Need info on Spectra or was it Maxtrac with control head as a microphone (Very small)

[powderchaser]

I have a small car to install a Motorola radio in (Use it to recieve only) and noticed my used equipment dealer had these control heads that were essentially the microphone with buttons to change channels etc. Were these decent radios? Can you control scan through the mike or at least change the scan lists or does that all happen from the radio itself? I use it to monitor only but sometimes like to quickly go to non scan and change channells often?

 

[RodStrong]

You talking about this mic? If so, yes, you can control scan and program scan from the mic.

Motorola Astro/Spectra/Systems 9000 Radio Mic (A3) | eBay UK

 

[N4KVE]

Wow, I haven't seen that in many years. I worked for a Buick dealer in Miami near FBI HQ, & if the agent left a car to be worked on, he took the radio with him. Big radio, like a Syntor, but this was back in 84-85. They left the mike in the car. GARY N4KVE

 

[powderchaser]

That is the right picture! Does it show the names of the channel as it picks up freq

Do they actually work pretty well? Can I use with most spectra 2 piece radios? I have 3 of the spectra 2 piece radios currently (Smaller head size) and am looking to save mounting a new head in a vehcle so this mike looks intriquing? Any disadvantages? Can it display the channel name as they do with the normal heads or just channel number?

 

[cmdrwill]

The Mic with the control buttons pictured is for the SYNTOR.

There is a similar one with a 25 pin connector used on the Spectra radios. You can not set the scan list from the mic.

 

[RodStrong]

You can not set the scan list from the mic.

Back in the mid to late 90's, I used several radios that had these mics on them (that's how I knew about them), but I'm not certain what the radio type was. I think they were Maratracs, but not positive.

But what I can tell you, on the radios I used them on, you absolutely can set the scan list. I used to set mine dang near every time I got into the different cars, since we had pool cars, and I liked to listen to certain stuff that most others didn't. Perhaps there is a setting that enables/disables operator scan programming in the software. I dunno. I really enjoyed using these hand held control heads by the way.

Regarding the OP's question about channel names, only the channel number is displayed (at least on the ones I used).

Here's a couple more on Ebay that appears to be for the Spectra if it's of interest to the OP:

Motorola Spectra A3 HHCH Control Head | eBay

Motorola YCN4021A HHCH , Spectra | eBay

Good luck.

 

[RodStrong]

Here is a diagram of the head. I can't really remember how to set the scan list, but I want to say you have to hold down the SCN button to go into scan program mode. Then you toggle down the modes until you get to something you want in the list, and you toggle one of the switches (don't remember) to add/delete from the list and to set the priority channel. You could tell if it was or was not in your scan list or was a priority by the little dots on the numerical display.

This diagram is a bit different I think than the one I had. I don't think the ones I used had a horn/lights function label on the mic.

 

[davidgcet]

Moto made a HHCH for several radios, and i know that the maratrac/astro spectra/XTL lines had pretty much full features including setting scan lists. i don't know about older units than that though, just that they did make them.