Programming Spectra Radios

[KG5HHS]

Hello,
I'm wanting to buy a Motorola Spectra UHF radio. (Not an Astro Spectra) just for 70cm Amateur Radio monitoring. I will rarely if every use it to transmit. I have a windows 7 computer and have all the stuff to program astro spectra's both mid and high power. Would it be possible to program a Spectra radio with this?

 

[Skypilot007]

Nope. You will need the older RSS for the spectra. You'll need an older operating system also. Win XP might work, something that will run DOS based software and have clean serial communications with the older radio. If I were you I would just get an astro spectra since you're already set up to program them. They're cheap enough anymore on ebay.

 

[KG5HHS]

that's what I was afraid of. I was thinking of that or getting an Ericsson Orion as I'm set up to program those too. (cant find any). I don't want to spend over 50-60 on them as There only 4 frequencies I will be monitoring.

 

[902]

I'm not sure about an XP machine. I have a 486 with Windows 95. If I drop to DOS (not run from the command prompt, but exit Windows and run DOS), I can run the Radio Service Software for Spectra.

Some other programs I have to use an older 386 DOS desktop that I probably should be keeping in a safe deposit box.

Good luck!

 

[cmdrwill]

Spectra radios make a fantastic Ham radio. I have several.
People who have Spectra's have a DOS capable computer with a REAL Serial port.
The Spectra RSS only runs in DOS.

But I have been working on Spectras ever since thy first hit the streets back in '87.

 

[N4KVE]

Be very careful with the Spectra. While they are great radios, there are 4 different "split radios" to cover the entire UHF band. The version for the ham split which is 438-470 is VERY rare, & hard to find. Most you will see are the 450-482 split, which can work in the ham band, but gets quite deaf below 444 mhz. And the 403-433 split radio will not work in the 445-450 ham band. To make matters worse, the serial tag does not indicate which split the radio actually is. But if you can find one in the 438-470 split, it is a great radio. Also try to find one where the caps have been replaced, as there is a 100% failure rate on them. I suggest reading these articles.
http://www.repeater-builder.com/motorola/spectra/spectra-intro-stuff.html
http://www.repeater-builder.com/motorola/spectra/spectra-split/spectra-split.html
http://www.repeater-builder.com/motorola/spectra/spectra-caps.html

 

[cmjonesinc]

I program mine booting from a usb flash drive with dos on it. Works fine on my old junker laptops and my cf19. Anything with a real serial port should work fine if you're running real dos. Also, as already stated, check on the capacitors.

 

[ElroyJetson]

An Astro Spectra is a better choice. It's probably a little easier to get a good one at this point in time, and their programming software is CPS which runs under Windows so you won't have to try to track down a fully working but very OLD programming computer running DOS.

 

[N4KVE]

Yes it is, but you still have to deal with the problem with caps, & finding the elusive 438-470 UHF split. Most were made as 15 watt motorcycle radios.

 

[cmdrwill]

try to track down a fully working but very OLD programming computer running DOS.

For those that do not know: most Motorola RSS runs fine on a Pentium computer. So you do not need "an old computer", but you do need DOS.

 

[n5ims]

The Spectra RSS works fine on my Pentium Pro 200 running real MS-DOS 6.22.

 

[SCPD]

Spectra radios make a fantastic Ham radio. I have several.
People who have Spectra's have a DOS capable computer with a REAL Serial port.
The Spectra RSS only runs in DOS.

But I have been working on Spectras ever since thy first hit the streets back in '87.

Wow 1987, it's amazing how time flies and those radios are still on earth. Some with the leaky caps can be fixed and they work very nice. Good quality radio, in my opinion. Hopefully you will be able to program it. I keep an old computer, (486 with floppy and even the necessary real serial port. Works fantastic for my DOS only RSS programmable radios.

 

[Anderegg]

You can download a bootable DOS 7.1 system..........you can even get Windows XP or 7 to DUAL BOOT, and show DOS as an option on start up, so you don't have to install Windows 98 and do the Safe Mode or restart in DOS thing.

Paul

 

[cmdrwill]

Paul, My XP Pro is set up to dual boot, and runs Win 98 also.
Three separate OS's.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

The 450-482 split Spectra's will tune somewhat down into the 70CM band. You can program lower in the band if you hex edit certain files. However the VCO lock is iffy in the lower ranges. I have not tried this myself, but you may be able to adjust resistor values in the VCO bias to get it where you need it. I think they are fine radios except for the capacitors that fail.

 

[N4KVE]

The 450-482 split Spectra's will tune somewhat down into the 70CM band. You can program lower in the band if you hex edit certain files. However the VCO lock is iffy in the lower ranges. I have not tried this myself, but you may be able to adjust resistor values in the VCO bias to get it where you need it. I think they are fine radios except for the capacitors that fail.

It's not the VCO running out of steam, it's the coils. The radios just will not tune that low. For a local repeater, the 450-482 radio will do OK, but in my case, I moved 50 miles north of the repeater, & the 450-482 radio was useless. I found a pair of Motorcycle 438-470 Spectra's, had Will do the caps, & these radios rock on 442 mhz.

 

[cmdrwill]

Correct it is the receiver that goes deaf on 440. I now have a fix for the 453 to 486 range Spectras where they work on 440 to 468 at spec.

Out here we have 445-449 RX so it is easier, but 440-445 mobile RX is what most other areas use, so I worked on the fix. One for Michigan, RX at .32uV and 48 watts TX on 440-468. Factory is .5 uV and 40 watts on the UHF radios.