Programming MCS2000 Motorola Radio

[IsaacM24]

Is there anybody out there that knows how to reprogram MCS 2000 Motorola Radios?

A few friends and I just got a handful of these radios and we would like to program them to a different frequency.

I have the RIB cables, The CPS software was given to me by the same guy that programed the radios before me along with a USB with a softkey, and 3 downloads for the software called "WINDOWS 10 COMPATIBLE" and "WINDOWS XP 7 COMPATIBLE".

I downloaded the windows 10 software on a 32 bit windows 10 machine and am coming across the issue of the radio not coming up on my computer or the software.

I Have the RIB cable plugged into a DB9 to VGA and VGA to USB because I do not have a VGA or a DB9 port.

I have read a lot of threads and watched a lot of videos without any help. Is there a step by step guide somewhere on how to do this?

 

[jeepsandradios]

It wont work on W10. Also doesn't like USB DB9 adapters. This is OLD stuff. I use a W95 machine with native 9 pin and reliably program our SAR radios.

 

[MTS2000des]

Yup time after time, folks try to put a square peg in a round hole. The MCS2000 came out when Bill Clinton was in office. Windows based CPS didn't show up until 2001. These radios, unlike newer hardware, are very sensitive to the hardware/software/RIB used. Unlike newer radios, they can be BRICKED if a codeplug write goes south and not recoverable, at least not by most end users.

Finding a period correct machine is the key, something that can run Win95/2000/XP with a REAL serial port is the first step in having predictable and good results with these legacy radios.

 

[N4KVE]

I use a XP machine for the MCS. Years ago a friend sold me a Toshiba Satellite DOS laptop for the really old stuff. It still works.

 

[ramal121]

I Have the RIB cable plugged into a DB9 to VGA and VGA to USB because I do not have a VGA or a DB9 port.

The RIB is RS-232 not USB. That right there is a fail.

 

[rmack802]

MCS2000 will work in windows 10 64bit and 32bit. However, the cable needed to communicate to the radio won't read or write to the radio. I'm currently using Windows 10 32bit now with a cable from ebay and its working fine.

I am curious if anyone knows how to change the freq step from 20 to 12.5khz. It appears to have the option to see but not to change in MCS2000. Can it be changed in Tuner somehow?


And is there a way to change the freq range down to 144mhz range?
Thanks.

 

[nokones]

You change the bandwidth in the conventional personality settings.

I have the program, computer, and all the necessary hardware to program the MCS2000.

Let me know if you need someone to program your radios. I can do that for you. You just pay for the shipping both ways by including a prepaid return shipping label.

 

[nokones]

Just realized that the original post is almost a year old now. Kinda looks like that my post is not all that timely and relevant any longer. Sorry for the untimely post.

 

[mmckenna]

And is there a way to change the freq range down to 144mhz range?
Thanks.

If I recall, it requires hex editing. batlabs.com is a good place to research that sort of stuff.

If you have the "K" model radio (146-174MHz), you can hex edit them to not throw errors when programming below 146. Going down 2MHz likely isn't going to be an issue, but if you go too far out of range, the VCO can unlock and you can run into sensitivity issues since the filters are set for higher frequencies. Likely not much of an issue if you are sticking within 2 meter band.

 

[nokones]

If the radio is the "K" model wouldn't the operating band range for this radio be 136-174 MHz since this model radio only has one VHF Highband operating band range and if that is the case, why would any Hex editing be required to make a band range change below 136 MHz? Anything below 136 MHz would be the Aviation Frequency Band which operates with Amplitude Modulation and the last time I checked the MCS2000 operates with Frequency Modulation so that should make this radio technically impossible to communicate on the Aviation Band, unless there are some exceptions that I am not aware of.

 

[mikewazowski]

High power MCS's came in 2 splits, J and K. If he has the high power K split MCS, he's limited to 146.174MHz and needs to hex edit the CPS to allow operation below 146MHz.

 

[nokones]

Interesting, in learning a little more about this radio, there were actually two versions of the K Modei, the W5 with an operating band range of 136-174 MHz (low power version), and the W6 with an operating band range of 146-174 MHz (high power version). The J Model band operating band range was only 136-162 MHz.

I guess there were exceptions and now I know and I stand a tad more informed and corrected. And they say the MCS2000 was a companion radio of the MTS2000. I don't recall the portable having band splits in the VHF version radio.

The above info cited in Radio Reference Wiki.

 

[N4KVE]

Interesting, in learning a little more about this radio, there were actually two versions of the K Modei, the W5 with an operating band range of 136-174 MHz (low power version), and the W6 with an operating band range of 146-174 MHz (high power version). The J Model band operating band range was only 136-162 MHz.

I guess there were exceptions and now I know and I stand a tad more informed and corrected. And they say the MCS2000 was a companion radio of the MTS2000. I don't recall the portable having band splits in the VHF version radio.

The above info cited in Radio Reference Wiki.

While they were both sold at the same time, I wouldn’t say they were companion radios. Sure, they programmed similarly, but they used different CPS. Look at the Moto Trbo line, both portables, & mobiles use the same CPS, & by dragging, & dropping, codeplugs can go from one, to the other. Same with the APX line using the same APX CPS. I had some MCS radios back in the day. Probably my favorite line of analog radios, the 900 MHz ones worked perfectly in the 902/927 band without any VCO modifications like the Spectra required.

 

[rmack802]

This is the VHF 110watt version and I have acquired a 100watt UHF as well. I have the software for MCS and the Tuner v02.03 and I see in the tuner settings that look like they can be adjusted. I'm just not certain which ones and how much in Tuner.

 

[rmack802]

 

[mmckenna]

This is the VHF 110watt version and I have acquired a 100watt UHF as well. I have the software for MCS and the Tuner v02.03 and I see in the tuner settings that look like they can be adjusted. I'm just not certain which ones and how much in Tuner.

Don't mess with those settings unless you have a calibrated service monitor and the knowledge to use it properly.

 

[mikewazowski]

I guess there were exceptions and now I know and I stand a tad more informed and corrected. And they say the MCS2000 was a companion radio of the MTS2000. I don't recall the portable having band splits in the VHF version radio.

The MCS2000 High Power had two splits because the PA would not cover the entire bandsplit. Since the MTS2000 is only available in one power level, there's no need to have two splits for it.

 

[rmack802]

I did figure out how the narrowband mode works in MCS it is a little different than the CPS software. Is there a way to add a PL tone missing in the dropdown?

 

[n3obl]

I did figure out how the narrowband mode works in MCS it is a little different than the CPS software. Is there a way to add a PL tone missing in the dropdown?

No. You can only use what is listed.

 

[rmack802]

Where can I learn how to hexcode?