View new posts | View your posts FS: MT500 Interactive Sound Board Walkie Radio MT-500

---

Package sent out Thursday, but I haven't update the list in a while...

To get in test mode, the middle two jumpers should be installed. After it announces the code version (Between the two "Test" comments), you can pull the jumpers and it tells you what switches are closed.

Your first video announces 2, 3 and 5, and the two jumpers were still on. So the only issue is the "5". That indicates that the talk button is being pressed, and you weren't pressing it!

If you set the rotary switch to a 4 or higher, when you are in test mode and you pull the two jumpers off, nothing should be announcing after the "test" announcements. You can then test each switch separately to make sure the connections are good:
"5" - is announced when the talk button is pressed. Hold it down and '5' keeps getting repeated.
"4" - is announced when the rotary switch is in position 3 (or the jumper is across the top two pins)
"3" - is announced when the switch is in position 2 (or the jumper is across the second from top 2 pins)
"2" - is announced when the switch is in position 1 (or the jumper is across the second from the bottom two jumpers)
"1" - is announced when the jumper is across the bottom two positions

Hey - it made sense at the time since I was focused on the jumper positions, not the switches.

The second video shows that test mode was entered when you powered on even though there were no jumpers. The Rotary switch connections must be indicating "2" and "3" are closed (Yellow and Orange wires on the ribbon cable). So you probably have a short on the rotary switch between these two connections. "5" is still being announced, so there is a short between something else or the switch is defective. Switch "5" is between the Blue and Green wires with resistors, so most likey that the one you soldered to the pin of the switch has a bit too much solder and is shorting to the case, which is very close to the tiny pin you want to solder to.

If you no longer get any sounds, check the Black and White ribbon cable wires going to the power switch. Some switches are fairly finicky and may make intermittent contact - rotate the volume knob a few times and see if the sound starts at some position. Also make sure the black or white wires don't short to some metal on the nearby switches.

Got my module in the mail a few days ago and finally got it installed today. Works great and the install was pretty easy in my radio.

My only (minor) complaint would been on several of the GB1/GB2 audio clips, it sounds like they are sped up. I assume for time compression on the chip but it results in higher pitched voices. So sometimes the clips have that 'chipmunk voice' effect. I posted an example here: http://youtu.be/tV_-x1kiM1Y

While the quantity of audio clips on the chip is nice for variety, would dropping that number down allow clips to not be sped up?

One mod I already did was to wire to the little mute toggle switch on the radio to Jumper 1 so now I can toggle between random/sequential. Awesomeness.

It's more insideous than that! The sound boards (same manufacturer as the sound boards used in the "standard" pack sound modules) actually play the samples at a slightly faster than normal rate. And there is variation from board to board so I suspect they do not have an internal crystal to control the frequency.

I generated a constant 440Hz sinewave sound file (middle A on a piano) and it plays back at a higher pitch on most boards. I have been working with the sound board manufacturer to see if this can be corrected, but so far it has been difficult convincing them there is a problem even though I have sent them specific configuration and sound files. The manufacturer does not specify the tolerance of the playback rate in the technical documentation and even though I have asked, they won't give out a specification for that. The bottom line is that even if the samples were corrected for some modules, others would be off.

Excellent idea!
Only a few days old and already generating mods, you are incorrigible!

I need to be in on this! This is awesome, great work on these! PM sent!

I got mine the other day and hooked it up. It is awesome!!! It adds a little something to normally a dead prop. I think im gonna have to go with that new mod as well. Going between random and sequential. Awesome work. Thanks so much for making these.

Mine arrived over in the UK yesterday! I got busy with the soldering iron and BOOM! All hooked up and working a treat!

AWESOME!

I need to read over this thread (I havent looked at it all word for word) as I need to work out what the jumper positions are for...

Is it just to swap from "test" to "random" or "sequential"

Also I seem to recall the TV commercial being on there somewhere. Did that get dropped from the final version or am I just being thick and can't find it?

Edit: Scratch that, found the commercial! (Hold for 5 secs)

All payed up and can't wait to get my hands on mine!

got mine hooked up yesterday and i love it!! thanks again doug!!

by chance do you have any extra battery covers for the mt500? got mine from crix and it was one without the cover.

i purchased the preinstalled mt500 radio when i receive it and 1st use it what do i need to do?
will i need to mess with the jumpers?
iv read the instructions but i went cross eyed lol could someone explain please

Got my preinstalled MT500. This thing is great! Thanks a lot.

Put me down for one please.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Ghostbusters Fans on Android

I am very interested in a Motorola MT-500 Radio (3 rotary Switch) + Installed and tested Sound Module Bundle, if you still have any available.

id like one of these please if still available!

Hello slime me please,

The units are all sent out with the jumpers in the test position so the radio will continually talk as soon as you turn it on (a battery is included!). Certainly not the way you want to normally use it!

Your best bet is to remove the jumpers and power the radio off and back on. It should now be silent, but will say something when you push the talk button or wait a minute or so.

There is one jumper position (on the end of the jumper block nearly centered between the two pots) that is used to select between random and sequential playback of the quotes. It will sequentially play back the quotes with the jumper removed. Just don't lose the jumpers since you may want to use test mode in the future. I plug the jumpers into a single pin on either end of the jumper block so they are held but don't affect anything.

You have a 2 switch radio, so the front "mute" switch will select between all of the quotes and just the radio chatter quotes.

Enjoy!

I picked up my sound board from the post office today and have got around to opening my radio. It's a different from the one you have shown in the video's and instructions. I removed the PCB board and found there is no grey cable coming from the "talk button" I don't know where to go from here!!!

Hey Shodanmark check out pg 7 of his installation instructions.

https://www.onlinefilefolder.com/2sbPqraEYPhyTO

On another note, I got my kit installed today and it is sweet! Love it!

-Mark

Ahhhh. OK, so I know nothing about electronics... which wire replaces the red and which replaces the white?

The Green and Blue Ribbon cable wires (with embedded resistors) need to be connected to the talk switch. Order doesn't matter for this type of switch, just remove the two or three wires attached to the switch and then solder one (Green or Blue) to the top of the three switch connections and the other one to the bottom of the three switch connections.

Thanks!

Ok- I just installed my kit and I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Spongeface for creating this kit and making it available. The install was fairly easy (and very well documented!- Read the documentation! It's all in there!)

In fact, this was my very first soldering project. So much more rewarding than the little blinky LED solder-practice kit I bought from Radio Shack.

The sounds are a tiny bit sped up on my board, but the voices are still pretty recognizable. It's a bit like when someone sounds different over a walkie-talkie anyway.

Thanks again- it's working great and I had a blast putting the kit in the radio.

Got my Radio and just LOVE IT! No problems and everything was as stated. A must upgread for your Radio! Thanks a Bunch

Got mine yesterday and installed it. Works great thanks

No more high pitched voice concerns!

I have given up trying to get the modules to playback at the exact correct rate, but have been working through re-encoding of the 228 sound files at different rates and did not want to make any promises in case it did not work out very well. I did finish and the results are very good, though it has been and will be a decent amount of extra work for me.

After programming a 30 second sample of a sine wave into the sound modules, each sound module is placed in a test fixture and the sample is played back. My scope is used to measure the average frequency of the generated wave. This average frequency value is then manually entered into a spreadsheet that calculates which set of sound files need to be loaded into that particular sound module to reproduce the original pitch. The selected sound files are then programmed into the module and then testing proceeds as it did before.



Not all sound modules need significant corrections.

If you really need your module updated with new sound files to get the pitch of the voices more accurate, I am willing to do this for you. Send me a PM to ask for a mailing address. You can then mail me either the entire sound module or just the sound board portion of the sound module (the 16 pin board that is in a socket on the main sound board). I can measure how far off it is and then load in a new matched set of sound files. I will then mail the sound board/module back to you. No cost to you other than mailing it back to me and not having a working module for whatever the mail transit time is... I may need to charge a small fee for international shipments since the postage cost is higher. Hopefully this only affects a few of you and the rest are thoroughly enjoying their interactive Radios!

Got my Mt-500 today preinstalled with the sound board, and it is seriously my new favourite prop in my collection! Thanks a million for putting these together, the quality is amazing of your work, and all communication has been friendly, quick and courteous! Thanks again!

I'm totally going to take you up on the upgrade offer Doug. I'll send you a PM.

I will take you up on the upgrade offer too, but first I need help!!! I got a new soldering iron as mine was busted, hence the delay. I have just soldered everything correctly as far as I can tell, however the board heats up pretty fast... I mean RED hot. If I disconnect the power and leave it to cool then power it again, I get "5, 5, 5, 5" for a while then silence. Same with test mode... is there something wrong with my board? It's not touching any metal and shorting out.

Hot at all is a real problem!

Here are a couple of things to check:
1) Make sure the bottom of the sound module is not touching anything metal - I use a double set of foam tape to make sure the bottom lead ends do not poke through and touch the metal battery strips on the bottom of the battery compartment.

2) Check the battery power connections. Two ribbon cable power connections (black and white wires) are used to connect the 9V battery to the module's power supply. Check to make sure they are not shorting to something in the Radio near your solder connections. The simplest way to do this is de-solder the two wires from the power switch and then just touch these two together up in the air. This will turn on the sound module (make sure it is in test mode) and you should hear the "Test" announcements and nothing should get hot.