GE MCS question

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medic0337
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:32 pm

GE MCS question

Post by medic0337 »

I have come across about 5 GE MCS UHF radios. I have found very little about them on
http://www.hallelectronics.com/getech/index.php3
but it doesn't tell me much about programming them, if they will work in the ham band, tapping discriminator audio, getting a COR line things of that nature
so i'm putting it out to the board to see if anyone is familiar with them. I guess its similar to a TMX, but not quite the same. Its a small, low power radio (about 5" x 5" in size) and originally used an external speaker with a 4 chanel selector knob and mirophone built into it. That interfaced with the radio through a DB9 connector
and thats all i know about them any help is great
thanks
-jonathan
PhaseLockedLunatic
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:55 am
Location: Idaho

Post by PhaseLockedLunatic »

I'm a little rusty on this one, it's been some years since the GE days. But....since nobody else has replied....

The MCS is similar to the TMX. All of the boards in the MCS are the same as the MVS. The difference was that the MVS had an RF amp board that took it up to like 40 Watts. The MCS, not having that amp, has a bypass jumper on the RF board where the amp would have been connected so you are limited to.....um.....15 Watts out if memory serves.

The other difference was the control head. The MCS I think had a very simple control head. BCD lines for channel selection I think and an amp/speaker.

To get COR and discriminator audio you'll have to tap inside the radio body itself, they aren't on the connections for the control head. Oh man, it's almost come back to me.......I want to say discrim audio is on pin....um......6 of the audio board. Can't swear to that.

Get a manual for the MVS and you'll be in business.
medic0337
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:32 pm

MCS - TMX - MVS

Post by medic0337 »

hey, thanks for the response. Thats more info about these than i've been able to find anywhere. I'll keep an eye out for one of those manuals. As far as programming goes, do these need to be programmed by a computer, or can they use the same handset that the TMX models use. It sort of looks like an old cell phone, but i guess you can change all the parameters of the radio from it. i accually saw one on eBay a while ago, but didn't know if it would work.
If programming is computer based, do they have thier own software, or does the MVS software work with them.
Thanks again for the info. This gives yet another project.
-jonathan
PhaseLockedLunatic
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:55 am
Location: Idaho

Post by PhaseLockedLunatic »

I don't remember being able to use a handset for programming. I remember MS-DOS based software and you had to use the RIB with it. Can't seem to remember what the cable looked like but for some reason I want to think it was a 9 pin D-sub that plugged into the radio body instead of the head. I'll try to dig up my MVS software this week and see if it does MCS as well but for some reason I'm thinking it was different.

Since the logic board was the same as the MCS you could interchange them. But, if memory serves me, if you put a logic board in an MVS that had been in an MCS and had an MCS personality, the radio wouldn't work until you loaded an MVS personality. I think it became confused because of the difference in control heads/front panels.

Sorry, wish I could be more help. This is really a trip in the way back machine for me. I do have a stack of old UHF MVS 16 channels that I need to play with at work, you may have inspired me. So I'll dig up the software and take a look and let you know if I recall anything relevant.

Oh, seems like the MCS and Pheonix mics could be interchanged. They had the same connector but you had to move one wire in the connector because of mic bias. The MCS came with a really good mic except that the "on hook" function was provided by a reed switch activated by a magnet in a special mic hangar. Those hangars were ok but not very common.
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