Need info..picked up at auction

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devon940

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Hello, i am new to the radio world and i need some information...I was at an auction and i picked up this radio while i was there for $10, but i have no idea what it is used for, what it's worth, if i need a license to operate it, ect ect...could someone help me out?

It is a Motorola Mirtrek
Model #: t53jja3900dk
There is also a serial number and a tx and rx FCC id numbers on there if you need it
It also came with an external speaker, control unit, mic, and all the wiring
Let me know if you need pictures

Anything you could tell me about this would be greatly appreciated.
 

devon940

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There is a lock to open it and it didn't come with the key, so i don't have any way to know if they were removed.
What is PL?
Well...since i can't operate it without a license..how much is it worth? Did i loose money on this?
 
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W2PMX

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1) The key is a standard Motorola key. Anyone in the two way radio business, and many hams, have one (or a dozen).

2) It's probably worth a bit more than $10. Not a whole lot more, but if it's in good condition and someone is looking for something in that class, you could easily double or triple your money. Or more. (See, for instance, this page.)
 

W2NJS

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Just to fill you in a bit more, what you have is a commercial mobile radio that at one time was common in police cars, tow trucks, fire trucks, etc. It is limited to four fixed radio frequencies, so you can not tune it over a range of frequencies. Legal operation requires an amateur radio license or a commercial radio license, which are issued by the FCC. The big box usually goes in the vehicle's trunk, or under the seat, and the small control head and microphone are located near the driver. Your radio was last made about fifteen, maybe more, years ago and has been superseded by smaller, more powerful units which now can be had in a single unit or a "split" unit like yours, but today's units have many, many more frequencies available. There still are many Mitreks in use because they were built like tanks, and were just one model of many similar units made by Motorola, GE, RCA and others.
 

devon940

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Thank you so much W2PMX and W2NJS. This is exactly the type of information i was looking for. You both explained it very well, very helpful.
 

W2NJS

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I should also have mentioned that I still run two Mitreks as my basement home station (as opposed to my "upstairs" station), one VHF and one UHF, and they're working like the day they were made. If you have the patience to set them up correctly they are truly a great radio.
 
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