Astro Saber or XTS3000/5000

[abbylind]

Hi all
Ive been reading all I can on the Astro Saber and XTS series, now Im in the financial relm where I can purchase one or the other. Ive got several jedi series radios and assys, and a few sabers and assys.
I can purchase a XTS5000, but Im wary of a newer product. (bugs). I like both but I cant decide! Im looking for a VHF model for local stuff and ham channels. HELP! Your + and - on both types will be helpful.
Thanks
Fowler

[mike m]

If you want one now on VHF then your only choice is one of the XTS3X00 series.

Since you mention that you want it for VHF then you will have to wait for the XTS5000 as the only XTS5000 model available at this time is the 700/800 Mhz dual band version, the VHF and UHF models are still pending. You probably want to contact moto and find out when the VHFs will be available. Just checked the motorola page and it still list the VHF and UHF models as future versions. Check it out at the following link
http://www.motorola.com/cgiss/portables/xts5000.shtml

Mike

[abbylind]

Thanks for the info Mike
A local PD here is looking to purchase some VHF XTS5000 or Kenwood portables. They are supposed to get one of each to test in the near future. I'll keep everyone posted of the progress.
Fowler

[Astro_Saber]

get a astro saber 3 and you will get the best

[/\/\y 2 cents]

If they are looking into XTS5000 portables, im sure that they are not really looing into the kenwoods.....if they are looking into the Kenwoods, then they would have absolutely no reason to be looking into XTS5000....you are comparing apples and oranges...if they use any type of Signalling or trunking the Kenwoods are pretty much useless.....the Kenwoods area BUSINESS radio and the Motorola XTS series is a PUBLIC SAFTEY radio. If you are a rural department with 3 squad cars and 15 calls a month...the kenwoods are for you....if you are a city with 100,000 plus people then maybe the XTS is for you...you'd be better with an MTS2000 though because there is no way a small city would even think about installing infrastructure to support the kind of features in an xts5000...it would just be a waste of money....in 25 years when the technology evolves, maybe they will buy it...but for now its reserved for those with big budgets and big crime problems...

[abbylind]

It is a small PD (10 officers) They have Kenwood TK-250s now and arent overjoyed with them. (Poor battery performance) Motorola offered them the XTS5000 on state contract. I told this chief to test them both head to head and see what they think. I work for the states largest PD (900 officers). We have an MA/Com Ericsson 800Mhz simulcast digital system. The VHF radio Im looking for is for my personal use/ interdepartment communications.

[/\/\y 2 cents]

yeah the tk-250's have a problem with the bottom of the battery coming off....i sold a crapload of them to a security company and the bottoms fall off like crazy (20,000 times worse than a HT600)....plus the speaker sounds like a Ham HT rather than a speaker that would be in a radio that is used in crazy situations. Id buy em' off the state contract, but just remember once you get them....then you are going to have motorola guys breathing down your neck telling you how much the radio is capiable of and trying to get you to upgrade the whole system....you are basically setting yourself up for a sole source vendor situation. See of you can get MT2000's.they will do everything you need them to do..you can get into MDC1200..plus then when it is time to go digital you have CHOICES as to what kind of system you want to buy, instead of spending all that money on XTS's and then being locked into a Motorola System, when you dont even need the digital capiablity right now. They are trying to set you up to be locked in with them. Trust me.

[abbylind]

Thanks for the info. I'll pass it along to the chief. The MT2000 or even some HT1000s make be the trick for them.