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

[Conker]

I've put a big yellow post-it on my computer screen to remind me to record the whole procedure and post it on YouTube. I *should* be able to do this sunday on monday.

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

@CONKER: Just curiosity: To which of the 323839009 questions was that answer referring to?

Could you evaluate my "F-Key Problem"?

@LOW TIDE: Let your Techie open the radio and test the circuit board connections with the two-pin female plug socket if theres connection. If not, the problem could be bad soldering or a ripped off cable (which should be visible too of course) or a broken connector.

If it has connection to the board it maybe a short circuit or a broken board. Which would be of course really bad.

[LOW TIDE]

Since I've had a professional radio programmer do everything he could without opening the radio itself, I'm pretty sure it is internal. I didn't want to open it and risk voiding warranty or possibility of returning it. Seems to be impossible to get help from HobbyEshop.com which is very frustrating.

I sincerely appreciate the help Ares Ops Hartmann, and Conker, sorry to wear you out. I know you've had to handle a million questions...good thing is I don't have any questions about a PTT...

anyone know how to get in direct contact with United Star or someone from tech support? Someone I can send it to for programming, repairing? I have a feeling I will get no where with retailer which makes this one really fancy and expensive vest decoration.

[Lucky131]

My radio also fucks around sometimes when i try to programm it ....
Now i left it in the "open channel mode" with 6.25mhz stepping selected it makes no difference if i turn the knob 1 time for an programmed channel or an none programmed after both would be fine for PMR freq. here in Europe.

Btw, Low Tide, when you connect the radio to the Pc is it allready turned on?
For me worked open up the software, set the freq., connect the radio, THEN turn the radio on and then click on "write" .... sometimes you have to try more than one time untill it works .....

[LOW TIDE]

tried just now, nothing.

I can't even select anything on stepping. basically the only channels on there are 452 which is what was there when i first turned it on, and only menu items I can alter are the ones without the * under the note section. Manual says *can not set under the clear channel mode

My screen on the radio never changes when it is plugged into the computer...however when I type in a frequency and click on Read, it erases what I had typed in the software...so the cable is communicating but the radio itself is all jacked up.

thanks for the suggestions. keep em coming. i'm trying everything

[Primus]

I'm in the same boat. When I connect up the radio to a computer (tried 2 different ones now) nothing happens, screen doesn't go into PC mode. So that rules out the PC or the software being the problem, leaves either the cable or the radio itself... Giving the battery a good charge to see if that might help but I doubt it.

[sigma3]

Anyone have any idea of a non-destructive way to possibly disable the channel knob on the top? I've found that it's WAY too easy to bump unintentionally, and end up on the wrong channel wondering why I'm not hearing traffic. I suppose I could probably loc-tite it down or something like that, but I'd love if there's some software feature I'm forgetting...

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

Originally Posted by LOW TIDE

Since I've had a professional radio programmer do everything he could without opening the radio itself, I'm pretty sure it is internal. I didn't want to open it and risk voiding warranty or possibility of returning it. Seems to be impossible to get help from HobbyEshop.com which is very frustrating.

I sincerely appreciate the help Ares Ops Hartmann, and Conker, sorry to wear you out. I know you've had to handle a million questions...good thing is I don't have any questions about a PTT...

anyone know how to get in direct contact with United Star or someone from tech support? Someone I can send it to for programming, repairing? I have a feeling I will get no where with retailer which makes this one really fancy and expensive vest decoration.

Have you opened it? Because I dont think that you will get any support from far east. It was the same with the Bowman PRR replicas. At ArniesAirsoft UK is a similar thread with similar problems on that radio replica.

I always expect no help from those manufactures. When I buy such a thing in HK I always expect it to be a oneway ticket.

So, you should open it, if your retailer does not reply.

Originally Posted by Primus

I'm in the same boat. When I connect up the radio to a computer (tried 2 different ones now) nothing happens, screen doesn't go into PC mode. So that rules out the PC or the software being the problem, leaves either the cable or the radio itself... Giving the battery a good charge to see if that might help but I doubt it.

Thats just normal. It does not show "PC" if it is connected only. It shows "PC" only if you are exchanging programming data with it (writing/reading the channel data).


You guys could help me too: Was anyone lucky to use the "F-Key" operations successfully as they are explained in the manual (Scan, Dual Channel Mode, Emergency Signal etc)???

[Lucky131]

Originally Posted by sigma3

Anyone have any idea of a non-destructive way to possibly disable the channel knob on the top? I've found that it's WAY too easy to bump unintentionally, and end up on the wrong channel wondering why I'm not hearing traffic. I suppose I could probably loc-tite it down or something like that, but I'd love if there's some software feature I'm forgetting...

Have you even read the manual dude???? You know that there is the option to Lock the Keypad and all switches if you press the ALT button for 3 seconds????
Start reading .....

Sorry Ares but no clue with the "F-Key" .... hope to get my radio back next week then i can test it out with the "F-key´s"

[LOW TIDE]

anyone have experience taking this radio apart? I'm taking Ares advice and going to take a look and see if it is a physical connection problem.

btw...they did send me the manufacturer contact information. we'll see if I hear back from them.

[Lucky131]

Plain simple ... detach the battery, unscrew all screws at the rear, unscrew the screws in the side, take the soft part on the side and the frame out (where the ptt, etc. switch is), take off volume and channel knob (upwards - hard to get off but they are only pressed on), then the frontscrews then you should be able to seperate front and back ( you need to lift up the front panel a little bit on the side to get it over the aluminum shell and at last you can lift up the upper panel (panel goes over the antenna and ptt plug w/o problems) .... hope i wrote it understandable (sry english is not my native language ^^)

btw, remember wich screw goes where ... there are longer and shorter ones .... and be carefull after the threads strip easily if you screw them in with to much force ... it´s only plastic

Could post a how-to as soon i get mine back from a friend

[Lucky131]

*brp double post sry*

[S.E.A.L.]

You guys could help me too: Was anyone lucky to use the "F-Key" operations successfully as they are explained in the manual (Scan, Dual Channel Mode, Emergency Signal etc)???

Same problem here. Posted it a few weeks ago. Before I changed the channels, everything works just fine. But then after programming it, I had a few problems with the functions of this radio.

*Wenn du willst können wir im 6mm oder Skype mal drüber quatschen *

[Ares Ops Hartmann]

Hey, am besten Skype. Dann machen wir eine Konferenz mit Lucky131. Bei 6MM bin ich gebanned... ;-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LOW TIDE]

Lucky 131, thanks. perfect instructions. Got it apart...wow, don't have a clue what to look for. doesn't appear to be anything obvious. Anyone wanting to post a video on how to totally reprogram a radio stuck on 452 freq. please let me know:-)

I hate this stupid thing. I have purchased my last item EVER from HK.

guess my only option now is to hope the manufacturer offers to help.