GE MVS Supplemental Information

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Maintained by Kevin Custer W3KKC

Most of the MVS radios "out there" have 16 channels. Some have only 2, and a very few have 128.
The MVS uses the TQ-3310/TQ-3370 programming interface (RIB) and the TQ3315 (p/n 19B801417P4) programming cable, and programs through the microphone jack.
There is very little MVS information in amateur radio circles - anybody want to write a programming article?
Repeater-Builder does not have any programming software. It can probably be found "out there" on the web; or better yet, ask on the GE mailing list.

The MVS implements the tone squelch mic clip hangup feature by using a microphone that has a reed switch mounted inside the back of the microphone case, and a permanent magnet mounted in the GE-supplied mic clip that is mounted on the dashboard. When the user lifted the microphone out of the clip the reed switch changes the receiver mode from CG mode to carrier squelch mode. The microphone clips with the built-in magnets are almost impossible to find in the second-hand marketplace. Some have had luck making a hangup clip with a magnet. Others have added a slide switch to the microphone case. Fortunately you can disable the hangup feature in the programming software.

The LBI sections you will need to build the manual for your MVS will depend on if you are a user or a maintainer and if it is VHF or UHF. The list below is in LBI number sequence. Users will need only #7. Bench techs will need numbers 4, 5, 12 and 15 plus 1, 2, 3, and 6 for VHF, and 8, 8, 9, 10 and 11 for UHF. Remote mount (i.e. trunk mount) radios will need #13 added to the list. Desktop bases will need #14 added.

LBI-31919E 1.5 MB High band 40 watt MVS maintenance manual

LBI-31920D 625 kB High band RF board 19D901835G1 (136-153 MHz), G2 (150-174 MHz)

LBI-31921C 126 kB High band Power Amplifier board 19C851540G1 (136-153 MHz), 9C851540G2 (150-174 MHz)

LBI-31922D 630 kB Audio board 19D901870G1

LBI-31924F 1.15 MB MDR, MTD, MVS, TMX-8825 System Board 19D901891G1

LBI-31926C 193 kB Service section for high band combinations

LBI-31927D MVS - Operators manual Covers 2 channel, 8 or 16 channel, scan, selective calling (SelCal) and PA operation

LBI-31932F 421 kB UHF 25 watt MVS maintenance manual

LBI-31934C 1.1 MB UHF power amplifier board 19C851617G1 (403-440 MHz), G2 (440-470 MHz) or G3 (470-512 MHz)

LBI-38258D 637 kB MVS UHF RF Board
LBI-38292 205 kB Service Section for UHF MVS combinations

LBI-38387B 374 kB MVS Front cap assembly 19D901913G1 (this is the front panel)

LBI-38465B 388 kB Remote mount option 19A705306G3

LBI-38635D 1.6 MB MVS, TMX or MTD Desktop Station

LBI-38899 285 kB MVS / MCS / TMX-8712 / TMX-8310 Logic boards 19D901690G11

There is another front cap LBI that we do not have- LBI-31925. If anyone has it we'd appreciate a scan, or an opportunity to scan it.

A few notes on programming the MVS:
If your turn on a new-to-you radio and get an E0 error that means that the receive synthesizer is unlocked. An E1 error indicates the radio is not programmed. Both can be caused by a missing (or blank) EEPROM; it may have to do with which fault the CPU catches first. Many used radios have been found with missing EEPROM chips. The right way to deprogram a radio so the new owner can't just plug and play is to over-write the department frequencies with new channels programmed as receive only (likely candidates are the 7 weather channels for VHF, or the FRS channels (receive only) for UHF).

An E3 error indicates no communication with the front control panel.

All of the error codes are defined in LBI-31926.

The programming software is a DOS application and you will need real DOS (or the DOS side of Win 95/98/ME), a real serial port and a TQ-3370 or P-96-A MVS programming cable. I believe that the cable can be made from an old IDE hard drive cable. The software comes in versions versions 1.1, 2.2 and 3.0. Once you program a radio with a higher version you can't go back to the older version.

Each channel will have entries for TX, RX, CG TX, CG RX, STE TX and CCT.
This translates to transmit RF frequency, receive RF frequency, transmit tone frequency, receive tone frequency, STE (y/n), and a numeric value for CCT.

STE means Squelch Tail Eliminator. Turning it on causes the transmitter tone encoder to invert the phase of the tone when you release the PTT, and keeps the transmitter on the air for about 100-200 mS. This mutes the receiver audio on the other end BEFORE your transmitter goes off the air, resulting in no squelch tail (some folks call it the squelch crash). Motorola calls this same system "reverse burst". It's EXTREMELY rare that you would want to turn STE TX off.

CCT is the Carrier Control Timer which is GEs name for the transmitter timeout timer. It turns the MVS transmitter off after a certain period, which is normally set between 60 and 90 seconds. This prevents locked-up repeaters and cooked mobile transmitters when (not if, when) the user sits on the microphone.

A few notes on the MVS firmware, from a comment thread on the the GE mailing list:
If you end up with a MVS that was "deprogrammed" by pulling the wrong chip (the firmware chip instead of the EEPROM chip) you will need to get a new firmware chip. The older logic boards use the 87C64-20 chips and the newer logic boards use the 87C257 chip. The firmware images are "out there". The funny thing is that if the EEPROM is still there, once the firmware PROM is put back in one of these "depreogrammed" radios it will come back working on the original frequencies programmed and on the last channel and volume setting selected.

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This page was split from the index page 25-Jan-2014.

This web page, this web site, the information presented in and on its pages and in these modifications and conversions is © Copyrighted 1995 and (date of last update) by Kevin Custer W3KKC and multiple originating authors. All Rights Reserved, including that of paper and web publication elsewhere.

	Most of the MVS radios "out there" have 16 channels. Some have only 2, and a very few have 128. The MVS uses the TQ-3310/TQ-3370 programming interface (RIB) and the TQ3315 (p/n 19B801417P4) programming cable, and programs through the microphone jack. There is very little MVS information in amateur radio circles - anybody want to write a programming article? Repeater-Builder does not have any programming software. It can probably be found "out there" on the web; or better yet, ask on the GE mailing list.
	The MVS implements the tone squelch mic clip hangup feature by using a microphone that has a reed switch mounted inside the back of the microphone case, and a permanent magnet mounted in the GE-supplied mic clip that is mounted on the dashboard. When the user lifted the microphone out of the clip the reed switch changes the receiver mode from CG mode to carrier squelch mode. The microphone clips with the built-in magnets are almost impossible to find in the second-hand marketplace. Some have had luck making a hangup clip with a magnet. Others have added a slide switch to the microphone case. Fortunately you can disable the hangup feature in the programming software.
	The LBI sections you will need to build the manual for your MVS will depend on if you are a user or a maintainer and if it is VHF or UHF. The list below is in LBI number sequence. Users will need only #7. Bench techs will need numbers 4, 5, 12 and 15 plus 1, 2, 3, and 6 for VHF, and 8, 8, 9, 10 and 11 for UHF. Remote mount (i.e. trunk mount) radios will need #13 added to the list. Desktop bases will need #14 added. LBI-31919E 1.5 MB High band 40 watt MVS maintenance manual LBI-31920D 625 kB High band RF board 19D901835G1 (136-153 MHz), G2 (150-174 MHz) LBI-31921C 126 kB High band Power Amplifier board 19C851540G1 (136-153 MHz), 9C851540G2 (150-174 MHz) LBI-31922D 630 kB Audio board 19D901870G1 LBI-31924F 1.15 MB MDR, MTD, MVS, TMX-8825 System Board 19D901891G1 LBI-31926C 193 kB Service section for high band combinations LBI-31927D MVS - Operators manual Covers 2 channel, 8 or 16 channel, scan, selective calling (SelCal) and PA operation LBI-31932F 421 kB UHF 25 watt MVS maintenance manual LBI-31934C 1.1 MB UHF power amplifier board 19C851617G1 (403-440 MHz), G2 (440-470 MHz) or G3 (470-512 MHz) LBI-38258D 637 kB MVS UHF RF Board LBI-38292 205 kB Service Section for UHF MVS combinations LBI-38387B 374 kB MVS Front cap assembly 19D901913G1 (this is the front panel) LBI-38465B 388 kB Remote mount option 19A705306G3 LBI-38635D 1.6 MB MVS, TMX or MTD Desktop Station LBI-38899 285 kB MVS / MCS / TMX-8712 / TMX-8310 Logic boards 19D901690G11 There is another front cap LBI that we do not have- LBI-31925. If anyone has it we'd appreciate a scan, or an opportunity to scan it.
	A few notes on programming the MVS: If your turn on a new-to-you radio and get an E0 error that means that the receive synthesizer is unlocked. An E1 error indicates the radio is not programmed. Both can be caused by a missing (or blank) EEPROM; it may have to do with which fault the CPU catches first. Many used radios have been found with missing EEPROM chips. The right way to deprogram a radio so the new owner can't just plug and play is to over-write the department frequencies with new channels programmed as receive only (likely candidates are the 7 weather channels for VHF, or the FRS channels (receive only) for UHF). An E3 error indicates no communication with the front control panel. All of the error codes are defined in LBI-31926. The programming software is a DOS application and you will need real DOS (or the DOS side of Win 95/98/ME), a real serial port and a TQ-3370 or P-96-A MVS programming cable. I believe that the cable can be made from an old IDE hard drive cable. The software comes in versions versions 1.1, 2.2 and 3.0. Once you program a radio with a higher version you can't go back to the older version. Each channel will have entries for TX, RX, CG TX, CG RX, STE TX and CCT. This translates to transmit RF frequency, receive RF frequency, transmit tone frequency, receive tone frequency, STE (y/n), and a numeric value for CCT. STE means Squelch Tail Eliminator. Turning it on causes the transmitter tone encoder to invert the phase of the tone when you release the PTT, and keeps the transmitter on the air for about 100-200 mS. This mutes the receiver audio on the other end BEFORE your transmitter goes off the air, resulting in no squelch tail (some folks call it the squelch crash). Motorola calls this same system "reverse burst". It's EXTREMELY rare that you would want to turn STE TX off. CCT is the Carrier Control Timer which is GEs name for the transmitter timeout timer. It turns the MVS transmitter off after a certain period, which is normally set between 60 and 90 seconds. This prevents locked-up repeaters and cooked mobile transmitters when (not if, when) the user sits on the microphone.
	A few notes on the MVS firmware, from a comment thread on the the GE mailing list: If you end up with a MVS that was "deprogrammed" by pulling the wrong chip (the firmware chip instead of the EEPROM chip) you will need to get a new firmware chip. The older logic boards use the 87C64-20 chips and the newer logic boards use the 87C257 chip. The firmware images are "out there". The funny thing is that if the EEPROM is still there, once the firmware PROM is put back in one of these "depreogrammed" radios it will come back working on the original frequencies programmed and on the last channel and volume setting selected.