I have about 6 Motorola MT 1000 handheld radios that need repair.  I
want specific instructions on their repair.  I do not want to be an
expert on other types of radios.  I use these in my business and need
to learn to repair them.  I will need to know the tools that are
nesessary, sources for buying parts and repair instructions. I know
nothing about electronics and have never reaired any electronic
equipment.

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Request for Question Clarification by umiat-ga on 07 Jun 2004 07:56 PDT

Hello, christophergsmith!

 I have a source for the service manual for your Motorola MT 1000
handheld radios, which should provide repair instructions. If this is
of interest, please let me know. Otherwise, it appears that repair
information is next to impossible to find.

 Please feel free to change the price of your question if this
information is of interest, since it is merely an order number and
price information.

umiat

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 07 Jun 2004 12:45 PDT

Hello christophergsmith-ga,

I wonder if learning to repair your Motorola MT-1000s yourself is the
best solution to your problem. You say, ?I know nothing about
electronics and have never repaired any electronic equipment.? I
suggest that you consider the opportunity costs involved in your
learning and doing the repairs yourself vs. paying someone else to do
it.

It seems to me that a lot depends on the state of the 6 units you own
and how often they need to be repaired. If your need for repairs is
infrequent it might be more reasonable to pay for the repairs instead
of investing your time to learn to do the repairs yourself. It might
also make sense to replace instead of repair the faulty units. It
might be worthwhile to investigate how much it would cost to buy
replacement units as compared to repair costs.

I?d also need to know more about your abilities and background to be
able to suggest appropriate electronics training if you decide that it
will be worthwhile for you to learn how to repair your own equipment.
Are you handy at doing repairs? Are you effective at troubleshooting?
Do you like working with equipment and gadgets? Do you enjoy working
with your hands and doing repairs? Are you good at it? Do you expect
to learn how to do these repairs simply from reading instructions or
are you looking for a class? If you?re looking for a class, where are
you located? In an earlier question you mentioned The Mystery Spot.
Are you in Santa Cruz?

Have you considered the opportunity costs? How do you normally spend
your time? How much is your time worth? Could you be making
significantly more money doing something else and pay an expert to
accomplish the repairs?

My preliminary research shows that there are lots of Motorola MT-1000
radios for sale from a variety of sources at a range of prices. Simply
replacing a malfunctioning unit might be the way to go. I also found
that there are many repair shops that specialize in Motorola
equipment. The pricing varies greatly and deciding which one would
best suit your needs would depend on knowing the condition of your
equipment and the likely frequency and seriousness of the repairs
needed.

I?d love to help you with your question but I don?t know how to begin.
I look forward to your clarification to set the appropriate direction.
Thanks.

~ czh ~

You can find a parts list here:

http://www.diversifiedelectronics.com/pdf/mt1000.pdf

and contact them for parts here:

http://www.diversifiedelectronics.com/web1.asp?NameID=Locations

You can find a service manual here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5702869099&category=296

To get started repairing electronics like this, by far the easiest way
to approach it is by swapping parts with a working unit.

In other words, you take one part (and only one!) and swap it with a
working unit. If the problem follows the part, then that part is
broken. If not, move on to the next unit.

correction: when I said "If not, move on to the next unit" I meant "If
not, move on to the next part"...