REVIEW: AN/PRC-148 MBITR, working replica by United-Star

[TomcaT69]

I have a problem with MBITR. When I programmed it, it worked normally for a while, after one hour, however, is doing just the reception, but not broadcast. The display shows the normal broadcast. What could be the problem? I did not use the headset and battery is fully charged. If the radio turn off and on again, I can transmitt only once, then it is the same as before.
Thanks for any help.

[Viking_Dane]

Try resetting the radio and then reprogram it, that might fix it. You'll fined the reset as option No. 18 on the radio menu. Hope it helps

[Pollux77]

Are there any prequisites for the Reset to work? When I use that, nothing changes. Same with the Scan-Button and other functions.

[TomcaT69]

TNX Viking_Dane, radio works now.....apparently the program has many bugs

[S.E.A.L.]

@ Pollux

Now I have the same problem -.- Dual Watch and Reset doesn't work. But if you connect your Radio to your PC and Radio displays "PC" on its screen you can go into the menu and do a reset.

[Pollux77]

@S.E.A.L.
That's the next problem - the radio won't display "PC".
I cannot program the device by any means. I have also bought another programming cable, tried native and usb-emulated com-ports, no sign of life. I am still in contact with RSOV, but they're sticking to the "we have a stupid user"-routine of answering questions...

[juicy]

Ummmm I thought there was a Kenwood-type headset plug thing somewhere on the right spine of the MBITR... can't find it. Am I just blind?

Edit: Oh, no wait, I figured it out. I didn't get a user manual.... :S

[Conker]

Hehe :P

For those wondering, there's a dummy rubber panel on the right side with two screws... Unscrew these and the Kenwood plug is hidden there.

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

Gentlemen,

I recently acquired one of those beautiful replicas and I am proud that I got the software running on my Mac and with the original serial cable on a COM-Port emulation... Big Thanks to Conker, the software modification for windows seven is also running smoothly on Windows XP! I used the PMR file to start and tweaked the settings a little to my ideas.

The problem I am experiencing now is that everything works fine except all of the "ALT" key operations like scan and dual channel mode, dial tone and emergency signal etc... I press the ALT key and then the other key has no effect...

Can anybody tell whats wrong? I hope it only results from a wrong programming BUT I did use the original PMR setting file from Conker and it makes no difference. The ALT button has no effect...

Greets from Germany
Hartmann

[stringfello]

Hello everyone

I just receive my PRC today and after 5 hours trying to program this awful thing I finally did it. Now it works perfectly in PMR frequencies (I live in France).

So a big thanks to Conker and those who made this topic :wink:

Now I'm trying to connect this radio with the H4855 radio (dual ptt) but I have that famous impedence issue...

[Conker]

@Ares Ops Hartmann: Did you check the value of the ALT key in the software? I'm not home right now but if I remember correctly, there is a setting in the "Optional Features" menu.

@stringfello: Superbe! Heureux de voir que ça a aidé As far as the H4855 goes can't be of much help, but good luck!

[CTAC]

I've used the programming software linked on the first page of this thread and there're some quirks. First of all the channel names show up weirdly on the radio: instead of FRS 01 it shows FRS01F (same with the greeting, instead of JUICY it shows JUICYF).

Also, the voice announcements of the channel name do not work -- there's a second of white noise and that's it. I did set it in the optional features (Beep Language: English and Beep: Voice), but it doesn't work. Anyone knows how to fix it?

thanks!

[sigma3]

Hi guys, long time lurker – some really great info on these boards, this thread alone is practically gold. I finally found a need to post.

But first: CTAC, the radio seems to use "F" as an empty character. Notice that when you start it up it says FFFFFF? I haven't found a way to change that, but what I've done is just make sure all my channel names are a full 6 characters. So instead of RED6 I made it RED--6 or instead of GOLD I made it -GOLD-. Much more readable, simple workaround.

Now on to my problem: I attached a MSA U-94 PTT to the radio. It took a while to get it on, which I guess should have been the first warning sign... because once I did get it on, it absolutely refuses to come off. I thought I had it, and was pulling it off, but instead the entire connector came off, and severed all the wiring to the radio.

I should be able to fix this relatively easily if anyone has a pinout of the connection? I have NO idea which wire goes to which connector. (still no idea how I'm going to get the connectors separated, though, they're still practically fused together. Sprayed it with some silicon and will try with a pair of pliers again later.)

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

@Conker: Maybe I missed something but in both settings windows is no reference to the "F"-Key... please have a look:

Does the "Key Assignment" block something? Must it be "Off"?

keyassignment.jpg

optional_features.jpg

[juicy]

Thanks to CTAC for programming my MBITR for me.

I've got another question... I'm running my Element Comtacs through an Element PTT to the Kenwood headset plug thing - I can't use the PTT to any effect right now, am I missing something? Or do I have to switch my radio to Vox/ignore the PTT, short of buying a real PTT for the military style headset plug on the top of the radio?