Motorola ASTRO Digital XTS 3000 User manual

MOTOROLA XTS 3000
HANDHELD RADIO
Radio Operator’s Manual
Los Angeles County Sheriff
Communications and Fleet Management Bureau

MOTOROLA XTS 3000 RADIO TRAINING 2 of 12
MOTOROLA XTS 3000 HANDHELD RADIO USER’S MANUAL
I. INTRODUCTION
A. The XTS 3000 portable radio represents Motorola Corporation’s latest
technology. It is the latest version of an “Astro” radio, such as the one used
by LAPD, in a new package.
1. All Functions and Frequencies are software programmable.
2. Costs, including support equipment near $2,700 per unit
B. This radio was first issued to SEB, TSB, HQ Det., Compton, and a limited
number of Field Operations Regions, field supervisors.
1. The radio is very rugged.
2. This radio is manufactured to Military Specifications.
3. Complete or partial failure rates are very low.
4. Each unit comes with a 3 year service plan
C. Our Department has licenses to operate 55 channels in the 470 and 480 MHz
frequency range.
1. The MRK radios will transmit and receive from 470 MHz to 504 MHz.
2. The XTS radios have a working range from 450 MHz to 512 MHz.
3. 95% of all Law Enforcement agencies in the Los Angeles area are
within this frequency range.
a. This allows a large window of interoperability and we have taken
advantage of the opportunity.
II CHARGER
A. Multi-Station re-conditioning chargers, which will only work with the XTS
batteries are provided at a rate of one charger for every seven radios.
1. Re-conditioning chargers will reduce the memory effect, providing
longer battery life.
B. Batteries charge for 4 hours:
1. A green light may appear early- however, the batteries should be
charged for 4 full hours.
2. Trickle-charge will occur after the battery reaches full charge.
3. Extended time in the charger will not damage the batteries.
C. The charger should probably be placed in the W/Sergeant, W/Commander’s
Office or a locked armory.

MOTOROLA XTS 3000 RADIO TRAINING 3 of 12
III BATTERY
A. Batteries are Ni-Cad, or Nickel-Metal Hydride. Both are Good batteries
1. Motorola claims they have an 10-12 hour battery life.
2. Batteries are still prone to ‘memory’ buildup .
3. If the battery does not hold a full charge, return it to the Systems
Maintenance Section at SCC for replacement and/or reconditioning.
4. Typical battery life cycles are 12-18 months.
B. Why is the battery so large?
1. A battery designed and engineered to provide enough energy for a 5
watt portable radio is necessarily this size.
2. The longer battery life (per shift/cycle) the larger/heavier the battery.
C. Radio Battery Contacts
1. There are 4 small round brass plates on the back of the battery.
a. These plates are “Short-out” protected. Contact with a metal
object will not damage the battery.
2. There are 3 small slots on the front of the battery, with brass contacts
visible, protected by a plastic grid.
a. These are the Radio contacts.
b. There is no “short-out” protection on these contacts, and contact
with a metal object will damage the battery.
D. Release Button
1. There is a small button located on the bottom of the battery.
a. When the button is pushed, two small metal clips are raised,
and release the battery from the radio.
E. Battery Top Lip
1. There is a thin plastic lip along top of the battery.
a. This lip fits into a groove along the top of the radio. As the
battery is lowered, it locks into place.
IV “D-button”
A. Upon initial deployment, one “D” button is issued for each battery.
B. It fits into the standard Department belt-loop holder.
C. Available at Central Supply, part number; NTN9212A.
D. Must be removed and transferred from battery to battery if there is not enough
in inventory to put one on each battery.
E. The D-ring slides into the 2 parallel slots near the top of the battery back.
F. To remove the D-ring;
1. Hold the battery in your right hand, with your right thumb directly under
the D-ring.

MOTOROLA XTS 3000 RADIO TRAINING 4 of 12
2. Find the small metal tab, in the middle of the plastic lip, along the top of
the battery.
3. With your left finger, push that tab toward the D-ring, away from the
battery.
4. Use your right thumb to push up on the D-ring. The D-ring should slide
off the battery.
G. Attaching D-ring to Belt Holder
1. The D-ring slides into the current holder upside down, then, pivots right
side up.
2. The D-ring must pivot freely in the holder.
V. RADIO
A. Why is the radio so large?
1. A portable radio designed and engineered to military specifications,
providing desired and necessary features, is necessarily this size.
B Removing the battery from the radio:
1. Push the button on the bottom of the battery.
2. Lift the bottom of the battery away from the bottom of the radio, until
the tops disengage.
C. Connecting the battery to the radio:
1. Lay the radio on a table, face down.
2. Hold the battery at a 45 degree angle.
3. Insert the lip on the top of the battery into the groove near the top of
the radio.
4. Lower the battery onto the radio and squeeze the bottom of the battery
and radio together until a click is heard.
VI MICROPHONE
A. This Mic is a standard design.
1. Speaker/Microphone head and Push-to-Talk button.
a. It is less expensive than past designs at $60.00 each.
b. We also have the ability to make certain repairs.
c. NO E-trigger on the Microphone.
B. External Ear-Phone Jack
1. Find the small rubber plug on the Mic connector, next to the Mic cord.
It is threaded into the ear-phone jack.
1. This requires a special Earpiece from Motorola. There are three
different model starting at approximately $30.00 each.
2. Keep the rubber plug inserted in the jack when not in use.

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C. The speaker microphone is a permanent part of the radio and
is not to be removed; by Department Policy and Station
Order.
VII ANTENNA
A. The threads on the radio and in the antenna are metal.
B. The antenna must be firmly tightened on the radio to work properly.
VIII FUNCTIONS ON THE TOP OF THE RADIO
A. The small toggle switch next to the letters “A B C” provides no function.
B. Emergency Trigger
1. The Orange Button in front of antenna is the Emergency Trigger.
2. To activate it, depress the button for approximately 2 seconds.
3. When depressed, it switches the radio from whatever channel and
configuration, to the Emergency Channel, repeat mode.
4. SCC is automatically notified of the activation.
5. It does not provide an “open mike”. A push to talk switch must be used.
6. To reset the E-trigger, simply turn the radio off and back on again.
7. When depressed, the radio transmits the 5 digit AID number ,
engraved on the bottom front of the radio, every time a push to talk
(PTT) switch is depressed.
a. It’s the short burst that can be heard every time one uses a PTT
switch and is the primary reason that the user should not “rush”
the mike.
b. The digital burst will cover ANY radio transmission.
C. Repeat/Direct Selector Switch
1. The collar switch that rotates toggles back and forth at the base of the
middle (frequency) knob controls the indicator moving between a
“circle” and a “slash/circle”, on the top/front of the radio, just above and
slightly left of the Emergency Button. This is the Repeat/Direct (talk
around) selector switch.
2. When the selector indicator points to the circle/slash, the radio is in
repeat.
3. When the selector indicator points to the circle, the radio is in direct.
a. A symbol I---->I on the top line of the digital display (right of
center) indicates direct mode.
4. Note: It is unsafe and it is a violation of policy to transmit in
‘direct’ mode on repeated Dispatch Channels.
a. Direct radio transmissions will cover repeated
transmissions within an inexact distance of the person
transmitting in direct.

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D. Channel (frequency) Knob
1. The large knob next to the antenna.
a. The top of the base of the knob is numbered from 1 to 16.
E. On / Off , Volume Control Knob
1. The large knob leaning to one side is the On /Off and Volume Control.
IX FUNCTIONS ON THE SIDE OF THE RADIO
A. Push-to-Talk Button
1. The lower, large oval shaped button with a checker board design, is
the “Push-to-Talk” (PTT) Key.
2. When transmitting, hold the radio with the antenna in the upright
position.
a. This will greatly improve the radio’s effectiveness.
3. Transmit Time Out
a. The transmit time out feature is set at 60 seconds.
1. If the transmit time out alarm sounds, release the PTT
button, and you can again depress the button and complete
your conversation.
B. Keypad Lock Button
1. The Keypad Lock is the small grey button with 2 small squares on the
face.
a. Press this button to lock/unlock the keypad on the front of the
radio.
b. There is no indicator to show that the keypad is actually locked,
but depressing any key will give a “Bonk” sound instead of a
“Beep” when the keypad is locked.
C. Audio Level Monitor Button
1. The small round upper grey button has 1 small square on the face.
This is the Audio level check button.
a. Press this button and the radio produces a squelch tone
indicating the audio level of the radio.
b. Use this button to check the level of audio instead of “keying the
mike”.

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D. Scan/Nuisance Delete Button
1. The purple button near the top, on the side, is the Scan/Nuisance
Delete Button
a. When Scanning channels, depressing this button will
temporarily disable the selected channel from the scan function
(only when the scanned channel is actually receiving audio)
without having to reprogram the radio through the scan menu.
E. Lighted Display
1. The backlight feature is automatic for approx. 5 seconds
a. The display and indicators backlight is activated when;
1. Changing channels with the channel selector knob, or
2. Utilizing the keypad on the face of the radio
X. DISPLAY SCREEN
A. Self-Test
1. When you turn on the radio, it will conduct a “Self Test”.
2. The screen displays “Self Test” and displays several symbols along
the top line. If “Self Test” disappears, the radio is functioning properly.
3. If the radio self-test fails, the screen will display “Error”, and the radio
should be returned to the Systems Maintenance Section for repair.
B. Low Battery Indicator
1. When the battery symbol appears on the screen (extreme left
indicator) and begins flashing, the power is low and the battery should
be replaced.
C. Default Screen
1. The top line displays one symbol which looks like a speaker.
a. This indicates that the automatic squelch is functioning.
2. As other functions are chosen, other symbols also appear on this line.
D. Second Line
1. The second line contains an Area indicator as grouped dispatch
channels are grouped by geographic location, a mode number, and
Dispatch Channel name.
a. N/E indicates NorthEast patrol stations,
b. S/E indicates SouthEast patrol stations,
c. S/W indicates SouthWest patrol stations,
d. N/W indicates NorthWest patrol stations,
e. Modes 5-15 are indicated by M5-M15.
E. Bottom Line
1. This line contains three words: ZONE, SCAN, and PROG.
a. “ZONE” means Mode which is used to change modes.
b. “SCAN” is used to turn the Scan function on and off.
c. “PROG” stands for program which is used to program the scan
frequencies.

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XI KEYPAD
A. Below the display screen is the Keypad consisting of 6 keys.
1. The top row of keys are marked with horizontal white lines. These
keys directly relate to the three words, “ZONE, SCAN, and
PROGRAM”. Press the key to choose the function on the display
directly above it.
2. The HOME key will return the display to the default screen.
3. The arrow keys are used to change the mode and aid in determining
what channels are being scanned.
XII CHANGING THE MODE
A. To change the Mode of your radio:
1. Push the key directly below “ZONE.”
A. The Mode indicator on the display screen will begin to flash.
2. Push the arrow keys (right, or left) until you get to the desired Mode.
A. Left is down, right is up
3. Once the proper Mode is selected, push the HOME key. The display
will stop flashing and return to the default screen.
XIII CHANGING THE CHANNEL
A. To change the channel of your radio:
1. Turn the channel knob, clock-wise or counter-clockwise, until the
desired channel number on the base is aligned with the channel
indicator.
2. The channel name will also appear on the display screen.
a. Example: Mode 1, Channel 1 should read:
“NE1 CVS/ALD1", indicating Crescenta Valley Station and
Altadena Stations Dispatch Channel, Dispatch 1.
XIV Channel Plan
A. New Channel Plan
1. The new channel plan, on each dispatch mode will be:
a. Dispatch, L-TAC, A-TAC, Dispatch L-TAC, A-TAC, etc.
b. The last four channels of each Mode, will be C-TAC channels 1
and 2, the Mutual Aid channel associated with your area, and
the SCC Access Channel.

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XV ** MODE 8 and on ** OUTSIDE AGENCY CHANNELS
A. Mode 8 contains the Community College channels, Clemars, the LAPD
Access channel and L.A. County fire Department Channels.
1. Fire Department Channels are restricted for the most extreme
emergencies.
a. Only under extreme, life and death circumstances can you
transmit on the Fire Dispatch Channel.
b. Fire Department “Blue” channels are geographic tactical
channels.
1) FIRE BL 1 & FIRE BL 2 are central basin channels
2) FIRE BL 3 is a west County channel
3) FIRE BL 6 is a east County channel
4) FIRE BL 12 is a north County channel
5) VERDGORD5 is a Fire ONLY mutual aid channel.
B. Just because it’s here doesn’t mean you can use it.
1. The FCC issues licenses to each agency for specific frequencies.
There are severe penalties for unauthorized use of licensed
channels.
2. If we were to use Alhambra’s frequency and Alhambra
complained there could be serious repercussions, including:
a. Fines of tens of thousands of dollars,
b. Loss of our frequency licenses.
C. Why are Outside Agency frequencies in here?
1. Technology allows us to enter these frequencies in our radios, so, we
have entered all the police frequencies in here that are reachable
within the 450-512 MHz spectrum.
2. Interoperability is a major concern of the Sheriff and other Department
Executives.
D. When can you use another police frequency?
1. In a true emergency, FCC regulations are suspended.
2. When there is a signed frequency sharing agreement between the
concerned agencies.
3. In all other instances;
a. You must use your discretion.
b. LAPD has expressly requested that we not transmit on any of
their dispatch channels.

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c. There is an LAPD access channel available for your use, that is
very similar in nature to the (Sheriff’s Communication Center)
SCC Access channel, as you will later see.
4. Remember: Police agencies don’t know who you are.
a. Identify yourself very clearly,
(1) Example: “ This is Norwalk Sheriff’s, Unit 40 Sam”
XVI SCAN
A. To turn the Scan function on:
1. Press the key directly below “SCAN”.
a. The display indicates if the scan is ON or OFF.
b. The bottom row displays the words: ON, and OFF.
2. Press the key directly under “ON” to turn the scan function on.
a. The “Z” symbol will appear on the display when the scan
function is turned on.
B. To turn the Scan function off:
1. Press the key directly below “SCAN”,
2. Press the key under “OFF”.
a. The “Z” symbol disappears, indicating the scan is now off.
XVII PRIORITY SCAN
A. This radio scans certain frequencies with different priorities. The radio will
scan all channels you have selected.
1. The default channel is what ever channel that you have the Mode and
Channel knob configured to at the time.
2. Using the Mode select function in conjunction with the channel knob,
set the radio to your Dispatch channel
a. Mode ___ , Channel ____.
b. Your Dispatch Channel is now your default channel.
B. Your default channel is the Priority Scan channel.
1. Whenever there is traffic on the default channel, you will hear it.
a. Example 1: You are scanning Alhambra’s channel.
1) If there is simultaneous traffic on both Alhambra’s
channel and your default channel, what happens? You
will hear the traffic on your default channel.
2) If there is no traffic on the default channel, but traffic on
Alhambra’s channel, you will hear the Alhambra traffic.
3) If someone keys a microphone on your default channel,
what would happen? The radio would return to the
default channel.
4) While listening to a scanned channel, you key your
microphone, what happens? The radio will transmit on

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the default channel.
XVIII ADD A CHANNEL TO THE SCAN FUNCTION
A. Press the key below “PROG” (program).
B. Press the key below “SCAN”.
1. Note the little flashing box on the top row of the display. The radio is
now in the program mode.
2. To change modes, use either the left or right arrow key.
3. To select a particular channel, use the channel selector knob.
4. The display shows “SEL” for select and “DEL” for delete. Pressing a
key will either select, or delete your choice.
5. The displayed channel will be selected, or deleted.
6. If a channel is selected the “Z” will appear
7. If a channel is deleted the “Z” will disappear..
C. Press the Home key to exit the program mode and return to your default
mode.
D. Turn the channel selector knob back to your desired channel.
XIX REMOVE A CHANNEL FROM THE SCAN FUNCTION
A. Press the key under “PROG” (program).
B. Press the key under “SCAN” and note the flashing “Program Mode” indicator.
C. Using the arrow keys and channel selector knob, find the channel that you
want to delete.
1. When the right channel appears on the display, the “Z” symbol should
also appear. This indicates that the channel is currently selected as a
scan channel.
D. Press the Delete key.
1. The “Z” symbol will disappear, indicating that the channel is no longer a
scanned channel.
E. Press Home key to exit the program mode and return to the default display.
F. The more channels you scan:
1. The more you have to listen to.
2. The more battery power that is consumed.

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XX VIEW SCAN FREQUENCIES
A. To view the frequencies that have been selected for scan:
1. Press either arrow key and you will see the word “VIEW” in the bottom
left corner of the display.
2. Press the key below “VIEW” and you will now see the word “SCAN”.
3. Press the key under “SCAN” and you will see a channel on the display.
a. The Emergency Channel should be programmed in all radios as
a scanned channel.
b. The adding or removing of scan of the emergency channel
has NO effect on your emergency ‘Trigger’.
c. If no channels are programmed into the scan feature the radio
will indicate “EMPTY LIST”, and when scanning is attempted
you will hear an ‘error’ tone.
4. Press one of the arrow keys, to view other scanned channels.
a. If your display doesn’t change, you are only scanning one
channel.
5. Press the HOME key to exit the “VIEW” mode and return to the default
display.