Subject: Motorola Micor Repeater Conversion
Questions regarding this should be directed to jreese@sugar.neosoft.com
There are associated diagrams mentioned in the text. If you are unable to
figure out what's going on without the diagrams, mail me and I'll try to
get the diagrams to you some way.
Jim Reese
WD5IYT
Instructions for Conversion of Motorola VHF Micor to Repeater Service
This modification is not for the faint-hearted. Be sure you are very
comfortable with the operation of the MICOR radio before you attempt this
modification. A thorough understanding of the way the MICOR radio and control
system works is absolutely essential for the success of this conversion.
Modification Notes
This modification was developed for radios having receiver RF/IF board series
TLD8270A; audio/squelch models TLN4310A-2 thru TLN4310A-5; and exciter models
TLD8261A, TLD8262A, TLD8261B, or TLD8262B. If your radio differs from these
part numbers, all or part of this modification may be different from the
descriptions. Use your judgement to alter these instructions as necessary.
Whenever "Molex Pin x" is mentioned, it refers to the Armadillo Standard
connector. This is a small, 9 pin Molex connector which serves as the
interface for all of the Armadillo radios. Use a Female connector on the
radio end. The standard pinout of the connector is:
1 - Ground
2 - Receive Audio Output
3 - n/c
4 - Transmit Audio Input
5 - COS Output
6 - PTT Input
7 - n/c
8 - PL Decoder Output (Sense)
9 - PL Select Input
The COS output and PTT input are open-collector to ground signals. Pin 8 goes
to +9.6 V when PL is decoded. Pin 9 is ground for PL, open for Carrier.
These modifications allow "PL and Squelch" operation. This means that when in
PL, the normal squelch circuit still operates. This avoids long noise bursts
upon unkeying.
If using an Advanced Computer Controls, S-Com or other commercial controller
which requires an active high PL sense signal, the signal at pin 8 can be
attached to the "PL Sense input" on the controller . It will drive this input
directly. On the S-Com controller, the pull up resistor on the PL sense input
must be removed for proper operation.
List of Tables and Illustrations
There are several illustrations which are detailed below. Refer to them as
needed when modifying or constructing pieces of this project.
Table 1: This is a complete hookup chart for the control head plug and
interface board.
Figure 1: Schematic of control head plug, with simple diagram.
Figure 2: Board Layout of audio squelch board detailing added capacitors.
Figure 3: Schematic of interface board.
Figure 4: Rough layout of interface board.
Useful Motorola Part Numbers
68-81008E40-D Manual for VHF MICOR
K1007A TX Channel Element for VHF MICOR
K1005A RX Channel Element for VHF MICOR
KLN-6210A PL Encode Reed
TLN-8381A PL Decode Reed
01-84307A89 Empty Control Head Plug less cable, complete with pins
66-84690C01 Contact Removal Tool for MICOR plugs
TKN-6458A Large Fuse Holder for Primary Power (40A)
Step-By-Step Instructions for Modification
Step 1: Make sure that the radio operates properly BEFORE any modifications
are done. If there are problems with the radio, they will be easier to fix
before the mods are done.
Step 2: If you are satisfied with the operation of the radio, construct the
control head plug per figure 1 and table 1. Use miniature pots and switches
inside the control head plug. It is rather tight inside, so be careful to
check that the connector will re-assemble before you drill it up. After you
have constructed the connector, make the following connections inside the
control head plug: Jump control head pins 3, 8, and 22 to +12 V. Jump pins 9,
11, and 17 to ground. Plug the newly constructed control head plug into the
radio and verify proper operation with the new control arrangement. If there
are problems here, troubleshoot them NOW. Do not wait until later, as you may
be chasing more than one problem.
Step 3: There are some modifications required on the control board and the
receiver audio/squelch board in order to make the radio full duplex and to
make preparations for the interface board. Remove CR201 on the audio/squelch
board. Then, jump the F1 channel element to ground as described in the
Motorola manual. Next, jump pins 1 and 4 of the audio squelch board. On the
later version audio squelch board, there is a place for a jumper (JU-202), on
earlier units, just make the jump with wire wrap wire. Next, remove a jumper
on the audio squelch board which goes from pin 3 of the PL decoder to IC-202
pin 8. This is near the pins which the PL board plugs into. Check for
continuity from pin 3 of the PL decoder to pin 11 of the audio squelch board
with an ohmmeter. If there is not continuity, add a jumper. The later boards
have a trace from pin 3 of PL to pin 11 of audio squelch, on earlier boards,
pin 11 is unused, and you should jump from PL decoder 3 to audio squelch 11
with some wire wrap wire. Add 15pF capacitors between the following pins on
the two chips on the audio squelch board. Figure 2 details the location of
these caps. On IC-201, add a cap between pin 3 and 4, and between pin 3 and
5. On IC-202, add caps between 5 and 9, 5 and 13, and two caps between 5 and
15. This makes the board less susceptible to RF.
Step 4: Next, carefully remove the front casting from the chassis. This is
done by removing the four screws top and bottom as well as two screws on the
control head plug. This is kind of tricky, so be careful to remember how you
got it apart so you can re-assemble it later. You will expose the antenna
relay with its two associated coax cables running to the transmitter and
receiver. Unplug the receive coax from the antenna relay.
Step 5: Procure a BNC chassis mount connector for a receive antenna jack.
Mount this connector on the top side curved surface of the front casting on
the side opposite from where the lock is located. Be very careful to locate
this connector so that it does not hinder the operation of the latch
mechanism. Attach the receive coax to this connector routing the cable
through a hole which you will drill in the front of the radio chassis. The
method will be obvious once you have examined the unit with the front casting
removed.
Step 6: Construct the interface board using the schematic and board layout in
the packet. Install this board on the three unused mounting tabs near the
rear center of the radio. These tabs are above the control board. Wire the
board up as described in table 1. At this point, the radio will be operating
full duplex, and you should be able to put the radio in PL by flipping the
switch on the control head plug to the PL position. Verify that you have +9.6
volts at the 9 pin molex connector PL SENSE pin when the correct PL code is
being sent. Also verify correct receive audio gating and COS action.
Tune Up Instructions
Tune the transmitter and receiver per the Motorola manual. Follow the
procedures exactly.
Adjust the power set for the desired power output. I reccommend no more than
60 Watts for 110 Watt radios, 40 Watts for 60 Watt Radios, and 30 Watts for 45
Watt Radios.
That's it. you are now ready for major repeating action. Make sure that you
have adequate forced air cooling on the PA at all times during operation. The
Micor PA is not easy to fix, and when it blows, it blows big.
--
Jim Reese, WD5IYT | "Real Texans never refer to trouble
jreese@sugar.neosoft.com | as deep doo-doo" --Molly Ivins
Questions regarding this conversion may be directed to jreese@sugar.neosoft.com
There are associated diagrams mentioned in the text. If you are interested in
these diagrams, send me mail and I'll figure out how to best get them to you.
Jim Reese
WD5IYT
Instructions for Conversion of Motorola UHF Micor to Repeater Service
This modification is not for the faint-hearted. Be sure you are very
comfortable with the operation of the MICOR radio before you attempt this
modification. A thorough understanding of the way the MICOR radio and control
system works is absolutely essential for the success of this conversion.
Modification Notes
Whenever "Molex Pin x" is mentioned, it refers to the Armadillo Standard
connector. This is a small, 9 pin Molex connector which serves as the
interface for all of the Armadillo radios. Use a Female connector on the
radio end. The standard pinout of the connector is:
1 - Ground
2 - Receive Audio Output
3 - n/c
4 - Transmit Audio Input
5 - COS Output
6 - PTT Input
7 - n/c
8 - PL Decoder Output (Sense)
9 - PL Select Input
The COS output and PTT input are open-collector to ground signals. Pin 8 goes
to +9.6 V when PL is decoded. Pin 9 is ground for PL, open for Carrier.
These modifications allow "PL and Squelch" operation. This means that when in
PL, the normal squelch circuit still operates. This avoids long noise bursts
upon unkeying.
If using an Advanced Computer Controls controller, the signal at pin 8 is run
to the "PL Sense input" on the controller. It will drive this input directly.
Order the crystal on the repeater RECEIVE frequency. You must specify HIGH
SIDE INJECTION. If you do not order a high side crystal, the transmit offset
will be 5 MHz above the receive frequency, instead of 5 MHz below. I
recommend sending the channel element to the crystal manufacturer for
temperature compensation. Use a KXN-1024 element for 5ppm accuracy, or use a
KXN-1029 element for 2ppm accuracy. Disable the receiver AFC by jumping the
appropriate pin of the channel element to ground.
List of Tables and Illustrations
There are several illustrations which are detailed below. Refer to them as
needed when modifying or constructing pieces of this project.
Table 1: This is a complete hookup chart for the control head plug and
interface board.
Figure 1: Schematic of control head plug, with simple diagram.
Figure 2: Board Layout of audio squelch board detailing added capacitors.
Figure 3: Detail of circulator unit showing location of major components.
Figure 4: Schematic of circulator unit before modification.
Figure 5: Schematic of circulator unit after modification.
Figure 6: Schematic of interface board.
Figure 7: Rough layout of interface board.
Useful Motorola Part Numbers
68-81015E70-H Manual for UHF MICOR
KXN-1024 5ppm Channel Element for UHF MICOR
KXN-1029 2ppm Channel Element for UHF MICOR
KLN-6210A PL Encode Reed
TLN-8381A PL Decode Reed
01-84307A89 Empty Control Head Plug less cable, complete with pins
66-84690C01 Contact Removal Tool for MICOR plugs
TKN-6458A Large Fuse Holder for Primary Power (40A)
Step-By-Step Instructions for Modification
Step 1: Make sure that the radio operates properly BEFORE any modifications
are done. If there are problems with the radio, they will be easier to fix
before the mods are done.
Step 2: If you are satisfied with the operation of the radio, construct the
control head plug per figure 1 and table 1. Use miniature pots and switches
inside the control head plug. It is rather tight inside, so be careful to
check that the connector will re-assemble before you drill it up. After you
have constructed the connector, make the following connections inside the
radio: Jump control head pins 3, 8, and 22 to "A+" on the control board. Jump
pins 9, 11, and 17 to ground on the control board. Next locate the two
feedthrough caps which power the Transmitter Power Amplifier. They are just
to the left of the control head plug on the bottom side of the radio. One
will have a red wire, and the other a black wire. Jump from the feedthrough
with the red wire to the "A+" trace on the control board. Jump from the
feedthrough with the black wire to the ground trace on the control board.
There is a reverse polarity protection diode on the control board which can be
used to make these connections. Next, plug your control head plug into the
radio and verify proper operation with the new control arrangement. If there
are problems here, troubleshoot them NOW. Do not wait until later, as you may
be chasing more than one problem.
Step 3: You must make some modifications to the control board and the receiver
audio/squelch board in order to make the radio full duplex and to make
preparations for the interface board. First, remove JU-905 on the control
board. Then, jump the F1 channel element to ground as described in the
Motorola manual. Next, jump pins 1 and 4 of the audio squelch board. On the
later version audio squelch board, there is a place for a jumper (JU-202), on
earlier units, just make the jump with wire wrap wire. Next, remove a jumper
on the audio squelch board which goes from pin 3 of the PL decoder to IC-202
pin 8. This is near the pins which the PL board plugs into. Next, ring from
pin 3 of the PL decoder to pin 11 of the audio squelch board with an ohmmeter.
There should be continuity here. If not, add a jumper. The later boards have
a trace from pin 3 of PL to pin 11 of audio squelch, on earlier boards, pin 11
is unused, and you should jump from PL decoder 3 to audio squelch 11 with some
wire wrap wire. Add 15pF capacitors between the following pins on the two
chips on the audio squelch board. Figure 2 details the location of these
caps. On IC-201, add a cap between pin 3 and 4, and between pin 3 and 5. On
IC-202, add caps between 5 and 9, 5 and 13, and two caps between 5 and 15.
This makes the board less susceptible to RF.
Step 4: Next, carefully remove the front casting from the chassis. This is
done by removing the four screws top and bottom as well as two screws on the
control head plug. This is kind of tricky, so be careful to remember how you
got it apart so you can re-assemble it later. Next, examine the Power
Amplifier section of the radio and notice the miniature connector which
connects the output of the PA to the circulator. Unplug this connector from
the circulator using a needle nose plier or hemostat. Next, turn over the
radio and remove the power control board. This will expose the top plate of
the circulator. Remove the circulator by carefully removing the sensing wires
which connect to the power control board and the two screws which hold the
circulator in. You will have to unplug the receive antenna coax from the
preselector unit in order to remove the circulator. Set the circulator aside
for later modification.
Step 5: Procure a BNC chassis mount connector for a receive antenna jack.
Mount this connector on the top side of the front casting on the side opposite
from where the lock is located. Be very careful to locate this connector so
that it does not hinder the operation of the latch mechanism. Attach a small
coax to this connector and route it to the receive antenna jack on the
preselector unit. Drill a hole in the front of the radio chassis to pass the
coax. This will be obvious once you have examined the unit with the front
casting removed.
Step 6: This is the toughest part of the conversion, the circulator
modification. Figures 3, 4, and 5 detail the conversions. Remove the cover
from the circulator unit. You will notice that there is a circulator, an
output filter, the antenna switch, and the circulator reject load. There are
three trimmer caps, only one of which has an access hole in the top plate.
Measure and drill the top cover so that you have access to all three trimmers
from the outside. This is necessary because the cover affects the tuning of
the circulator. After drilling the cover, set it aside. You must now remove
the antenna relay. This is a small relay on the right side of the circulator.
The small dark red rectangular unit with a wire coming from the relay is the
reject load for the circulator. The relay switches the output port of the
circulator between the receiver and the reject load. You must remove the
relay and wire the dummy load back to the output port of the circulator which
is on the common side of the relay. Refer to the diagram for the circuit. The
easiest way to accomplish this is with a small piece of teflon coax (RG-188).
Run from the circulator port to the reject load. You can solder to the
circulator case for the shield on the load end of the coax. Replace the cover
on the circulator and reinstall it in the radio.
Step 7: Construct the interface board using the schematic and board layout in
the packet. Install this board on the three unused mounting tabs near the
rear center of the radio. These tabs are above the control board. Wire the
board up as described in table 1. At this point, the radio will be operating
full duplex, and you should be able to put the radio in PL by flipping the
switch on the control head plug to the PL position. Verify that you have +9.6
volts at the 9 pin molex connector PL SENSE pin when the correct PL code is
being sent. Also verify correct receive audio gating and COS action.
Tune Up Instructions
Tune the radio per the Motorola manual. Once you have achieved this, you need
to tune the circulator. The following procedure should be followed:
Step 1: Remove the power control board, and power the radio with a supply
having a current meter.
Step 2: Attach a jumper or clip lead from feedthrough C527 on the Controlled
Stage in the PA compartment and feedthrough C536 on the driver stage in the PA
compartment. This will force the radio to maximum power output.
Step 3: Key the transmitter and tune the three circulator capacitors for
maximum power output.
Step 4: Reinstall the power control board, and preset the drive limit pot
fully counter-clockwise. Set the power set pot to the desired power output
level. I recommend no more than 50W out for a 75W radio, and no more than 60W
out for a 100W radio. The 25 and 45W radios are rated continuous duty at 25W
output.
Step 5: Key the transmitter and tune the center circulator capacitor (the only
one accessible from the top of the power control board) for minimum current
draw. You should be able to make several Amps difference without affecting
the power output.
Step 6: Turn the drive limit pot 1/4 turn clockwise.
That's it. you are now ready for major repeating action. Remember to always
set the receive frequency first when setting frequency, as this affects the
transmitter also. Set the transmitter with the offset trimmer coil on the
exciter board. Make sure that you have adequate forced air cooling on the PA
at all times during operation. The Micor PA is not easy to fix, and when it
blows, it blows big.
--
Jim Reese, WD5IYT | "Real Texans never refer to trouble
jreese@sugar.neosoft.com | as deep doo-doo" --Molly Ivins
Why would you want a duplex mobile, you ask? Once you've experienced it,
you'll never go back to jap-trac's.
This describes how to take a standard UHF micor mobile radio and make it
work as a full-duplex mobile radio. Since Texas is high-in, low-out on UHF,
this also includes which cap changes are required to make the radio receive
below 445 MHz.
There are diagrams referenced in this text. If you are unable to figure out
what to do without the diagrams, mail me at jreese@sugar.neosoft.com and I'll
try to get you a copy of the diagrams.
Jim Reese
WD5IYT
Conversion of Motorola MICOR UHF Radio
For Use as a Duplex Mobile
This conversion is not for the faint-hearted. Make sure you are very
familiar with the operation of the Micor radio before attempting this
conversion. As with all modifications of this type, insure that the radio is
operating correctly BEFORE any modifications are made. It is much easier to
fix it before you hack it up. Do not attempt this conversion without a service
manual. You need the PC layouts and tune up instructions from the service
manual in order to perform the modification.
Useful Motorola Part Numbers
68-81015E70-H Manual for UHF MICOR
KXN-1024 5ppm Channel Element for UHF MICOR
KXN-1029 2ppm Channel Element for UHF MICOR
KLN-6210A PL Encode Reed
TLN-8381A PL Decode Reed
66-84690C01 Contact Removal Tool for MICOR plugs
TKN-6458A Large Fuse Holder for Primary Power (40A)
Crystal Ordering Information
When ordering crystals, specify the KXN-1024A channel element number. Always
order the crystal on the RECEIVE frequency. If your radio will be a high
transmit unit, the crystal will be LOW side injection. For low transmit
radios, order the crystals on HIGH side injection. This will flip the transmit
offset to the other direction.
Conversion Instructions
Step 1:
Make sure that the radio is operating properly by tuning it up with one of your
crystals before any modifications are made. If you are using the radio as a
high transmit unit, you must make the capacitor changes in step 2 for the radio
to work properly.
Step 2:
If your radio will be receiving below 445 MHz, change C117 to 27pF, C119 to
39pF, and C125 to 12pF on the receiver board. This is not necessary if the
radio will be receiving above 445 MHz.
Step 3:
You must make some modifications to the control board and the receiver
audio/squelch board in order to make the radio full duplex. First, remove
JU-905 on the control board. Next, jump pins 1 and 4 of the audio squelch
board. On the later version audio squelch board, there is a place for a jumper
(JU-202), on earlier units, just make the jump with wire wrap wire.
Add capacitors at the following points on the audio squelch board. Add a 100pF
cap between P903-5 and P903-6. On IC-201, add 15pF caps between pins 3 and 4,
and between pins 3 and 5. Add 100pF caps between pins 6, 7, 11, and 13 of
IC-201 and ground. On IC-202, add 15pF caps between 5 and 9, 5 and 13, and a
33pF cap between 5 and 15. This makes the board less susceptible to RF. Keep
the leads on these caps as short as possible.
Step 4:
Carefully remove the front casting from the chassis. This is done by removing
the four screws top and bottom as well as two screws on the control head plug.
This is kind of tricky, so be careful to remember how you got it apart so you
can re-assemble it later.
Examine the Power Amplifier section of the radio and notice the miniature
connector which connects the output of the PA to the circulator. Unplug
this connector from the circulator using a needle nose plier or hemostat.
Turn over the radio and remove the power control board. This will expose the
top plate of the circulator. Remove the circulator by carefully removing the
sensing wires which connect to the power control board and the two screws
which hold the circulator in. You will have to unplug the receive antenna
coax from the preselector unit in order to remove the circulator. Set the
circulator aside for later modification.
Step 5:
Mount a BNC chassis mount connector on the top side of the front casting on the
side opposite from where the lock is located. This will be the receive
antenna connection. Be very careful to locate this connector so that it does
not hinder the operation of the latch mechanism. Attach a small coax to this
connector and route it to the receive antenna jack on the preselector unit.
Drill a hole in the front of the radio chassis to pass the coax. This will be
obvious once you have examined the unit with the front casting removed.
Step 6:
This is the toughest part of the conversion, the circulator modification.
Remove the cover from the circulator unit. You will notice that there is a
circulator, an output filter, the antenna switch, and the circulator reject
load. There are three trimmer caps, only one of which has an access hole in
the top plate. Measure and drill the top cover so that you have access to
all three trimmers from the outside. This is necessary because the cover
affects the tuning of the circulator. After drilling the cover, set it aside.
You must now remove the antenna relay. This is a small relay on the
right side of the circulator. The small dark red or green rectangular unit
with a wire coming from the relay is the reject load for the circulator. This
is a ceramic 75W 50 Ohm resistor. The relay switches the output port of the
circulator between the receiver and the reject load. Be EXTREMELY CAREFUL
when soldering on the reject load, as the top terminal can break off of the
ceramic very easily. I suggest cutting the wire from the relay, removing the
relay, and then removing the wire from the load resistor. Once the relay is
removed, wire the dummy load back to the output port of the circulator which is
on the common side of the relay. Refer to the manual for the circuit. The
easiest way to accomplish this is with a small piece of teflon coax (RG-188).
Run from the circulator port to the reject load. You can solder to the
circulator case for the shield on the load end of the coax. Replace the
cover on the circulator and reinstall it in the radio.
Tuning Instructions
Before tuning, disable the receiver AFC by soldering a wire from the "AFC OFF"
trace on the receiver board to ground. The procedure for disabling the AFC is
described in the receiver tuning instructions section of the service manual.
Tune the radio per the Motorola manual. Once you have achieved this, you need
to tune the circulator. The following procedure should be followed:
Remove the power control board, and power the radio with a supply having a
current meter.
Attach a jumper or clip lead from feedthrough C527 on the Controlled
Stage in the PA compartment and feedthrough C536 on the driver stage in
the PA compartment. This will force the radio to maximum power output.
Key the transmitter and tune the three circulator capacitors for maximum power
output.
Reinstall the power control board, and preset the drive limit pot fully
counter-clockwise. Set the power set pot to the desired power output level.
Key the transmitter and tune the center circulator capacitor (the only one
accessible from the top of the power control board) for minimum current
draw. You should be able to make several Amps difference without affecting
the power output.
Turn the drive limit pot 1/4 turn clockwise, or until power just starts to fall
off.
That's it. Remember to always set the receive frequency first when setting
frequency, as this affects the transmitter also. Set the transmitter with
the offset trimmer coil on the exciter board. Make sure that you have
adequate cooling space around the PA heat sink fins when the radio is installed.
The Micor PA is not easy to fix, and when it blows, it blows big.
--
Jim Reese, WD5IYT | "Real Texans never refer to trouble
jreese@sugar.neosoft.com | as deep doo-doo" --Molly Ivins