed UHF stubby (white disc around connector, 450-470 MHz printed on it) that didn't work for sh*t, which probably came from swap meets/Amazon/eBay. The issue affects TX more than RX because the repeater is likely putting out a lot more power, and especially if the radio has pwer control that reduces its power output when it senses a poorly-matched antenna (I don't know if the MTS2K does this). Try a known-working standard 6" "whip" antenna?

 

[Sandman8105]

What was the antenna replaced with? In the past few months, I've seen (3) radios with the same supposed UHF stubby (white disc around connector, 450-470 MHz printed on it) that didn't work for sh*t, which probably came from swap meets/Amazon/eBay. The issue affects TX more than RX because the repeater is likely putting out a lot more power, and especially if the radio has pwer control that reduces its power output when it senses a poorly-matched antenna (I don't know if the MTS2K does this). Try a known-working standard 6" "whip" antenna?

I believe that it is a 5.2". New antenna. I'll try swapping with another one.

 

[Sandman8105]

The radio that he cloned it from (and the rest of the radios) work fine. It is just this one that is having this issue.

 

[a417]

The radio that he cloned it from (and the rest of the radios) work fine. It is just this one that is having this issue.

Ok, that's actually a good bit of information. My guess it's been more than a day or two since that radio saw the business end of a service monitor, so it might need a little (or a lot) of TLC to bring the tuning back into sanity. Most of those radios can vote by now.

 

[Sandman8105]

I have ordered a meter to check the output power to start with. If that ends up being good, then we will go from there and check out other possibilities.

 

[Sandman8105]

What was the antenna replaced with? In the past few months, I've seen (3) radios with the same supposed UHF stubby (white disc around connector, 450-470 MHz printed on it) that didn't work for sh*t, which probably came from swap meets/Amazon/eBay. The issue affects TX more than RX because the repeater is likely putting out a lot more power, and especially if the radio has pwer control that reduces its power output when it senses a poorly-matched antenna (I don't know if the MTS2K does this). Try a known-working standard 6" "whip" antenna?

Antenna has been ruled out.

 

[a417]

I have ordered a meter to check the output power to start with. If that ends up being good, then we will go from there and check out other possibilities.

power meter != service monitor.

There's a lot more than just "checking output" when you do an alignment.

 

[Sandman8105]

I understand that but, it is a starting point in this case.