FUTURECOM Suitcase DVRS Digital Vehicular Repeater Installation Guide

: June 1, 2024
: FUTURECOM

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction
Suitcase Mount DVRS Installation
Appendix 1 – Suitcase Mount DVR Specifications
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FUTURECOM Suitcase DVRS Digital Vehicular Repeater Installation Guide

Related Publications

Publication Number	Description
8A083X30	DVRS User’s Manual, APX Series P25 Interface
8A083X21	Tactical DVR User’s Manual
8M083X02	Tactical DVR Installation and Programming Guide
8F083X03	DVRS – Product & RF Safety Booklet
8F083X14	Indoor Fixed Mount DVRS – Installation Guide, APX Interface
8F083X15	Outdoor Fixed Mount DVRS – Installation Guide, APX Interface
8F083X04	Flash Loader and Tweaker Programmer Installation Guide

Foreword

This manual provides Installation guidelines for the Futurecom Mobexcom P25 DVR that is interfaced to a remote mount APX6500 or APX7500 Mobile radio with O2, O3, O5 or O7 control head and installed in a Suitcase Mount suitcase.

O9 Control head is not compatible with the Suitcase Mount Suitcase DVRS models.

Terminology Used

Abbreviation	Description
Suitcase Mount DVRS	Complete DVR and Mobile Radio System, packaged

in a Suitcase Mount Suitcase
DVR| Digital Vehicular Repeater
MSU| Mobile Subscriber Unit
CH| Mobile Radio Control Head – O2,O3, O5 or O7
TG| Mobile Radio Talk Group

Computer Software Copyrights

The products described in this manual include copyrighted Futurecom computer programs stored in semiconductor memories or other media. Laws in the United States, Canada and other countries preserve for Futurecom certain exclusive rights for copyrighted computer programs, including but not limited to, the exclusive right to copy or reproduce in any form the copyrighted computer programs. Any copyrighted computer program contained in the Futurecom products described in this manual may not be copied, reproduced, modified, reverse- engineered, or distributed in any manner without the express written permission of Futurecom. The purchase of Futurecom products shall not be deemed to grant either directly or by implication, estoppels, or otherwise, any license under the copyrights, patents or patent applications of Futurecom, except for the normal non-exclusive license to use that arises by operation of law in the sale of a product.

Document Copyrights
No part of this manual may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, for any purpose without written permission of Futurecom.

Disclaimer
The information in this document is carefully examined and is believed to be entirely reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies.
Futurecom Systems Group, ULC. reserves the right to make changes to any products herein to improve readability, function or design. Futurecom does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of any product or circuit described herein.

Trademarks
MOTOROLA, ASTRO, APXTM6500, APXTM7500 are trademarks of Motorola Solutions Inc.

Commercial Warranty

Futurecom Systems Group, ULC. warrants to the original purchaser all standard products sold by Futurecom Systems Group, ULC. to be free of defects in material and workmanship for one (1) year from the date of shipment from Futurecom Systems Group, ULC.
Futurecom’s warranty hereunder DOES NOT cover the following:

Defects or damage resulting from use of the product in other than its normal and customary manner.
Defects or damage from improper installation, testing, operation, or maintenance.
Defects or damage due to alterations, modifications or adjustments carried out by the Buyer without Futurecom’s explicit approval.
Defects or damage from misuse, accident, water or neglect.
Freight costs to the repair depot.
Scratches or other cosmetic damage to the product surfaces that does not affect the operation of the product.
Normal wear and tear.

The warranty set forth herein is conditioned upon proper storage, installation, use and maintenance in accordance with applicable written recommendation of Futurecom. The warranty furnished hereunder does not extend to damage to items purchased hereunder resulting in whole or in part from the use of components, accessories, parts of supplies not furnished by Futurecom Systems Group, ULC.
Futurecom’s sole obligation shall be to repair or replace, at Futurecom’s option, any defective component or item and pay transportation expenses for such replacement at no charge to Buyer who shall provide labor for the removal of the defective component or item and installation of its replacement at no charge to Futurecom. Buyer shall bear all risk of loss or damage to returned goods while in transit. In the event no defect or breach of warranty is discovered by Futurecom upon receipt of any returned item, the item will be returned to Buyer at Buyer’s expense and Buyer will reimburse Futurecom for the transportation charges, labor and associated charges incurred in testing the allegedly defective item.
Except as expressly provided herein, Futurecom makes no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, with respect to any goods, parts and service provided by Futurecom including, but not limited to, the implied warranties or merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The sole and exclusive remedy for breach of any warranty is limited to the remedies provided in the paragraph above. Futurecom shall not in any event be liable for any other damages arising out of or in connection with furnishing of goods, parts or service hereunder, or the performance, use of, or inability to use any goods, parts or service, or otherwise, whether based on contract, tort or any other legal theory.
To exercise this warranty, please contact Futurecom’s Administration Department in Concord, Ontario, Canada at 1-800 701 9180 to obtain a return material authorization (RMA) and shipping instructions. No product will be accepted for return without an RMA.
The repair of a product by Futurecom pursuant to this warranty is warranted for the balance of the original warranty period, or at least 90 days from date of shipment to Buyer of the repaired product.

RF Energy Exposure Compliance, Awareness and Control Information and Operational Instructions

This radio equipment is intended for use in occupational / controlled conditions, where users have full knowledge of their exposure and can exercise control over their exposure to meet FCC limits. This radio device is NOT authorized for general population, consumer or any other use.

ATTENTION!
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Futurecom Systems Group, ULC. could void the User’s authority to operate the equipment.

Temporary-Fixed Site
Futurecom requires the P25 Suitcase Mount DVRS operator to ensure FCC/IC Requirements for Radio Frequency Exposure are met. It is the responsibility of the Licensee to ensure that the appropriate separation distances between the antennas and bystanders are established and followed to meet the FCC and IC Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) Requirements in any particular Temporary- Fixed location. In situations where a site assessment is not practical, it is recommended that the antennas be located at least 9 feet from bystanders. This should ensure MPE compliance in any Temporary-Fixed application and is likely to be a much greater separation distance than is necessary in most cases. Failure to observe the MPE distance exclusion area around the antenna may expose persons within this area to RF energy above the FCC/IC exposure limits for bystanders (general population).

Vehicular Use
If the Suitcase Mount DVRS is set up in an vehicle, Users should refer to the separation distances specified in the “RF Safety” Book 8F083X03 (shipped with the DVRS) to determine the separation distances to be used and the antennas approved for such vehicular use. Failure to observe the MPE distance exclusion area around the antenna may expose persons within this area to RF energy above the FCC/IC exposure limits for bystanders (general population). It is the responsibility of the repeater operator to ensure MPE limits are observed at all times during transmissions.

ATTENTION!
Approved antennas and associated output powers for use with Suitcase Mount (suitcase) DVRS and APX Mobile radios are listed in Appendix 2 of this document. Refer to Product Safety and RF Energy Exposure Booklet 8F083X03 (shipped with DVRS) for basic fixed site installation guidance, and for use in a vehicular application.

Introduction

The Digital Vehicular Repeater System (DVRS) is typically mounted inside the trunk of a car and powered from the car’s battery. Some applications other than vehicular use require added flexibility, which can be achieved with the use of a Suitcase Mount DVRS.
Note: – Product Safety and RF Energy Exposure Booklet 8F083X03 includes approved antennas and associated output powers for DVRS vehicular installation.
The Suitcase Mount DVRS is a complete DVRS and power supply packaged in a compact suitcase as shown on Figure 1 below.
The Suitcase Mount DVRS can be powered up either by connecting it directly to 117V AC or by using a battery pack (ordered separately). As an option, the unit can be configured for 220V AC Operation.
The battery is packaged in a similar suitcase and provides up to 3 hrs of backup (50/50% duty cycle). The operation of the battery pack and charger are described in document 8M077X02.

Dimensions: 23” x 16” x 10”

Figure 1 Suitcase Mount DVRS

Suitcase Mount DVRS Installation

Installation Tools Required

Description	Needed for:
#2 Philips	Tightening of screws.
3/16” Flat Screwdriver	Tightening of connector screws.

Installation Guidelines

STEP 1 Open the Suitcase Mount DVRS cover and note the location of the mounting screws for the MSU speaker bracket and microphone clip as shown on Figure 2 and Figure 3. For the O2 model there is no speaker but note the microphone clip location in Figure 4.

Figure 2 Suitcase Mount DVRS – As Received, Top Cover Open, and O5/O7 Control head model
Installation Guidelines

Figure 3 Suitcase Mount DVRS – As Received, Top Cover Open, and O3 Control head model
Installation Guidelines

Figure 4 Suitcase Mount DVRS – As Received, Top Cover Open, and O2 Control head model
Installation Guidelines

STEP 2 Install the microphone clip and speaker bracket as shown on Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7 below. Connect the speaker connector to the CH harness.

Figure 5 Mounting the Mobile Speaker – O5/O7 Control Head Model

Figure 7 Mounting the Microphone clip- O2 Control Head Model

STEP 3 Install the MSU using the supplied MSU thumb screws (see Figure 8 below).

Figure 8 Mounting the Mobile Radio

STEP 4 Connect the MSU DC power cable, antenna cables, control head cable and DVR to Mobile cable. The RF cable marked as “In-Band B” must be connected to the in-band antenna port of the Mobile Radio.

STEP 5 Install the speaker, microphone and Control Head. Connect the CH DC cable, the other end of the MSU-to-CH cable and microphone cable as shown on Figure 9, Figure 10 and Figure 11 below.

Figure 9 Fully Assembled Suitcase Mount DVRS O5/O7 Control Head Models Figure 10.

Figure 10 Fully Assembled Suitcase Mount DVRS O3 Control Head Models

Figure 11 Fully Assembled Suitcase Mount DVRS O2 Control Head Models

STEP 6 Program the MSU, DVR and Portables for DVRS operation. Ensure the templates are fully matched by following the Guidelines provided in the DVRS Programming Guide.
To program the DVRS, connect a PC with compatible Tweaker Programming Software to the DVR USB port located under the cap behind the MSU Speaker at the back end of the suitcase.

IMPORTANT! When programming the DVRS Frequencies, please ensure they match the DVRS Filtering frequencies. To check the tuning of the DVRS Duplexer, please refer to the DVRS labels located on the inside lid cover as shown on Figure 12.

Figure 12 DVRS labels inside the lid cover

Suitcase Mount DVRS Antenna Requirements

Any DVRS Model requires the use of two or three antennas – one or two connected to the Mobile Radio and one connected to the DVR.
The antennas are not part of the Suitcase Mount package and need to be provided separately.

Refer to Appendix 2 for a list of approved antennas for Temporary-Fixed Site.

IMPORTANT!

All DVRS models require 30dB minimum Antenna Isolation between the DVR and Mobile Radio Antennas for interference-free operation. A separation of several feet between the antennas may be needed to achieve this.

In addition to 30dB isolation, ensure RF exposure separation distance is maintained. Refer to the RF Energy Exposure Compliance, Awareness and Control Information and Operational Instructions section of this document.

Appendix 1 – Suitcase Mount DVR Specifications

General Specifications

Appendix 2 – Approved Antennas and Maximum output power (W) for combination DVR and APX mobiles for Temporary-Fixed Site.

NOTE:
APX mobile RF conducted antenna power in the tables below denotes up to 50% Tx duty cycle.
DVR RF conducted antenna power in the tables below denotes up to 100% Tx duty cycle.

DVR

Band

| **Antenna| Power (W)**
---|---|---
VHF (136-174MHz)| VAD0003A| 6
UHF1 (406-430MHz)| VAE0003A| 10
UHF2 (450-470MHz)| VAE0003A| 10
UHF3 (470-512MHz)| VAE0003A| 10
700 (768-806MHz)| VAF0003A| 5
800 (806-869MHz)| VAF0003A| 10

APX MSU

Band	Antenna	Power (W)
VHF (136-174MHz)	VAD0003A	60
UHF1 (406-470MHz)	VAE0003A	48
UHF2 (450-520MHz)	VAE0003A	54
700/800 (764-870MHz)	VAF0003A	42

Max Power (W) for combination DVR and APX

| APX MSU
---|---
| DVR/APX| VHF| UHFR1| UHFR2| 700/800MHz
DVR| VHF| 6/60| 6/48| 6/54| 6/42
UHFR1| 10/60| 10/48| 10/54| 10/42
UHFR2| 10/60| 10/48| 10/54| 10/42
UHFR3| 10/60| 10/48| 10/54| 10/42
700MHz| 5/60| 5/48| 5/54| 5/42
800MHz| 10/60| 10/48| 10/54| 10/42