I want to find a schematic for the Motorola Mostar Interface Box. I need a
MIB to program my Mostars.

Thanks,

Gene ke5bfa

If recall Mostars had a PROM on the controller board. They're programmed
using a stand alone PROM programmer. As I recall it was a big suit case
looking monster.

May I ask, what frequency band is the Mostar, and more importantly, why
bother. It's a Mostar. Worst Motorola radio ever!

Robert N3LGC

"Gene Rodgers" wrote in message
news:4sVff.5408$BC2.1398@trnddc04...
I want to find a schematic for the Motorola Mostar Interface Box. I need a
MIB to program my Mostars.

Thanks,

Gene ke5bfa

The Mostars originally used an EPSON "computer" as a programmer. The
program was on a tape drive. Very clunky. Later on the MIB programmer
was developed. I am sure you had to burn a code plug in any event.

The Mostars had a couple problems 1) The UHF ones had a problem with tin
"whiskers" growing inside the helical preselector casting which would
short out and detune the front end. It was impossible to repair this
part as it was permanently attached to the main board. 2) the 800 MHz
ones had a problem with thermal and mechanical expansion which affected
the VCO helical coil which was housed in the casting called the
"helical hotel" by the development engineer. This part you could solder
with special solder but it would soon again fail. The symptom was an
intermittent radio (no TX or RX). If you banged on it, it would start
working again for days.

Apart from these serious problems, the radios were quite an advancement
from the previous Maxar radios which used crystals and leaded
components. I believe the Mostars were the first Motorola radios to use
surface mount components and metric fastners.

SignalFerret wrote:

If recall Mostars had a PROM on the controller board. They're programmed
using a stand alone PROM programmer. As I recall it was a big suit case
looking monster.

May I ask, what frequency band is the Mostar, and more importantly, why
bother. It's a Mostar. Worst Motorola radio ever!

Robert N3LGC

"Gene Rodgers" wrote in message
news:4sVff.5408$BC2.1398@trnddc04...


I want to find a schematic for the Motorola Mostar Interface Box. I need a
MIB to program my Mostars.

Thanks,

Gene ke5bfa








--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"

"Follow The Money"

You could use one of three mostar programming options... the Epson
Suitcase programmer (yuck... I hated using it), the Motorola R1800
suitcase programmer with the proper firmware installed or you'd receive
the proms from motorola direct.

We used to get the whisker problem all the time. A good blast of air in
the rx preselector would pretty much fix it.

The VCO Coil fix was a replacement retrofit coil Motorola would sell
pretty cheap. Never had the problem after that...

All things considered, they were pretty good radios really. If you had to
play with one now... I'd probaby remove the prom and replace it with an
eprom module I've seen offered for the MCX100 radio. You'd need to map the
prom into the eprom map, but it wouldn't be rocket science.

cheers,
skipp

www.radiowrench.com

**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** wrote:
: The Mostars originally used an EPSON "computer" as a programmer. The
: program was on a tape drive. Very clunky. Later on the MIB programmer
: was developed. I am sure you had to burn a code plug in any event.

: The Mostars had a couple problems 1) The UHF ones had a problem with tin
: "whiskers" growing inside the helical preselector casting which would
: short out and detune the front end. It was impossible to repair this
: part as it was permanently attached to the main board. 2) the 800 MHz
: ones had a problem with thermal and mechanical expansion which affected
: the VCO helical coil which was housed in the casting called the
: "helical hotel" by the development engineer. This part you could solder
: with special solder but it would soon again fail. The symptom was an
: intermittent radio (no TX or RX). If you banged on it, it would start
: working again for days.

: Apart from these serious problems, the radios were quite an advancement
: from the previous Maxar radios which used crystals and leaded
: components. I believe the Mostars were the first Motorola radios to use
: surface mount components and metric fastners.

: SignalFerret wrote:

:If recall Mostars had a PROM on the controller board. They're programmed
:using a stand alone PROM programmer. As I recall it was a big suit case
:looking monster.
:
:May I ask, what frequency band is the Mostar, and more importantly, why
:bother. It's a Mostar. Worst Motorola radio ever!
:
:Robert N3LGC
:
:"Gene Rodgers" wrote in message
:news:4sVff.5408$BC2.1398@trnddc04...
:
:
:I want to find a schematic for the Motorola Mostar Interface Box. I need a
:MIB to program my Mostars.
:
:Thanks,
:
:Gene ke5bfa
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

: --
: Joe Leikhim K4SAT
: "The RFI-EMI-GUY"

: "Follow The Money"