APX/XTL multi-radio stack pack

[radioman2013]

I presently have 4 XTL radios (V, U, 7/8, and 900) with W-9 head stacked up and switched by a DB-25 switch box or a custom harness I made. Now I am swtiching over to at least one APX mobile for Phase II and the rest XTL's. APX doesn't support W heads so I was wondering if anyone has made a stack pack using the "O" (using a remote 0-2 head) series cabling that I would switch from one to another.

 

[c17lvfd]

Curious about your original setup, and what modifications/custom harnesses you have to accomplish this as this type of setup would be of value to in one of my vehicles.

O2 heads are not supported by XTL’s, only O3/O5’s are supported by both platforms.

Unknown to me what can/can’t be done on the O series platform regarding multiple bricks running off a single control head.

Very interested in any additional info.
Respectfully,
Seth

 

[sarguy1941]

The APX uses the O or E series heads. They are not serial. With the proper flash you can stack decks with the O7 head. Two APX decks to a single head. This is what I have in my wifes JK. She has VHF/800/ UR1 and UR2 in this configuration. Single head with 2 speakers. If you get 7500's as I have its kinda slick. The E5 head makes it even better.

 

[radioman2013]

My original setup used a custom cable where I ran one radio as a master, then the rest as if they were slave units through the radio accessory DB-25. Radios were selected on/off by powering each brick individually by the switched A+ line using the spare wires in the cable through a rotary switch. I had to modilfy the interface boards to get those lines through to each brick. Now I use a DB-25 switch box to select each radio.

I can use the O-5 for the new setup, an O-7 would be nicer, but I havn't found one for a decent price. So my question is can I cut or parallel the cables for the "O" series heads and select a single brick at a time? Or can I daisy chain the radios like the "W" heads, and selct the bricks by ignition power. I am looking for an inexpensive way to do this.

 

[code352]

If you only ever want to use one radio at a time this should be theoretically possible but only with an O5 head. The reboot time between radio swaps is going to be pretty long. The elegant solution to this problem is the APX dual radio setup, but work with what you've got.