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

[kythes]

Hello Gents
I am looking to sell my new radio. could not get it to program using my Mac. If your interested let me know, Shot me an Email (kythes@yahoo.com)

United Star MHR-148
I also have some extra's for it:
USB to Com
USB to two pin

I want $245.00 USD includes shipping

Can take pic's if you would like

[alexandrexxx]

Originally Posted by 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?

Hi, you should buy the toy soldier PTT repro version with real U283

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

Originally Posted by kythes

Hello Gents
I am looking to sell my new radio. could not get it to program using my Mac.

Have you been able to get the "F-keys" running normal at least?

Maybe I can help you using the Mac.

[Lucky131]

Originally Posted by alexandrexxx

Hi, you should buy the toy soldier PTT repro version with real U283

Just a warning, a friend reported that it is not working with the TS ptt's .... the radio is transmitting all the time when he connects the ptt.

Anyone else tested it out allready to see if it was just a faulty ptt?

[stringfello]

I just receive a new real h250 handset today.
I hook up with the Mbitr and something weird happens:
the h250 speaker works very well
the h250 mic doesn't work BUT the mbitr mic still works even with the h250 hooked up !!!

Why the mbitr mic doesn't deactivate itself when I hook up the handset ?

Ok found a wire was disconnected in the mbitr plug...

[juicy]

Originally Posted by Lucky131

Just a warning, a friend reported that it is not working with the TS ptt's .... the radio is transmitting all the time when he connects the ptt.

Anyone else tested it out allready to see if it was just a faulty ptt?

That's what I was worried would happen if I got a TS PTT. Anyone have input on this?

[sigma3]

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.)

Please guys, any advice with this?

[Lucky131]

Pin Out -> First page, second post (it's ABCD and not BCDE like Conker wrote ... )
Also throw out the O ring inside the ptt's U229/U to get it onto the radios connector w/o problems -> also described somwhere here ^^ ......

God damnit when people start to learn reading or do you get every shit served in life on an silver tablet????.....
Same questions over and over again .... wonder how long it takes untill the next one asks why noone can hear him wgen he transmits with his mil. headset and the radio -.-

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

Agreed. But my "F-Keys" question is still unanswered. Wondering why nobody has a hint for this?

[sigma3]

Originally Posted by Lucky131

Pin Out -> First page, second post (it's ABCD and not BCDE like Conker wrote ... )
Also throw out the O ring inside the ptt's U229/U to get it onto the radios connector w/o problems -> also described somwhere here ^^ ......

God damnit when people start to learn reading or do you get every shit served in life on an silver tablet????.....
Same questions over and over again .... wonder how long it takes untill the next one asks why noone can hear him wgen he transmits with his mil. headset and the radio -.-

Take it easy. I assure you I've read this entire thread (a lot of it more than once) but it's a lot of information to take in and most certainly not all of it has been correct. I apologize. Thanks for the pointers.

Anyone have any advice for getting the PTT off of the connector now that it's stuck on?

[Lucky131]

The way i got it of the one time i did the same ....

Secure the radio plug somwhere where it stays and doesn't move (but not that hard that it brakes - connector is just potmetal unlike the RS steel connector) the push the connector hard onto the plug ( should go 1mm or so deeper onto the plug) and then turn it ccw .....

Should do the trick ....

[sigma3]

Thanks, I'll give it a try. I was in fact worried about crushing it... we'll see...

[LOW TIDE]

I've read all 14 pages of this thread...several times. I've actually taken my radio to a professional radio programmer, as well as a computer tech. They think my radio is bad, but I wanted to give it one last try.

I've followed all the steps in here, without success. I'll give a couple examples of what I see, and maybe someone can help.

1. I do have it plugged into a serial port directly
2. when I click on READ it says "Receive no Data"
3. When I click on TOOLS the Radio Information is not highlighted
4. When I click on PROGRAM the Test Mode is not highlighted
5. My radio is preset with 452.125 as Channel 1, and has 10 channels all on 452 except for 10 which is 453.025

Please help. HobbyEshop is not being helpful, AT ALL!

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

Sometimes it says "Receive no Data" for no reason. Then you have to repeat it by just clicking several times till it works. If it still does not work it could be a COM port or driver problem (it usually is).

Other less common possibilities:
Broken or bad soldered cable
Dead connections within the radio
Battery too low
Broken COM port at the computer

[LOW TIDE]

The computer tech I took it to tested my cable and said it was fine, and was in fact sending something to the radio.

4. I have tried it on two different computers to ensure it wasn't a broken COM port

3. Battery is full charge

2. I guess it could be dead connection within radio. How would I find that out?

Two more things that might help explain, when I enter a frequency on the software and click "write to radio" it says "receive no data" but then when I click "read from radio" it erases the frequency I had just typed in...so it must be communicating somehow....?? And secondly, my radio itself says nothing on the screen other than FFFFFF when turned on, and when cable is plugged in, it just displays frequency, never says ERROR or anything...? And is the Model number, under the "Model", then "Model infrmation" on the tool bar, is it supposed to say RDA1846 and UHF 400-470MHZ?

Thanks a ton. I feel like I'm flying blind on this with no help from retailer I bought it from.