The Maxtrac programming cable can be used with Maratrac, GM300, PM400, CM200, CM300, M10, M120, M130, SM50, SM120, M1225. You don't need to make a special cable. Just use a RIB with it.
Thank you for the video. I have 2 SM120's that I configured and programmed for all 8 GMRS repeater pairs (I have my license) and am putting them into a repeater setup at my home. Your video helped me get them working properly. I really appreciate your time and expertise. Thanks again.
No problem, I do try and help people when I can and not get too technical in the process. K.I.S.S = Keep It Simple Sir.. Ok all 8 repeater pairs. I assume you are using a pair of antennas? One for RX and one for TX? Also I assume you know a basic duplexer can only be set for one pair per repeater and you have to retune it if you change frequencies. Failure to do this can result in RF feeding into the receiver radio and blowing out PIN diodes thus making the receiver "deaf" My GMRS repeater downtown (.550 machine) is on a Decibel receiver multiplexer/preamp unit and a set of Decibel transmitter combiner cavities with my other 3 commercial DMR repeaters so I have one RX antenna and one TX antenna (both Commscope Db420-B's) on the roof of a 20 story building. The combiners are big but the overall equipment footprint is perfect for the allowed physical space I have in the equipment room up there
Well, I was planning to use a “pre-configured” duplexer from Amazon that is set to 462 low / 467 high. I am using 462.625/467.625 as my pair. Do I need to get it tuned specifically to this pair? I’m a newbie so please let me know.
What is that "chirping" sound coming through the radio speaker as the channel closes? Not the beep but the almost digital sound that is made as the button is released
@@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG No they only have DTMF stock. However there are or at least used to be companies that made encoder modules for radios but that was in the late 90's early 1000's when I worked with such things. I have no idea if they still make them now or even how to interface them with a Chinesium HT..
@@Elfnetdesigns Yeah, I realized by the end of the video you were handling the Jedi at that particular moment (I think it was off camera) I remember they used to advertise MDC1200 modules all over MRT (now Urgent Communications) Magazine. Either way, you'd never fit one in a modern Chinese radio...
Question I have 2 low band motorola radios and a guy set up one for trans and the other for rec only will this cable work on this radio setup. Thank You
It should, just make sure your radios are compatible (the 16 pin versions) and they are programmed properly. They should work out of the box but you never know from used radios and what the previous owners did to them in the CPS
A very good resource vid you got here. A question here: that setting to PIN 8 in the software (16:22) , is it also something applicable to setting up a repeater to older GM300s? I am planning to try setting them up in a few days.
First off you have to program the radios accessory I/O pins in the RSS radio wide > accessory section. I dont have the diagram handy for this cable right now but if you look up the 16 pin accessory pinout you should be able to work out what needs to go where and be set to what in RSS
@@Elfnetdesigns yes I know how to set up the pinout for the radios I just need to know the pin out of the controller so I can tell the radio what to do
@@topshot95 What controller or are you talking about the cheap maxtrac cable? The cheap cable matches up with the default pinout of the radios if you google up the pinout image
i have a set of M-1225 radio also but i mainly use one for a Base and one for the mobile.. both is a 4 channel UHF 40 watt mobiles. both is programmed to GMRS stuff now..
okay buddy, i'm trying to test my GMRS repeater here and when its transmitting on 462.5500 with a PL the audio isn't even coming threw.. is there anything i can do..? i am using the Ebay Suicide Repeater Cable i bought a year or so ago..
@@kc0ccb99 What ended up being the problem? I am having trouble getting mine to pass audio to the transmitter. When I turn on TX radio the LED on the cable lights up and it briefly transmits, but can't get the receiver radio to open the channel on the transmitter even while I can hear audio from the receiver
@@triptheroad i just had to recheck my settings on my TX radio for the 16 pin on the back of the M1225 radios i have. just had to put Pin-8 to CSQ or whatever that is called..
@@kc0ccb99 I figured out what was going on on mine, I was transmitting to the transmit radio instead of transmitting to the receive radio. I had gotten my offset frequencies backwards
@@triptheroad any help would be appreciated. I have two cm300 and a rick box im using the default settings and trying to setup a gmrs repeater and the receive radio picks up but the transmit radio never transmits. it makes a quick chirp and that's all. any help would be greatly appreciated
Thx for the video. i have 3 CDR700 repeater also GM338 . i would like to make a link with all 3 repeater. So that i can cover tripple distance. Can you please help me in this regards. Thanks in advance.
I never had any CDR700's or GM338's in here but I assume they are Motorola ISO as far as the pins go on the back, The CDR may have 20 pins and what you want to do is omit pins 1,2 19, and 20 from the connections.
I wish they made those cables with a third connector for a half duplex link. That way you would be able to hook the main repeater to another repeater or a simplex link. I know some people who have tried to make a third port but could not figure it out. Surely it can be done. If anyone has done that or knows how, please contact me.
I believe what you are trying to do requires an actual controller. These cables are a quick and dirty solution for building a repeater. Also you may have to program some pins in the radios and modify the cable some to get your third in/out you are looking for but I would look more into a controller for that specific application. alternately you could maybe get your third I/O from the mic jack.. What there is a shortage of is a schematic of this cable online which I will draw up soon when I get the replacement cable in (I sold the one in the video with a repeater setup)
You may need to set up the accessory port in the radios RSS (program). I am not 100% sure what pins need to be set to what and it;s state, You'd have to look around on batlabs and /or repeaterbuilder for that but one radio you set up to do the TX and the other you set up for RX and the 16 pin port has specific pins that need assigning and their level state set (high or low)
Ok what you want to do is in the PM400 CPS you need to go into the Accessories menu and make sure the following: Receiver Radio - RX Audio Type - Filtered Audio Accessory package - RICK or i20 RX Pin #4 - CSQ Detect - High - No Debounce Pin #8 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - High - No Debounce Transmitter radio - Accessory Package - RICK or i20 TX Pin #3 - External Mic PTT - Low - Debounce Enabled See if those settings work for you, if not I can read the actual radios and link you each file to use as a base to set yours up
Correction - Receiver Radio - RX Audio Type - Flat Audio Accessory package - Community RPTR (ZR310) RX Pin #4 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - High - No Debounce Pin #8 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - Low - No Debounce Pin #12 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - Low - No Debounce Pin #14 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - Low - No Debounce Transmitter radio - Accessory Package - Community RPTR (ZR310) TX Pin #3 - External Mic PTT - Low - No Debounce Pin #4 - CSQ Detect - High - No Debounce This is what I have in the actual pair of PM400's set up with that cable
The Maxtrac programming cable can be used with Maratrac, GM300, PM400, CM200, CM300, M10, M120, M130, SM50, SM120, M1225. You don't need to make a special cable. Just use a RIB with it.
Thank you for the video. I have 2 SM120's that I configured and programmed for all 8 GMRS repeater pairs (I have my license) and am putting them into a repeater setup at my home. Your video helped me get them working properly. I really appreciate your time and expertise. Thanks again.
No problem, I do try and help people when I can and not get too technical in the process. K.I.S.S = Keep It Simple Sir..
Ok all 8 repeater pairs. I assume you are using a pair of antennas? One for RX and one for TX?
Also I assume you know a basic duplexer can only be set for one pair per repeater and you have to retune it if you change frequencies. Failure to do this can result in RF feeding into the receiver radio and blowing out PIN diodes thus making the receiver "deaf"
My GMRS repeater downtown (.550 machine) is on a Decibel receiver multiplexer/preamp unit and a set of Decibel transmitter combiner cavities with my other 3 commercial DMR repeaters so I have one RX antenna and one TX antenna (both Commscope Db420-B's) on the roof of a 20 story building.
The combiners are big but the overall equipment footprint is perfect for the allowed physical space I have in the equipment room up there
Well, I was planning to use a “pre-configured” duplexer from Amazon that is set to 462 low / 467 high. I am using 462.625/467.625 as my pair. Do I need to get it tuned specifically to this pair? I’m a newbie so please let me know.
@@odonusa007 Yes you do need them tuned to the pair.
What is that "chirping" sound coming through the radio speaker as the channel closes? Not the beep but the almost digital sound that is made as the button is released
Probably MDC1200 used for Radio PTT ID
Yeah thats what it is. I set it on ALL my customers using my analog community repeaters so they and myself KNOW who is talking.
@@Elfnetdesigns Wouxans (or however they spell it) have MDC?
@@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG No they only have DTMF stock. However there are or at least used to be companies that made encoder modules for radios but that was in the late 90's early 1000's when I worked with such things. I have no idea if they still make them now or even how to interface them with a Chinesium HT..
@@Elfnetdesigns Yeah, I realized by the end of the video you were handling the Jedi at that particular moment (I think it was off camera)
I remember they used to advertise MDC1200 modules all over MRT (now Urgent Communications) Magazine.
Either way, you'd never fit one in a modern Chinese radio...
Question I have 2 low band motorola radios and a guy set up one for trans and the other for rec only will this cable work on this radio setup.
Thank You
It should, just make sure your radios are compatible (the 16 pin versions) and they are programmed properly. They should work out of the box but you never know from used radios and what the previous owners did to them in the CPS
Thank you for making this video. I was stuck on the receive side accesory pin config.
A very good resource vid you got here. A question here: that setting to PIN 8 in the software (16:22) , is it also something applicable to setting up a repeater to older GM300s? I am planning to try setting them up in a few days.
is the tail adjustable on the cable?
What if you add a ADS-SR1 for a station ID you think thats possible with this setup
where did you get that and how would I set up the pin out for the two radios
Can u provide a pinout for the cable I got one and can't to seem to get radios to work with it can't figure out how to set the pinout
First off you have to program the radios accessory I/O pins in the RSS radio wide > accessory section.
I dont have the diagram handy for this cable right now but if you look up the 16 pin accessory pinout you should be able to work out what needs to go where and be set to what in RSS
@@Elfnetdesigns yes I know how to set up the pinout for the radios I just need to know the pin out of the controller so I can tell the radio what to do
@@topshot95 What controller or are you talking about the cheap maxtrac cable?
The cheap cable matches up with the default pinout of the radios if you google up the pinout image
I have one of these cables w/ my M1225's. Mine have the 3 second delay enabled. Good video! :P
yeah they work for what they are. I have no real complaints on them
Video was recorded with a cell phone, Hopefully my new camera will arrive soon .
i have a set of M-1225 radio also but i mainly use one for a Base and one for the mobile.. both is a 4 channel UHF 40 watt mobiles. both is programmed to GMRS stuff now..
okay buddy, i'm trying to test my GMRS repeater here and when its transmitting on 462.5500 with a PL the audio isn't even coming threw.. is there anything i can do..? i am using the Ebay Suicide Repeater Cable i bought a year or so ago..
nevermind 10-22 on that i got it to pass audio to the transmitter
@@kc0ccb99 What ended up being the problem? I am having trouble getting mine to pass audio to the transmitter. When I turn on TX radio the LED on the cable lights up and it briefly transmits, but can't get the receiver radio to open the channel on the transmitter even while I can hear audio from the receiver
@@triptheroad i just had to recheck my settings on my TX radio for the 16 pin on the back of the M1225 radios i have. just had to put Pin-8 to CSQ or whatever that is called..
@@kc0ccb99 I figured out what was going on on mine, I was transmitting to the transmit radio instead of transmitting to the receive radio. I had gotten my offset frequencies backwards
@@triptheroad any help would be appreciated. I have two cm300 and a rick box im using the default settings and trying to setup a gmrs repeater and the receive radio picks up but the transmit radio never transmits. it makes a quick chirp and that's all. any help would be greatly appreciated
Thx for the video. i have 3 CDR700 repeater also GM338 . i would like to make a link with all 3 repeater. So that i can cover tripple distance. Can you please help me in this regards. Thanks in advance.
I never had any CDR700's or GM338's in here but I assume they are Motorola ISO as far as the pins go on the back, The CDR may have 20 pins and what you want to do is omit pins 1,2 19, and 20 from the connections.
Enjoyed your video, could you share the print for building the radio cable?
I didn't build the cable, I bought it which is a lot easier and safer. just search ebay for "Maxtrac repeater cable"
I'm sorry i was talking about the actual programming cable with the toggle switch.
Oh that. Give me a little while and I will see what I can come up with for a drawing and wiring diagram.
Thank you kind sir for your help!
See if this works for you - imgur.com/a/o36RV
That's the modification I did to build the cable I use.
I wish they made those cables with a third connector for a half duplex link. That way you would be able to hook the main repeater to another repeater or a simplex link. I know some people who have tried to make a third port but could not figure it out. Surely it can be done. If anyone has done that or knows how, please contact me.
I believe what you are trying to do requires an actual controller. These cables are a quick and dirty solution for building a repeater.
Also you may have to program some pins in the radios and modify the cable some to get your third in/out you are looking for but I would look more into a controller for that specific application.
alternately you could maybe get your third I/O from the mic jack..
What there is a shortage of is a schematic of this cable online which I will draw up soon when I get the replacement cable in (I sold the one in the video with a repeater setup)
have you had this radio hang right off the bat or am I doing something wrong
You may need to set up the accessory port in the radios RSS (program). I am not 100% sure what pins need to be set to what and it;s state, You'd have to look around on batlabs and /or repeaterbuilder for that but one radio you set up to do the TX and the other you set up for RX and the 16 pin port has specific pins that need assigning and their level state set (high or low)
this radio's are just like the ones in your video the pm400.
Ok what you want to do is in the PM400 CPS you need to go into the Accessories menu and make sure the following:
Receiver Radio -
RX Audio Type - Filtered Audio
Accessory package - RICK or i20 RX
Pin #4 - CSQ Detect - High - No Debounce
Pin #8 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - High - No Debounce
Transmitter radio -
Accessory Package - RICK or i20 TX
Pin #3 - External Mic PTT - Low - Debounce Enabled
See if those settings work for you, if not I can read the actual radios and link you each file to use as a base to set yours up
am using two pm400 vhf not uhf
Correction -
Receiver Radio -
RX Audio Type - Flat Audio
Accessory package - Community RPTR (ZR310) RX
Pin #4 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - High - No Debounce
Pin #8 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - Low - No Debounce
Pin #12 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - Low - No Debounce
Pin #14 - PL/CSQ/Talkgroup Detect - Low - No Debounce
Transmitter radio -
Accessory Package - Community RPTR (ZR310) TX
Pin #3 - External Mic PTT - Low - No Debounce
Pin #4 - CSQ Detect - High - No Debounce
This is what I have in the actual pair of PM400's set up with that cable
So blue box side down on the tabs. This is informative but painful to watch
first!