Jump to content

Replica: PRR (Personal Role Radio) Marconi, Full Set


KWP

Recommended Posts

So... theoretically some of you have the piece... but does anybody of you have practical experience... I got two pieces and did not understand how to use them, as normal "radio operation skills" do not help (and I have some experience with quite a few radios).

 

My experience with the bowman replica:

Once you have the Lithium LS14500 batteries put inside the radio you can turn it on and have an audio signal with a short "beep" and a voice (that sounds very "chinglish") saying "open radio"... that could be a translation error meaning "radio ready"... (but it could also mean: open the radio... or "initialize" the radio... or "activate" the radio)

 

When you switch channels, the chinglish voice says the channel number... which is pretty slick, as you dont have to look but listen only which of the 16 channels you have selected.

 

With a team mate I tried to have a radio communication and that failed. Once you press either the radio PTT or the wireless PTT as long as you say something you do not hear the other over the same channel, but instead you hear another "female chinese" voice that says something chinese and after that the same chinglish male voice says "open radio" and the channel number again...

 

So far... frustrating...

 

I have ordered the Software and Cable connector and I hope that the software will give some answers...

 

My intuition tells me, that the radio set could require an "activation" before usage...

 

Hmm....

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 420
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Definitely AA sized lithium @ 3.6V, type 14500 as per instructions on radio. They fit perfectly in the radio.

 

Batteries are from Maplins. http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=26669 Product QE50E

 

Bloody expensive as they are not rechargeable! I just couldn't wait for the rechargeables from HK. Well eBaybanned have always been good about any faulty kit- even higher value stuff.

 

test the batteries to make sure they have charge, check the contacts inside the radio with a multimeter.

I tested my radio with my one of my lipo's but any aeg battery will have enough juice to test the radio with you just need to be a bit careful not to touch the two wires and short the battery.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I got the cable which came with programming software on a dvd. The software and radio communicated at the first go and is reliable. Reading from and writing to the radio is a breeze.

 

As I suspected the PRR replica is indeed a Kenwood TK3207 compatible radio. The software supplied is identical to the software I use to program the TK3207. The radio type has programmable frequency between 440Mhz and 470Mhz. This is good news.

 

But despite being able successfully to read from and write to the radio with different frequencies and settings, the PRR still does not work- it does not transmit and announces "Open the radio in English" When first switched on but does receive. If on max volume, then when switching channels, it makes a loud clicking noise which only goes away when you turn the volume down.

 

I used a frequency counter and it does not register anything when pressing the PTT - except momentarily hearing a female chinese voice announce something in chinese. So I guess I will have to wait for eBaybanned to sort out a replacement PRR replica.

 

So, it seems that with a good working radio, these PRR replicas can easily be programmed to UK PMR on low power output. Good news I guess. On the basis that I've been unlucky with a turkey example, it's great that such a replica exists.

 

I have a real deal PRR and the accuracy and build quality of the replica is amazingly close to the real bowman- the only difference I can discern is that the real PRR is definitely heavier. I for one will stick with the Replica PRR when I get a working example!

 

It's also interesting that the real-deal bowman headset plugs directly (and works) into the replica and the replica headset works with the real deal bowman- they both use the same military plug. Great stuff!

 

Anyone else have any further experience with these radios?

Link to post
Share on other sites
But despite being able successfully to read from and write to the radio with different frequencies and settings, the PRR still does not work. It does not even transmit. I used a frequency counter and it does not register anything when pressing the PTT. So I guess I will have to wait for eBaybanned to sort out a replacement PRR replica.

 

Ummm... please read my posting... then put 1 and 1 together...

 

With a team mate I tried to have a radio communication and that failed. Once you press either the radio PTT or the wireless PTT as long as you say something you do not hear the other over the same channel, but instead you hear another "female chinese" voice that says something chinese and after that the same chinglish male voice says "open radio" and the channel number again....

 

Yours didnt work and our two didnt work... so I dont think a replacement will work either...

Either it has to be "unlocked" or there is something terrible totally wrong...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hartmann

I also get the female chinese voice say something in chinese when I press the PTT. It seems that both our radios have the same problem- faulty!

 

On the basis that at least I have not been able to (via google) discover any bad reports on this replica PRR, I think that we have both been unlucky ending up with faulty radios. Where did you buy your PRR replica radio from?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Then this would be three faulty radios, because i had two to testing. All from ebaybanned. But i don't think that the radios are faulty. I just think that we are too little Chinese to understand chinese replica technology.

 

it would help to get a manual. No support is existing. The URL which is listed in the mini leaflet from the box is not existing...

 

...

Link to post
Share on other sites
Then this would be three faulty radios, because i had two to testing. All from ebaybanned. But i don't think that the radios are faulty. I just think that we are too little Chinese to understand chinese replica technology.

 

it would help to get a manual. No support is existing. The URL which is listed in the mini leaflet from the box is not existing...

 

...

What is Paul from eBaybanned doing about your faulty radios? Have you contacted eBaybanned?

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

i dont know :( i dont have a radio on the same freq to test it with.

 

It turns on saying 'open the radio one' (or selected channel)

 

it tells me what channel i'm on as i move up/down channels.

thats as far as i have made it without the ability to program into channels i can recieve on my 446

other than that it seems to work. have you tried all the dip switch combinations under the ptt? one is the scrambler the other is the wireless ptt switch.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Aaaaahhhh... I saw the dip switches under the scrambler unit... so they have anything to do with the working condition?? I will try it today....

 

I havent contacted Paul about the Bowmans yet.

 

I have another problem... My Headset plug lost a pin in the female plug of the scrabler unit... too sad... I will post fotos of that tommorow... Although it is broken, it still works (the headset) if i put the plug back in place. Difficult to imagine? Well, I will post photos soon...

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have two radios (both from EB) that work fine with each other.

 

On channel 12, one of the radios talks to me in Chinese when I press the PTT. Thats all.

 

We ordered the cable and the software from the link in this forum, but when the cable arrived, the CD was broken.

Can any you send me the software by email? So that we can test it fully? :)

Link to post
Share on other sites
I have two radios (both from EB) that work fine with each other.

On channel 12, one of the radios talks to me in Chinese when I press the PTT. Thats all.

 

 

You call that "working fine"...

 

Yesterday I could manipulate the two dip switches below the scrambler unit and one result was that the chinese voice was not to be heard when pushing the wireless ptt... unfortunately we could NOT test it with the other radio yet. But we do in a couple of days...

 

As promised, here is my little desaster with my bowman radio:

 

post-35108-1266827985_thumb.jpg

 

post-35108-1266828021_thumb.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

got the lead & the software buttttttttttttttttt

 

the software on the computer cant find the radio

changed the model to the one listed in a previous post but nothing on com port one

Waiting to use my daughters laptop if that has any luck

 

 

You call that "working fine"...

 

Yesterday I could manipulate the two dip switches below the scrambler unit and one result was that the chinese voice was not to be heard when pushing the wireless ptt... unfortunately we could NOT test it with the other radio yet. But we do in a couple of days...

 

As promised, here is my little desaster with my bowman radio:

 

post-35108-1266827985_thumb.jpg

 

post-35108-1266828021_thumb.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
same here.

 

I could never proggram my motorolas thru a USB-based com port or emulator. I ended up having to go out and buy a serial port pci card for my desktop.

 

If you are using a USB to Serial adapter, the com port number is usually generated each time the adaptor is plugged in, se it is very unlikely to be COM1, which is what most software defaults to. Best way to check is to go into hardware manager, and have a look at what number has been assigned to the USB adaptor and then set the software to that port.

 

I have not used the radio software, but I know that certain adaptors cause problems with some software I do use, by connecting/disconnecting

 

HTH

 

Lee

Link to post
Share on other sites
If you are using a USB to Serial adapter, the com port number is usually generated each time the adaptor is plugged in, se it is very unlikely to be COM1, which is what most software defaults to. Best way to check is to go into hardware manager, and have a look at what number has been assigned to the USB adaptor and then set the software to that port.

Yes Yes, thats basic troubleshooting. Already tried all that and much more on top. Regardless, some legacy software - which includes most embedded level / low level software like device manipulators - cannot handle the USB bus at all, regardless if there is an emulator riding on top of the protocol or a dongle embedded in the cabling ramping down the rates and packet sizes and translating the calls. Nothing to do with setting the correct address.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Yes Yes, thats basic troubleshooting. Already tried all that and much more on top. Regardless, some legacy software - which includes most embedded level / low level software like device manipulators - cannot handle the USB bus at all, regardless if there is an emulator riding on top of the protocol or a dongle embedded in the cabling ramping down the rates and packet sizes and translating the calls. Nothing to do with setting the correct address.

 

Hi Hillslam

 

Wasn't try to be patronizing! Just used to many people who are so used to USB that the idea of setting port address's is completely alien to them. I'm also guessing that the usual Cross Over/ Straight Through cable has been tried as well (Once again for people who are not used to the joys of the RS232 "standard")

 

 

Best of luck

 

Lee

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and the use of session cookies.