VIC-3 system help

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RockHillWill
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VIC-3 system help

Post by RockHillWill » Sat Dec 30, 2017 4:13 am

Good morning, guys, I hate to repeatedly expose my lack of 'electronic' knowledge, but I need help here. I am in the midst of adding the top parts from the Connecticut TOW missile acquisition to the troop carrier lower that I got from GP, and I am doing research to acquire the Intercom system for use between just me and the wife as we start to travel in this truck.

I have the TM-11-5830-263-10 for the VIC-3 and TM-11-5820-890-30-4 for the LS-671 speakers that came with the TOW missile setup. Looking thru the TM for the VIC-3, the part numbers are A320**** and the numbers on Ebay are CX-**** . I am having trouble cross referencing these numbers and matching them to 'loudspeaker', 'highway', 'power', etc.

In the schematic below: Do I need a radio interface if I am not using a radio, but only the intercom system? Do I get the power from the battery or can I pick up the 24v at the ignition switch? I have been told that I need a 'power source'. Is that a separate component or just the 24v connection point.

Any suggestions or additions to the sketch below would be most welcomed. Thanks guys!

I might be interested in (2) FFCS. Would prefer that are in good used, matching condition, as I am rebuilding this truck to have it's original/aged appearance since the top and bottom components and camo paint scheme of the body match so well.
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JuanPrado
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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by JuanPrado » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:07 am

I can't seem to post TM pdf's here but there available at:
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthrea ... ost2091362

The LS 671 speakers would hook up directly to the sincgars radio. The Master station does have louspeaker output but it is the standard 6 pin. I have not seen an ls671 cable that goes to 6 pin audio connector? The one the tm calls out is the LS688 but I suspect the newer Harris RF-5980-SA001 would also work as they use the same 6 pin. Harris does require a separate 3 pin power cable.

The radio interface is for using an additional 2 radios and not needed. System can stand on its own.

There are 2 numbering systems for the cables. They can be called A320XXXX or CX-13XXX I think depending on who makes them? so you need to search both ways or the nsn. Cross reference here:
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthrea ... ost2091366

Typically the power is picked up off the radio as the cable they reference has the standard 4 pin connector for power. You could cut that off and just power from 24V. There is an ebay seller that sells the power cable with just bare ends. I can't seem to find the military number for it or if he is just cutting ends off and selling? Could also be he is making the cable up?

RockHillWill
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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by RockHillWill » Sat Dec 30, 2017 4:18 pm

Thanks, Juan, that helped a great deal. I am also very happy with the parts!

I have updated my intercom schematic to show the new cable number with one exception. The TM shows the loudspeaker cable as #A3206193-'X', but the chart did not seem to show a cross reference for that number. Any suggestions, guys?

In reviewing the TM it shows the MCS as #CD-82/VRC and I can see what that looks like from parts that are on Ebay. I have also seen this other 'MCS? that is smaller box with less 'dials, etc.' Will it function for an intercom that does not use a radio? What might be the drawbacks?


The TM also shows the FFCS as a box with a colored dial at the lower left and a connection for a Push To Talk cable. But all I have been able to get a look at have the colored dial at both lower positions. I want to use this intercom system to talk to the passenger while driving. What do I need to use?

Thanks again for the help.
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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by 86humv » Sat Dec 30, 2017 6:29 pm

The proper system for the Vic-3 Lite is the two photo's above last drawing.
Thats what is normally in a Hmmwv.
You need a mt-6352/vrc Radio tray to hook the Vic power cord to.
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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by Augi » Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:53 pm

You've got a couple of different things going on here.

Firstly, forget about the LS671's. They are unrelated to the VIC-3 system and will not connect. There is a different loudspeaker (LS-688 with cable CX-13492) that will connect to the CD-82 MCS but I have never found it particularly useful. Mine didn't have enough volume.

There are two types of VIC-3 systems.

The older system is referred to as "VIC-3" or "ROVIS" and is what you've got pictured in your line drawings. It was originally fielded in larger armored vehicles and tracks and is made up of the CD-82 MCS (the bigger Master Control Station), FFCS's (Full-Function Crew Stations) and RIT's (Radio Interface Terminals). You can identify the FFCS because there is only one volume control knob with the Green/Yellow/Red arc drawn around it. This is because you can only hook one headset to an FFCS (one crew member per box).

The newer, smaller system is called "VIC-3 Lite" or "ROVIS/LV2" and is what is in the two photos you've attached. It is meant for HMMWV's and other smaller vehicles. It's made up of the MCS/L (Master Control Station Lite) and FFCS/L's (Full Function Crew Station Lite). The FFCS/L's have two volume knobs because they are designed to have two headsets connected to a single box (two fully independent intercom stations).

The components between the VIC-3 and VIC-3 Lite are interchangeable, so you can use whatever you want or whatever you can get. The most basic setup and the one that it sounds like you want is a single MCS/L with a single FFCS/L. This will allow you to have two people on the intercom. You will need a power cable CX-13468 and a highway cable CX-13470 to connect them together (plus headsets with bailout cables). The "X" you've got written at the end of cable part number is the length in feet and inches.

The CX-13468 power cable typically has a connector on the far end to connect to the SINCGARS or VRC-12 family radio trays to draw power. Some also come with flying leads to connect directly to the battery. If you have one with a connector you can cut it off if you want. I'd recommend a 5A or similar fuse in line if you go direct to the battery (I can't remember if the peak draw is 3a or 5a).

The difference between the two MCS's is that the CD-82 has a bunch of buttons and and LCD readout that allows you to program permissions for each radio to each crew station. You can independently allow each crew member to Rx and Tx, Rx only or neither for each connected radio. The MCS/L doesn't have that feature. Everybody has full permissions to all attached radios.

Either MCS will allow connection of two radios at the ports marked "Radio A" and "Radio B". You don't need to use the RIT in your system unless you want to add a third or fourth radio.

The FFCS/L's don't allow the crew members to select Live Mic/PTT/Voice Activated for their headset microphones. This selection is made for the entire intercom system with the MCS/L power switch. FFCS/L's also have a slightly less complex choice of which radios you are listening to concurrently, but they offer a second intercom channel so if there are three or more crew on the intercom, some them can switch to the second channel to have a private conversation that the people on the first channel can't hear.

Pay attention when hooking up the highway cables between the boxes. The FFCS/L boxes are marked " Station In" and " Station Out" whereas the FFCS boxes are marked simply "Station". However all boxes of either type require you to connect the highway cable from station out from one unit to station in on the next unit. The MCS also has an in and an out you must obey but is not marked as such. If you connect an in to an in or an out to an out the box will not show up on the network. The "In" connector is on the right of the FFCS and the bottom connector of the two on the MCS. You must hook to the out connector on the MCS first and may only complete the ring back to the in connector. You can't use the in connector to make a separate branch.

Augi

RockHillWill
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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by RockHillWill » Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:42 am

Thanks Augi, that is just the info I needed to make a decision on which way to go on this project. In looking at the TM 11-5830-263-20&P, I have located the speaker cable #A3206193 (not able to determine the CX-*** number). Is there a TM that might show the cable that does go with the LS-671 speakers, that I might be able to separate and 'rewire', or swap end couplings, so that I might be able to use these speakers with this system? Thanks again!

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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by Augi » Sun Dec 31, 2017 10:06 am

I've seen pinouts for the LS-671 but I forget where. Probably in the SINCGARS tm's. They have a special cable that looks like a CX-4073 but has one pair of pins crossed somewhere. Beltfed usually has them listed on eBay as speaker cables and they are 30-100ft long.

The problem you are going to run into is that the LS-671 is amplified and requires 24v power to operate. The only place you will get that is the center pin on the crew box audio connector (which is meant to power the headset ANR). I don't think the loudspeaker output on the MCS has power exposed. If you want to install an extra crew box to run the speaker then you can make yourself a cable and that should work. Or you can feed it 24v from somewhere else like direct from the batteries.

Overall though, with the cost of the correct speaker being under $50, you will probably spend similar money on parts to try and adapt the wrong speaker, plus create a lot of extra work for yourself.

Augi

RockHillWill
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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by RockHillWill » Sun Dec 31, 2017 1:22 pm

That sounds like good advice. Thank you!

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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by ohiohmmwv » Sun Jan 28, 2018 8:40 am

Augi wrote:I've seen pinouts for the LS-671 but I forget where. Probably in the SINCGARS tm's. They have a special cable that looks like a CX-4073 but has one pair of pins crossed somewhere. Beltfed usually has them listed on eBay as speaker cables and they are 30-100ft long.

The problem you are going to run into is that the LS-671 is amplified and requires 24v power to operate. The only place you will get that is the center pin on the crew box audio connector (which is meant to power the headset ANR). I don't think the loudspeaker output on the MCS has power exposed. If you want to install an extra crew box to run the speaker then you can make yourself a cable and that should work. Or you can feed it 24v from somewhere else like direct from the batteries.

Overall though, with the cost of the correct speaker being under $50, you will probably spend similar money on parts to try and adapt the wrong speaker, plus create a lot of extra work for yourself.

Augi
Augi, are the two cables that go to the radio mounting base the same? The docs I have show different part numbers but I was surprised they would need to be different.

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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by Augi » Mon Jan 29, 2018 11:30 am

Can you be more specific?

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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by ohiohmmwv » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:30 pm

I was referring to the two cables that connect the vic3 system to the sincgar radio.


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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by 86humv » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:26 pm

Those cables are wired the same...only difference is the clocking on the Vic 3 box cable end......one faces right, other faces left.
A3206127-x
A3206019-x
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Re: VIC-3 system help

Post by Seph Thomas » Mon Jun 03, 2019 3:27 pm

Struggling having power to my vic3 lite.

Am i doing it the right way?

Connection from the batteries to the sincgars power bar (male) and from the power bar (green-female) to the vic3 lite


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