Futurecom VRX1000 User manual

Futurecom Systems Group, ULC
VRX1000 Installation Guide
Document: 8M087X03
Revision: R1.0
Date: August 2023

8M087X03 R1.0 2
NOTES

8M087X03 R1.0 3
Manual Revisions
Rev #
Date
Notes & References
0
November 20, 2022
Original Release
R0.2
December 2022
Updated Logo
R1.0
August 2023
- Updated Formatting
- Bypass Switch programming instructions
added
- Updated description and drawings for Status
Lights & AVRA
- Fuse Holder info added
- Updated Installation Drawings
- Updated Auxiliary Cable Drawings
- Appendix A, B, C, D

8M087X03 R1.0 4
Table of Contents
Manual Revisions..........................................................................................................3
Table of Contents..........................................................................................................4
Proprietary Statement...................................................................................................6
Commercial Warranty...................................................................................................7
Declaration of Conformity ............................................................................................8
Important Safety Information........................................................................................9
Notice to Users (FCC/ISED)........................................................................................10
Déclaration de Conformité..........................................................................................11
Informations de Sécurité Importantes.......................................................................12
Avis Aux Utilisateurs (FCC/ISED)...............................................................................13
Introduction.................................................................................................................14
Installation Planning...................................................................................................15
Cautionary Notes & Considerations...........................................................................15
Tools Required..........................................................................................................15
Programming Details.................................................................................................16
Bypass Switch........................................................................................................................ 16
Status Lights .......................................................................................................................... 19
Automated VR Activation (AVRA) and Primary/Secondary Preference Trigger.................... 21
Mounting Instructions.................................................................................................23
Cautionary Notes & Considerations...........................................................................23
Preparation................................................................................................................23
Instructions................................................................................................................23
Cable Connections......................................................................................................25
Cautionary Notes & Considerations...........................................................................25
Configuration Terms:.................................................................................................25
VRX1000 Connections..............................................................................................26
In-Band VRX Filter, MSU Filter and RF Bypass Switch Connectors ..........................27
Power Cable..............................................................................................................29
HFB Fuse Holder Installation: HFB Fuse Holder is a model of in-line waterproof fuse holders.
.............................................................................................................................................. 29

8M087X03 R1.0 5
HHB Fuse Holder Installation: HHB Fuse Holder is a model of in-line waterproof fuse
holders. ................................................................................................................................. 30
Configuration Identification........................................................................................32
Standard Installation Cables......................................................................................32
Installation Drawings..................................................................................................33
Configuration 1: VRX (700/800MHz, VHF or UHF) Cross-band Flat Mounted ..................... 33
In-Band RF Switching Cabling............................................................................................... 34
Configuration 2: VRX (700/800MHz, VHF or UHF) In-band Flat Mounted (Non-APX 8500
MSU)..................................................................................................................................... 34
Configuration 3: VRX (700/800MHz, VHF or UHF) Cross-band Flat Mounted (APX8500
MSU)..................................................................................................................................... 34
Configuration 4: VRX (700/800MHz, VHF or UHF) In-band Flat Mounted (APX8500 MSU) 35
Auxiliary Port Options ................................................................................................36
In-Band Auxiliary Cabling..........................................................................................36
Cross-Band Auxiliary Cabling....................................................................................36
Status Lights .............................................................................................................37
Antenna Installation....................................................................................................38
Cautionary Notes & Considerations...........................................................................38
Preparation................................................................................................................38
APPENDIX A - AUXILIARY CABLE.............................................................................39
APPENDIX B - CONTROL CABLE ..............................................................................40
APPENDIX C- CABLES BY TYPE ...............................................................................41
APPENDIX D - VRX1000 ANTENNAS .........................................................................42
Glossary.......................................................................................................................43

8M087X03 R1.0 6
Proprietary Statement
©2023 Futurecom Systems Group, ULC
All Rights Reserved
Futurecom, PDR8000, DVR-LX, the Futurecom Logo and the Stylized FC logo are
registered trademarks of Futurecom Systems Group, ULC. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owner.
No part of this document, or any software included with it, may be reproduced and
distributed without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Futurecom Systems Group ULC. reserves the right to make changes or improvements to
the equipment, software or specification described in this document at any time and
without prior notice. These changes will be incorporated in the new releases of this
document.
This document may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Futurecom Systems Group, ULC. waives responsibility for any labour, materials or costs
incurred by any party as a result of using this document.
MOTOROLA, MOTO, MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS and the Stylized M Logo are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC and are used
under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

8M087X03 R1.0 7
Commercial Warranty
Please reference Futurecom’s Terms and Conditions of Sale, Section 7 regarding
standard warranty (Futurecom Website > Terms and Conditions).

8M087X03 R1.0 8
Declaration of Conformity
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Futurecom Systems Group, ULC.
could void the User’s authority to operate the equipment.

8M087X03 R1.0 9
Important Safety Information
The DVRS Repeater is intended for use in occupational / controlled conditions, where
users have full knowledge of the operator exposure and can exercise control over the
operator exposure to meet FCC/ISED limits. This radio is NOT authorized for general
population, consumer, or any other use.

8M087X03 R1.0 10
Notice to Users (FCC/ISED)
To satisfy FCC/ISED RF exposure requirements for mobile transmitting devices, refer to
the RF Safety Booklet[1] for TX –RX duty cycle and a separation distance between the
antenna of this device and persons during operation. To ensure compliance, operations
at closer than this distance is not allowed.
Futurecom requires theP25 DVRS operator to ensure FCC/ISED Requirements for Radio
Frequency Exposure are met. The minimum distance between all possible personnel and
the body of the DVRS equipped vehicle is specified in the RF Safety Booklet[1]. Failure to
observe the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) distance exclusion area around the
antenna may expose persons within this area to RF energy above the FCC exposure limit
for bystanders (general population).
It is the responsibility of the repeater operator to ensure that MPR limits are observed at
all times during repeater transmissions. The repeater operator must ensure at all times
that no person comes within MPE distance from the antenna.
[1] Refer to RF Safety Booklet available on the Futurecom website.

8M087X03 R1.0 11
Déclaration de Conformité
Cet équipement a été testé et déclaré conforme aux limites pour appareils numériques de classe
B selon la partie 15 des règlements de la FCC. Ces limites sont destinées à assurer une
protection raisonnable contre les interférences nuisibles dans une installation commerciale.
L’équipement génère, utilise et peut émettre de l’énergie de fréquence radio et peut causer des
interférences nuisibles aux communications radio s’il n’est pas installé ou utilisé conformément
au mode d’emploi. Toutefois, rien ne garantit l’absence d’interférences dans une installation
particulière.
Les changements et les modifications qui n’ont pas été approuvés expressément par Futurecom
Systems Group ULC pourraient faire perdre à l’utilisateur son droit à utiliser cet équipement.

8M087X03 R1.0 12
Informations de Sécurité Importantes
Le répéteur DVRS est conçu pour être utilisé dans des conditions professionnelles/contrôlées,
dans lesquelles les utilisateurs connaissent à fond leur exposition et peuvent exercer le contrôle
nécessaire sur celle-ci pour se conformer aux limites de la FCC/ISED. Cette radio N’EST PAS
autorisée pour être utilisée par le grand public, les consommateurs ou autres.

8M087X03 R1.0 13
Avis Aux Utilisateurs (FCC/ISED)
Pour satisfaire les exigences de la FCC/d’ISED en matière d’exposition à l’énergie RF pour les
transmetteurs mobiles, prière de consulter la Brochure Sécurité RF
1
pour obtenir le facteur
d’utilisation transmission/réception et la distance de séparation entre l’antenne de cet appareil et
les personnes pendant l’utilisation. Pour assurer la conformité, le fonctionnement à une distance
moins élevée n’est pas autorisé.
Futurecom demande à l’opérateur du répéteur P25 DVRS de satisfaire aux exigences de la
FCC/ISED en matière d’exposition à l’énergie RF. La distance minimale entre toutes les
personnes possibles et une antenne omnidirectionnelle doit respecter les indications de la
Brochure Sécurité RF1. Tout manquement à respecter la zone d’exclusion autour de l’antenne
définie par la distance correspondant à la limite d’exposition maximale peut exposer les
personnes qui se trouvent dans ce rayon à une énergie RF supérieure à la limite d’exposition de
la FCC pour les spectateurs (population générale).
C’est à l’opérateur du répéteur qu’il incombe de s’assurer que les limites d’exposition maximales
sont respectées en tout temps pendant les transmissions du répéteur. L’opérateur du répéteur
doit s’assurer en tout temps que personne ne s’approche de l’antenne à une distance inférieure à
celle correspondant à la limite d’exposition minimale.
1
Prière de consulter la Brochure Sécurité RF sur le site Web de Futurecom.

8M087X03 R1.0 14
Introduction
The Vehicular Repeater Extender (VRX1000) extends simplex communication to
Portables from dispatch and from Portable radios to dispatch. (It's a Simplex radio
extender in both inbound and outbound direction). When the VRX1000 is interfaced to a
Motorola Mobile Subscriber Unit (MSU), the complete equipment package is referred to
as Digital Vehicular Repeater System (DVRS).
When a Portable Subscriber Unit (PSU) has difficulty reaching a system tower, a
VRX1000 can help by linking the PSU to a higher power mobile radio or MSU. The
VRX1000 is designed to be seamlessly interfaced to:
•Remote Mount APX Series MSU with or without a Control Head (O2, O3, O5,
O7, O9, or E5)
•For full list of compatible MSUs refer to compatibility chart at Futurecom website
→ Support → Documentation and Software → VRX1000/Firmware/Firmware-
Compatibility Chart
NOTES:
•MSU must be configured as Remote Mount to be compatible with the VRX1000.
•APX 8500 MSU may require interface kit. Please refer to the VRX1000 Ordering
Guide.
•The MSU configured for DVRS operation can support up to two control heads.
•All control and status of the VRX1000 are provided by the APX MSU control
head. The control head is mounted in the front of the vehicle while the VRX1000
and associated filtering is housed in the back.
Figure 1: VRX1000 Equipment in Vehicle Layout

8M087X03 R1.0 15
Installation Planning
Tools Required
Description
Needed For
Drill
Installer preferred mounting hardware
Center Punch
(Optional)
Installer preferred mounting hardware
4mm Allen Key
6mm shoulder screws for securing VRX1000 flat mount to its
mounting base
Wire Cutters and
Crimping Tool
DC power cable installation
3/16” Flat Screwdriver
Cable connector screws
2
Refer to RF Safety Booklet available on the Futurecom website.
Cautionary Notes & Considerations
FILTER LIMITS: The VRX1000 for In-Band operation is shipped equipped with
custom filters tuned to the specified frequency range provided by the customer.
Programming the VRX1000 / MSU to operate on frequencies outside of the original
specified bands may result in intermittent or complete loss of communications.
Frequency changes may require filter retuning or replacement.
TRANSMIT POWER (CROSS-BAND): The cross-band VRX1000 can be interfaced
to a high power MSU, however, the transmit power of the MSU must be reduced to
comply with the maximum power restrictions described in the DVRS RF Safety
Booklet2.
TRANSMIT POWER (IN-BAND): In all in-band DVRS configurations, the MSU
transmit power must not exceed 50 Watts on DVRS Enabled MSU Modes due to the
in-band filters’power rating. The in-band filters connected to the MSU have typical
insertion loss of 1.5dB.

8M087X03 R1.0 16
Programming Details
This section will detail programming information needed to enable certain installation
options. For full instructions on how to program the VRX1000, please refer to the VR
Programming Guide
3
.
Bypass Switch
RF Bypass Switch with non-APX 8500 MSU
If installing an in-band VRX1000, it comes equipped with an internal RF bypass switch.
•required for all In-band applications
•bypasses the MSU filter when an In-Band VRX1000 Disabled channel is selected
When the VRX1000 is paired with a non-APX 8500 MSU, the switch bypasses the
filtering at the output of the MSU when a VRX1000 disabled talk group (TG) is selected
on the MSU control head.
MSU RF By Pass Switch Extension
•required for in-band application for APX8500 w All Band antenna
•Bypasses the MSU filter when a cross band channel is selected
To enable the RF bypass switch operation, the following must be configured via
Futurecom Repeater Configurator (FRC) in the Hardware Setup menu (Figure 2):
•MSU RF Bypass Switch = checked (enabled)
•Relay Use- Relay 1 = MSU RF Bypass Sw.
Figure 2: RF Bypass Switch Configuration
3
Refer to VR Programming Guide available on the Futurecom website.

8M087X03 R1.0 17
RF Bypass Switch with APX 8500 MSU with Triplexer and Single Band Antennas
If installing an in-band VRX1000, it comes equipped with an internal RF bypass switch.
This switch bypasses the filtering at the output of the MSU as required to allow access to
the full frequency bandwhen VRX1000 is not enabled or to block certain frequencies when
VRX1000 is active to ensure interference-free communication.
When the VRX1000 is paired with an APX 8500 MSU using a triplexer and single band
antennas, the switch bypasses the filtering at the output of the MSU when a VRX1000
disabled talk group (TG) is selected on the MSU control head.
To enable the RF bypass switch operation, the following must be configured via FRC in
the Hardware Setup menu (Figure 2):
•MSU RF Bypass Switch = checked (enabled)
•Relay Use- Relay 1 = MSU RF Bypass Sw.
RF Bypass Switch with APX 8500 MSU and All Band Antenna
If installing an in-band VRX1000, it comes equipped with an internal RF bypass switch.
This switch bypasses the filtering at the output of the MSU as required to allow access to
the full frequency bandwhen VRX1000 is not enabled or to block certain frequencies when
VRX1000 is active to ensure interference-free communication.
When the VRX1000 is paired with an APX 8500 MSU connected an all-band antenna,
this switch bypasses the filtering at the output of the MSU as needed.
MSU in-band filter is in use when:
•MSU is on an in-band channel/TG AND VRX1000 is enabled
MSU in-band filter is not in use when:
•MSU is on a cross-band channel/TG OR
•MSU is on an in-band channel/TG AND VRX1000 is disabled
To enable the correct RF Switch operation, the following must be configured via FRC:
•Hardware Setup→ MSU RF Bypass Switch = checked (enabled) (See: Figure
2: RF Bypass Switch Configuration)
•Hardware Setup→ Relay Use→ Relay 1 = MSU RF Bypass Sw. (See: Figure
2: RF Bypass Switch Configuration)
•VR Common Setup→ MSU RF Bypass Switch Extension (APX 8500 and All
Band Antenna)= checked (enabled) (See: Figure 3: RF Bypass Switch
Extension Configuration)

8M087X03 R1.0 18
Figure 3: RF Bypass Switch Extension Configuration
NOTE: For in-band configurations where an APX 8500 interface kit is also required, the
above programming is still required. Instructions on how to install an interface kit with an
in-band DVRS are provided separately from this manual
4
.
4
Contact Futurecom to determine if an interface kit is required or to obtain an installation drawing.

8M087X03 R1.0 19
Status Lights
The relay outputs on the VRX1000 can be programmed to provide several status
indications –‘Primary Light’, ‘VR On Light’, ‘LOC Mode Light’, or ‘SYS Mode Light’.
Primary & On Lights
The VRX1000 status icon located on the top right corner of the control head can be used
to determine when the repeater is on and whether it is acting as a Primary or Secondary
device. Due to the limited space on the control head, the icon is quite small, and some
users may prefer to have a more obvious light indication of the VRX1000 status.
Figure 4: Control Head Display--Status Icon
A pair of lights may be connected to the AUX port with the light colour used to indicate
whether the VRX1000 is on (Secondary mode), and when it is in Primary mode.
For example, if a red light is connected to Relay 2 and a yellow light is connected to
Relay 3, the following light combinations will be seen:
Primary VRX1000 –Red and Yellow lights
Secondary VRX1000 –Yellow light only
To enable the lights operation, the following must be configured via FRC in the
Hardware Setup menu:
•External Master Light = checked (enabled)
•Relay Use→Relay 2 = Master Light
•Relay Use→Relay 3 = VR On Light
Figure 5: Primary & Lights On Configuration

8M087X03 R1.0 20
System & Local Mode Lights
The top line of the control head can be used to determine whether the VRX1000 is
operating in system (SYS) or local (LOC) mode. Some users may prefer to have a more
obvious indication of the VRX1000 status.
NOTE: VRX1000 does not support Local Repeat however, the Mic PTT will be
transmitted to the local portables in Local Mode.
Figure 6: Control Head Display--System/Local
A pair of lights may be connected to the AUX port with the light colour used to indicate
whether the VRX1000 is in System or Local mode.
To enable the lights operation, the following must be configured via FRC in the
Hardware Setup menu:
•Relay Use→Relay 2 = SYS Mode Light
•Relay Use→Relay 3 = LOC Mode Light
Figure 7: System and Local Mode Lights Configuration