Batboard

http://www.motorola.com/Business/US-EN/ ... ADIO_US-EN

Interesting.

Funny... looks identical to the new TRBO radio that was up on eBay not long ago.

Looks like a P100 with a keypad and display lol

Now I know why they bought Vertex , so the radios look the same...Uggh

so is this it for the APX portable line?

gopher wrote:so is this it for the APX portable line?

Yes, looks to be targeted towards public works type users.

Ugly one.

looks like a Hytera

"rural public safety" i guess in the country they don't get nice radios? its actually not that bad. Like the new trbo no steroids. Its a pitty they wont flip the switch and make them dual p25/dmr .

I guess with this new APX radio ( and more on the way so I'm told ) this is just one more nail in the XTS line's coffin.

Shame, as I really enjoy my XTS5000.

our local MSS is touting these as a replacement for the soon to be cancelled XTS2500.

MTS2000des wrote:our local MSS is touting these as a replacement for the soon to be cancelled XTS2500.

Hmmm, makes me wonder if the XTS5000 won't be far behind.

Only a matter of time. The 5K will have been out 10 years next year.
Coweta county, GA just bought a V7.9 700MHz Astro 25 system, and bought all APX6000's.
Their price was around $2700 a radio, which is about what a similarly equipped 5K goes for, except they got the GPS option and BT on their radios, which you can't get in a 5K (well you can get that $450 GPS RSM and an add-on BT dongle).

It's usually what ma M does when their transitioning product lines, price the new the same as the old. What would YOU buy?

2500's and 5000's are about to get alot cheaper.

gopher wrote:"rural public safety" i guess in the country they don't get nice radios? its actually not that bad. Like the new trbo no steroids. Its a pitty they wont flip the switch and make them dual p25/dmr .

Pfft, no, we don't. We're in pretty decent shape funding-wise (and 30 miles from a major metropolitan area) and I just took the last Midland Syntech out of service about 6 months ago...

tvsjr wrote:

gopher wrote:"rural public safety" i guess in the country they don't get nice radios? its actually not that bad. Like the new trbo no steroids. Its a pitty they wont flip the switch and make them dual p25/dmr .

Pfft, no, we don't. We're in pretty decent shape funding-wise (and 30 miles from a major metropolitan area) and I just took the last Midland Syntech out of service about 6 months ago...

Hey now, jban got brand new APX7000s for his vollie FD, free handout from the State and it will significantly improve life safety of the taxpayers in his district......somehow

escomm wrote:Hey now, jban got brand new APX7000s for his vollie FD, free handout from the State and it will significantly improve life safety of the taxpayers in his district......somehow

Be careful about how much you run your head, Jeff. The APXs weren't from the state - they weren't even grant-funded. Private donation. I'll let John elaborate if he cares to do so.

I wouldn't even have a problem if they were grant-funded. They were one of the first agencies in on the massive Central Texas wildfires... I'd say they deserve a toy or two.

tvsjr wrote:

escomm wrote:Hey now, jban got brand new APX7000s for his vollie FD, free handout from the State and it will significantly improve life safety of the taxpayers in his district......somehow

Be careful about how much you run your head, Jeff. The APXs weren't from the state - they weren't even grant-funded. Private donation. I'll let John elaborate if he cares to do so.

I wouldn't even have a problem if they were grant-funded. They were one of the first agencies in on the massive Central Texas wildfires... I'd say they deserve a toy or two.

Simmer down Terry, you're far too uptight. The source of the radios is irrelevant and unimportant; though while we're at it, the e-peen wagging about getting them on batlabs is pointless and adds nothing to the community.

The point here is that these new radios are extremely expensive, VFD's are not exactly known for having million dollar budgets; and that while these new radios are nice, the features they bring to the table are lateral upgrades from the Astro25 line, aside from pretty bells and whistles that again, do not improve life safety.

Edit: Surely you'll keep in mind the context of the conversation was that VFD's "don't get nice radios" (your own words)

Most VFD's in Georgia can barely afford new batteries for used Kenwood TK-250G's let alone APX radios, but they'd love to have them, especially with the predominance of new next door regional Astro 25 700/800 trunking systems getting oversold to entire counties with less population that one single ward of the city of Atlanta.

I'd love to know who's handing out free APX radios. I can get them put to good use by some very needy FD's in North Georgia (trying to find them a solution to their narrowbanding needs as I write this).

Yea, I will take one too.

We are still rockin the whored out astro sabers with 6.whatever firmware just to get on the State system.

Just switched from the XTS3000's over to the 5000's not too long ago, so no new APX ANY time soon. Especially with the budgets getting smaller and smaller and smaller and . . . .

MT2000 man wrote:I guess with this new APX radio ( and more on the way so I'm told ) this is just one more nail in the XTS line's coffin.

Shame, as I really enjoy my XTS5000.

Trust me on this..
Once you get a APX7000 in your hand you will not give it back. The 5000 will be put on a shelf....mine did.

Once you pick up an APX 4000 you'll find it's really rather good for the price.

It not the same as the XPR7550 see:

APX4000

Source: Motorola.com

XPR7550

Source: eBay.com

I saw them a few days ago. They're not APX7000 or APX6000's but look like good quick-carries!

According to the APX CPS, Mother has many new radios in store for us...

SRX2200
APX2000
4000
5000
5500
6000
6000Li
6500
6500Li
7000
7000XE
7500

And speaking of new toys....a system I'm involved with just took delivery of 7 GTR 8000 base stations to start changing out the Quantars....from the look of them, I think I like the Quantars better, the GTR has no slide in moduals for service. Although now the simulcast is IP based with no levels to set.

loband wrote:According to the APX CPS, Mother has many new radios in store for us...

SRX2200
APX2000
4000
5000
5500
6000
6000Li
6500
6500Li
7000
7000XE
7500

WOW ! So, basically once the XTS series gets flushed out ( probably by Q3 / Q4 of this year, if not sooner ) then this will be all that remains. Hmmm, looks like it's time to pick up an APX7000 next ! I like the way Motorola kinda went back to the old Saber design with the APX7000. When it first debuted like 3 years ago, that's what I first thought of when I saw the battery, and the form factor of the radio. It will be interesting to see what the APX 2000, 4000, 5000, and 5500 will look like. I already got a sneak peak of the SRX2200, and that looks pretty darn cool ! ( it's a military radio ).

MT2000man,
Trust me, get your paws on a 7000....the 1 watt rx audio is unbeliveable!! I stll use my XTS5K for dirty jobs. But my main carry is the APX for VHF&UHF and for 700/800 I still use a XTS5K . The Liberty is nice too for all bands but a brick to carry so it stays with the xts 800 in the Pelican box for interops. By the way the state we're in is going to be getting rid of a lot of XTS 800mhz. Going to the APX, FF county - APX is VHF/800 to interop with the RR.

loband wrote:APX is VHF/800 to interop with the RR.

Until the railroad starts implementing NXDN, anyway.

motorola_otaku wrote:

loband wrote:APX is VHF/800 to interop with the RR.

Until the railroad starts implementing NXDN, anyway.

Is that ever going to happen on an AAR basis or just on a per railroad basis?

escomm wrote:

motorola_otaku wrote:

loband wrote:APX is VHF/800 to interop with the RR.

Until the railroad starts implementing NXDN, anyway.

Is that ever going to happen on an AAR basis or just on a per railroad basis?

AAR isn't forcing member roads to implement NXDN, but they have mandated that NXDN is the only digital voice format they will permit on AAR VHF channels. What that means for the handful of limited P25 implementations (like UP's P25 trunk up in Portland) no one seems to know.

motorola_otaku wrote:AAR isn't forcing member roads to implement NXDN, but they have mandated that NXDN is the only digital voice format they will permit on AAR VHF channels. What that means for the handful of limited P25 implementations (like UP's P25 trunk up in Portland) no one seems to know.

And thus accordingly shuts out TRBO as well, eh? Seems if there's no interchange and the units with radios remain in captive service that they'd be free to use whatever digital they'd want so long as they could revert to the new narrowband analog channel plan /shrug

Our local railroad, Metro North RR NY-CT will still use analog equipment. At this time they are still using 60watt VHF Mitrex mobiles.

My hunch is the RR's will move to NXDN about the same time I can flash uplift my lowband Maratrac to work on 9600 trunking.

I think just about everyone is narrowbanded, but even some of the Class I's haven't enabled NXDN in the radios anyway.

One local RR here just went NXDN last year....

from the spec sheet:

Supported Encryption Algorithms AES and ADP
Encryption Algorithm Capacity Single Algorithm

well that sucks...

motorola_otaku wrote:but they have mandated that NXDN is the only digital voice format they will permit on AAR VHF channels.

Since when can the AAR dictate what a private railway uses for technology? CN has some P25 channels up here in Canuck land they use for yard switching.

UP, BNSF and I am sure most others have gone to the JEM radio's that have the NX200? mobile as the radio inside. The new portables are Kenwoods as well. No one really likes them (compared to the RR Spectra/RR ASTRO Spectra). Currently the ones that I have used do not allow the use of the ultra narrow AAR channels (like 192 etc) or to change the mode from analog to digital. Just wide or narrow analog channels (24 or 024).

AAR is like the NFPA. Pretty much what they have as standards, rules the world and carry the weight of law when something happens. The GCOR is based on the CFR and then the RR's modify it to their use while complying with AAR and CFR standards/laws.

In case any of you haven't seen the SRX2200, here it is:

Spiffy50 wrote:

motorola_otaku wrote:but they have mandated that NXDN is the only digital voice format they will permit on AAR VHF channels.

Since when can the AAR dictate what a private railway uses for technology? CN has some P25 channels up here in Canuck land they use for yard switching.

AAR is the only FCC-approved coordinating body for 160-161 MHz railroad service frequencies. Obviously that doesn't apply to Canuckistan.

And to keep it somewhat on topic, the APXes haven't caught on with the special agents down here.. seems they still prefer to carry two radios (a Kenwood for VHF plus an XTS for the local trunk.)

motorola_otaku wrote:And to keep it somewhat on topic, the APXes haven't caught on with the special agents down here.. seems they still prefer to carry two radios (a Kenwood for VHF plus an XTS for the local trunk.)

Not so much up here... 7000s on the belt, 7500s in the car. UP just bought them for the special agents up here for interop.

loband wrote:And speaking of new toys....a system I'm involved with just took delivery of 7 GTR 8000 base stations to start changing out the Quantars....from the look of them, I think I like the Quantars better, the GTR has no slide in moduals for service. Although now the simulcast is IP based with no levels to set.

Sure it does. Very much a modular system just more integrated sub systems.

Yes, I know after taking a closer look at them.

If the XTS gets canned, what about the MT1500 and PR1500, it seems like they were introduced yesterday

poser wrote:If the XTS gets canned, what about the MT1500 and PR1500, it seems like they were introduced yesterday

The XTS2500 was made available in 900mhz to replace the MTS2000. I'm sure they'll be available in 900mhz guise for Petrochemical and Utility customers for some time to come. I know the TRBO radios will also do SmartNet in 900mhz, but Motorola has shifted several analog systems over to Astro digital.

mikegilbert wrote:

poser wrote:If the XTS gets canned, what about the MT1500 and PR1500, it seems like they were introduced yesterday

The XTS2500 was made available in 900mhz to replace the MTS2000. I'm sure they'll be available in 900mhz guise for Petrochemical and Utility customers for some time to come. I know the TRBO radios will also do SmartNet in 900mhz, but Motorola has shifted several analog systems over to Astro digital.

I fully expect that the XTS Astro25 line to go poof sooner than later once all the APX line portables and mobiles are released. They (M) keeps saying "oh the XTS5000 has not been end of life as of yet" but those of us who have tried ordering anything from the mother ship have come to find that they don't stock the stuff like they used to. There are a ton of manufacturing breaks in the parts process, making some combinations of parts that would have years ago worked together to fail today. (see discussion on then and now XTS3000 displays and firmware upgrades). It's not a sustainable model and they will run out of parts faster than they can replace them for the A25 series (if I had to guess).

The XPR line seems to be addressing the 900mhz smartnet/zone users for the time being. A lot of the power/utility companies that exist in the 900 band are COAM users and are not itching to ditch their old systems. They are also not itching to buy XTS2500 radios to replace their MT/MTS radios that were at least $1000+ cheaper. So this is probably the driver for the 800/900 XPR. They don't need or want a public safety radio.

I wouldn't expect to see a 900mhz APX variant in the near future unless those people in 900 start buying systems. Maybe they have been buying systems, I'd have no clue, but an interesting thought for discussion.

Alex

alex wrote:They don't need or want a public safety radio.

Utility companies, sure, but the petrochemical and industrial sectors are big customers of public safety-grade hardware, and pound on it as hard or harder than cops and firemen. The analog Saber was a favorite among refineries and plants on the Houston Ship Channel before trunking started making inroads, and I have personally seen XTS2500s in service on plant UHF Smartnet systems.

And before you rule out utilities completely, didn't some power company up in Illinois just buy a multi-site Astro25 900 system?

motorola_otaku wrote:

alex wrote:They don't need or want a public safety radio.

Utility companies, sure, but the petrochemical and industrial sectors are big customers of public safety-grade hardware, and pound on it as hard or harder than cops and firemen. The analog Saber was a favorite among refineries and plants on the Houston Ship Channel before trunking started making inroads, and I have personally seen XTS2500s in service on plant UHF Smartnet systems.

And before you rule out utilities completely, didn't some power company up in Illinois just buy a multi-site Astro25 900 system?

That would be Com-Ed. They used to have a smartnet 900 system in the early 90's then more or less moved to Mextel. Now with Mextel falling apart they are headed back to 900.

Was just going to post that. They bought an astro25 system with 50 5500 consoles, another 25 sites and xts2500's iirc.

Pj wrote:Was just going to post that. They bought an astro25 system with 50 5500 consoles, another 25 sites and xts2500's iirc.

and all the while my electric bill is going up and up... One of the guys on my old Volunteer FD was a radio tech for Com-Ed in 1995 he had a 900 MTS back in the day as his tech radio. One day he was showing me how it worked and was talking to his coworker in Peoria IL and we were in the western suburbs of Chicago. I was floored..I was easlily amused back then.