Best Handheld 800mhz Receiver ?

[WA6OXN]

Just curious and looking for an opinion on the best 800mhz conventional receiver in a Motorola handheld radio.

Astro Saber? XTS3000? XTS5000? Jedi series? I know it's not an STX series !

Just for use in field conditions, so just an opinion or maybe someone has done a comparison in the past.

Thank You !

-Steve

[N4DES]

Do you need analog only or P25 as well? If you need P25 do you need conventional only Phase I or Phase II trunking or any trunking at all?

I think you will find that the receivers in all of the radios posted will do an excellent job, but a receiver is only as good as the antenna and your distance to the taget signal.

[WA6OXN]

Just referring to analog conventional 800. And just looking for folks impression or their real life experiences.

On another note, is there any advantage to the elevated feedpoint 800 antenna's like on the old STX radio's? I see all the newer stuff with the 2" stub or the (approx) 6" 700/800 antenna's.


Thanks!

[N4DES]

If it is just analog conventional 800 an inexpensive MTS2000 with the 6" antenna will probably do the job. If you are in a high signal area then the 2" should work just as fine but YMMV depending on the design of the system(s) you are listening to.

[JPOPatents]

I second that recommendation. An MTS2000 is an outstanding 800 MHz radio for monitoring analog systems. And, you don't have to passively scan trunking systems from a conventional channel to avoid affiliating.

[WA6OXN]

Thanks everyone for the comments, I'm in hilly to desert terrain and I'm using the radio for 2-way comms and I have a choice from the pile 'o radio's here.

It's all simplex work and ground-to-air work so the better receiver, the better off I am.

~Steve