KPC3 to MVS
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Here's a project I haven't done yet, but I have collected some information about it.   

The goal:  Use a General Electric MVS mobile radio for APRS applications.   This takes a radio designed for the 150 MHz band.    This can be too much to ask of some commercial radios.   Here's a question I posed in the APRS sig and the answers I got back:

To: "TAPR APRS Special Interest Group" <aprssig@lists.tapr.org>
Subject: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39

I was wondering if anyone here has used a GE MVS on 144.390. I just got one: GE NPH20, 16 channel programmable 40 watt VHF MVS mobile with scan.

I've have excellent luck with it's older cousin, the Phoenix, but now I want to try it with the MVS. I know I'll need to get it programmed. We have a Niles programmer at our EOC. I think I've tried these before and it wasn't possible to take the new models below 150 MHz. I hope there's a work around.

If anyone is using one of these for APRS, please let me know.

Thanks

Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 06:05:37 -0500
From: calfano <calfano3@optonline.net>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39
To: "Ray J. Vaughan" <ray@rayvaughan.com>

Ray,

Have two one at the WA2GUG-2 site and a spare.. Work great..
Charlie
WA2GUG

From: "Craig Brunson" <Brunson1@gte.net>
To: "Ray J. Vaughan" <ray@rayvaughan.com>
References: <LYR17753-134918-2001.02.13-22.22.52--brunson1#gte.net@lists.tapr.org>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 07:25:56 -0800

I have used a MVS for APRS for over a year now with good luck. I have
several of them & bought a programmer to be able to re-program at will. I
have some Phoenix SX radios that I will have re-programmed for APRS (&
packet for the NW frequencies).

Craig
N7TSZ

From: "Craig Brunson" <Brunson1@gte.net>
To: "Ray Vaughan" <ray@rayvaughan.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:15:24 -0800
Ray-

All connections are via the 10 pin mic jack. I bought the BERG 10 pin
connectors (2 rows of 5 pins @ .1 spacing). Pins 1 & 5 are commons (one mic
& one spkr). Pin 3 is mic, 4 is spkr, & 10 is key.
I wired to a Kantronics KPC-3+:

KPC-3+ MVS

5 03 Microphone
3 10 Key
2 -- GPS string input
I use a Garmin GPS35 in my truck
1 04 Speaker
6 01 & 05 Common for all signals

The speaker will still be connected, so if that annoys you (it did me), you
must open the bottom & unplug the 2-pin connector on the PC board.

I know of no web site for the MVS as of right now. I haven't searched for
one in the last year though. I do have the service manual for the MVS.

I hope this helps.

From: "Craig Brunson" <Brunson1@gte.net>
To: "Ray Vaughan" <ray@rayvaughan.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 12:28:29 -0800
Subject: Re: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39

> Thanks! With your permission, I would like to add a page to my mod pages
using this information. I'll do one, take pictures, then do a write up
similar to the one I did for the Phoenix. I guess discriminator isn't so
easy to get out? No COR? Do you have a source for the Berg connectors?
>

Ray-

No problem- if I get an updated drawing of what I use, I will send it to
you.

Berg was purchased by fci and their web location is www.fciconnect.com

The 10 pin connectors are PN 65043-032 for a standard housing & 65046-010
for one with a center key.
The pins are there on the web site & vary with wire size & plating. They
also have free samples.
On their distributor page, Allied & Newark are among the list.

I used a crimper bought from Radio Shack to crimp the pins. It works so-so.

Have a good day-

X-Sender: wa4rts@pop3.attglobal.net
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.1
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 22:32:45 -0500
To: "Ray J. Vaughan" <ray@rayvaughan.com>
From: "G. P. Howell" <gphowell@attglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39
At 11:06 PM 2/13/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>I was wondering if anyone here has used a GE MVS on 144.390. I just got
>one: GE NPH20, 16 channel programmable 40 watt VHF MVS mobile with scan.
>
>I've have excellent luck with it's older cousin, the Phoenix, but now I want
>to try it with the MVS. I know I'll need to get it programmed. We have a
>Niles programmer at our EOC. I think I've tried these before and it wasn't
>possible to take the new models below 150 MHz. I hope there's a work around.

>
>If anyone is using one of these for APRS, please let me know.

Phoenix would go most anywhere with the appropriate retune. MVS may be harder.

If you are using a standard GE pc programmer, the trick is to use a control E
to enter information that goes outside of design band limits. Phoenix used the
insert key on the suitcase programmer.

My experience with most GE stuff prior to Orion is that it will accept the
values with the override sequence, but that far below the normal band split --
assuming it is a 150-170 radio -- could be tricky. There isn't much to tune in
an MVS. I have used high split MVS's as low as 145.23 with a minus split on
transmit but don't think I have ever taken the receiver that low. Synthesizer
may not lock. I don't have a highband book, just UHF. You may be OK with a
little retuning of the front end, but if that doesn't get you there, there
isn't much else to tune, as I recall.

Good luck

Geep WA4rts

From: "Byon Garrabrant" <byon@mail.com>
To: "Ray J. Vaughan" <ray@rayvaughan.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 19:55:33 -0800
Subject: Re: [aprssig] GE MVS on 144.39
On 13 Feb 2001, at 23:06, Ray J. Vaughan wrote:

> I was wondering if anyone here has used a GE MVS on 144.390. I just
> got one: GE NPH20, 16 channel programmable 40 watt VHF MVS mobile
> with scan.
>
> I've have excellent luck with it's older cousin, the Phoenix, but now
> I want to try it with the MVS. I know I'll need to get it
> programmed. We have a Niles programmer at our EOC. I think I've
> tried these before and it wasn't possible to take the new models below
> 150 MHz. I hope there's a work around.
>
> If anyone is using one of these for APRS, please let me know.
>
> Thanks
>

I've used them, and the Phoenix. For the MVS, I just tapped into
the pins where the mic connector is. I found audio in, audio out,
PTT and ground there.

Byon
________________________________________
Byon Garrabrant N6BG byon@mail.com

From: "Jim Shorney" 
Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2005 19:33:34 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Your GE MVS info

Ray,

Thanks for putting up your page on using the GE MVS on packet/APRS. It was helpful, if not entirely accurate (my mic connector pinout seemed to differ from what was described).

After hacking a berg connector and getting it on the air, I decided to dig out my Ericcson tech CD's. (I was in a hurry, I was replacing the Phoenix that was my APRS digi but has suffered synthesizer death). Wouldn't you know it, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble.

See attached screen cap image from the GE manual. It seems all the necessary connections are provided on the "System Board", the small board in the bottom of the radio that the power cable connects to.


Anyway, I thought this info might be useful for your MVS page.

73
Jim

--
Jim Shorney -->.<--Put complaints in this box
jshorney (at) inebraska.com
nu0c (at) amsat.org
Ham Radio NU0C
Lincoln, NE, USA
EN10ps
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/jshorney/

If anyone has diagrams or test data from one of these radios on APRS, please let me know and I'll add it to this page.

Thanks.

Except for portions owned by others, Copyright: Ray Vaughan, 2008

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