Other than an inferior quality hand held, there's only one way to get on the 900 MHz amateur band. First, you need a source for a retired commercial radio. Second, you need some technical ability to change out leaky capacitors and third, you need software for programming.
Clink on the logo above to learn everything there is to know about 900 MHz.
The 900 MHz band is different than other bands in many ways. Offsets don't always follow the rule due to Part 15 noise and the crowd that frequents the band usually has technical ability. Similar to the VHF/UHF Win System, 900 MHz has linking capabilites that will take you many places. You may also want to consider your proximity to the point of transmission. 900 MHz RF will literally warm a hot dog. It's a good idea to use a speaker/mic when using a hand held.
Repairing Your Spectra
SPECTRA'S HAVE BAD CAPS! They will need replacing. The bottom line is that Motorola bought trash caps. They leak acid that will eat the board and traces beyond practical repair. It requires good soldering skills and a little patience, but is not rocket science.
Why an MTX-9000?
All my hand held radios are Jedi, so it makes sense to add a radio that requires the same battery, charger, speaker mic, etc. Besides, it's a Motorola!
Red
Selecting the correct antenna for your Motorola Jedi is simple. Color and length is important. Red applies to four different antennas, so length becomes a factor. See the chart below to select the correct antenna.
137-174 MHz wide band 203 mm red 136-151 MHz heliflex 195 mm yellow 151-162 MHz heliflex 183 mm black 162-174 MHz heliflex 172 mm blue 380-435 MHz stubby heliflex 88 mm red (early 86 mm units 403-433 MHz) 435-470 MHz stubby heliflex 81 mm green 470-512 MHz stubby heliflex 79 mm black 403-512 MHz wide band 130 mm light grey
700/800 dual band flexible whip 178 mm green 806-870 MHz stubby 1/4 wave 80 mm white 806-870 MHz flexible whip 175 mm red 806-870 MHz elevated feed dipole 200 mm red 896-941 MHz flexible whip 160 mm blue 896-941 MHz elevated feed dipole 200 mm blue
