The MCX1000 mobile is an excellent radio. It has a very tight front end, it sports a 7 segment "starburst" type alphanumeric display, and it has a LOUD 10W of audio! The radio comes is two physical flavors, the under dash mount, and the remote head mount, both in either 56 or 128 modes. To determine what type of MCX1000 you are looking at, check out the model breakdown chart.
The service manual is OUTRAGEOUSLY PRICED, thanks Ma M., I know, I bought it. All you get is a fancy photocopy of the original, three hole punched to put in your own binder! If you really want to order it, the part number for the VHF version is 6802902A56.
If all you need are the pinouts off the radio, check out the accessory connector , or the mic connector, or if you need to power it, check out the power connector, or if you need to program it, check out the programming cable.
If you want to program some out of band frequencies into your radio (may not work to well, but you can try), it is quite simple. All you have to do is:
If you go and look at the channel(s) you changed while under the correct bandsplit, the software will have a fit and not display them, however, they are still there.
Converting a 56 mode radio into 128 modes
This modification is not for the novice to attempt, it involves the removal and installation of a 32 pin surface mount IC in tight quarters.
The first thing you have to do is get your hands on the chip. A device we have tested without any problems is DigiKey part number 28C64A-20/L-ND. You need an 8kx8 EEPROM (28C64) in a 32 pin PLCC package.
Here are detailed instructions for the removal of the computer logic board in the MCX1000. Static safe practices should be employed during the following process:
1) Observe the rear of the radio, notice that the cover for one side of the radio has 2 screws and the other has only 1 screw. Remove the cover with only 1 screw.
2) Refer to the picture and locate the 2 screws indicated. Remove them and the metal shield that is now loose.
3) Pull firmly straight up on the "fishing line" and the computer logic board should come out.
4) You should now be holding a board like that in the picture with a part number of VLN4666B, this is a 56 mode board.
5) The IC that has to be replaced is located on the other side of the board under the shield and is indicated in the picture.
6) Once you have replaced the 2kx8 EEPROM with a new 8kx8 device, button the radio back up.
7) Load up the RSS, select the model you want and create a default codeplug.
8) Dump the new 128 mode codeplug into the radio and you are done!
Changing out the EEPROM gives the radio a blank codeplug to be reprogrammed, but it still knows its serial number. Looks like there is a bit of info probably hard coded in the micro controller. We haven't found any way of "blanking" the logic board yet, but changing the EEPROM could be a viable option if you can't find any other way to get the radio to accept a different model codeplug.
