Batboard

I found some intersting ASTRO mobile info in a VA radio system contract.
XTL2500, anyone?

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/STARSContrac ... ribers.pdf

XTL 2500:


New heads for the XTL 5000. The W9 looks cool.

I posted these pics of the preproduction photo's of these back in the winter. I think the is also another control head not shown. I'll try to dig up the details when I get home.

Target date of the heads is/was late this year, beginning of next year. These heads will be available for:

XTL series (all heads)

And the W7 version for the MCS2000 series radios. The new MCS line has a similar sounding model number..I'd have to look it up. I believe all the mid-tier (MCS) will use the same head.

Existing XTL5000's can be upgraded to the new heads, but the Astro Spectra/Plus cannot be.

Another new thing I noticed, when powering up the XTL5000's, the display will actually say "XTL5000". I don't know of any other Motorola product that does that...other then Self Check.

At power on Astro Spectra Plus radios display "SPECTRA+"

Making them more and more like ham radios every day, eh?

The W3 looks like something they hired the cellphone group to design...heh.

I wonder if the new MCS heads will work on the exsisting MCS2000 line... doubtful, but who knows.

-Mike

The W9 looks like it should be mounted in an aircraft.

Anyone got links for the 'new' MCS stuff being mentioned?

Unfortuatly, since I am in the process of selling the house, the materials that had all the info are in a box in storage. I still may have something at work...I almost know I do. Give me a few hours and I will see what it has to say. I do like the W7 style head...almost even the W9...either way, I am sure all the console companies will grow rto hate the unique shape of the W9 (not really difficult, but annoying!)

It's probably reasonbly thin, and would be easy to just mount on top of the console on a blank plate.

So who has the word on the Va state system yet? Are they going 9600 ? I'm hoping to get my As to listen in for my pops who travels the 66 / 495 / 95 corridor to and from the house while going to work. Doesn't look like they will be rebroadcasting on analog for any reason either, once everyone is "setup".


CHART

Ok. The stuff I have here says... (dated..so I will include all...)

XTS5000 Model 1/2/3
XTS5000 Model 1R/2R

XTS2500 Model 1/2/3 (Front keypad is slightly different from the 5000)

XTS1500 Model 1

XTL 5000 W3-9
XTL 2500 W7
XTL 1500 Future

Astro Heads will go as follow:

W9 to W9
W4/5/7 to W7 -> Code named "Odyssey" (Black with silver trim)
W3 to W3 with Display
Also appears that a keypad mic with radio controls will be available.

Mid Tier (MCS2000)
All heads will be the W7 Style (Black with black trim) as above, code named "Mantaray"
By the looks of things, a non-display keypad mic will also be available for the MCS radio as well.

The most I can see from what I have, the XTL W7 has 5 softkeys, and the MCS has 4 softkeys. The middle #3 key looks like the P1 style key found on the CDM mobiles. The XTL2500 control head is W7 style as well and its softkeys are labeled as P1-P5.

The mic jacks for all appear to have the modular telco style connectors.

Interestingly enoughy, the photo of the XTL2500 head shows two lines...

NY STATEWIDE
Mutual Aid 1

Guess they thought there were going to get that contract

This was dated Fall of 2003...

The W9 head looks almost as good as a Kenwood TM-D700 Ham radio head!

Looks like Mother M screwed up their proposal a bit. They state that the new LCD W9 head for the XTL 5000 has "an 11 character alphanumeric display, with a 3 x 4 keypad." Even if they meant the old vacuum flourescent W9 head, it had 13 characters of alphanumeric. Oh well...

Larry

I still think these heads are ugly from the first time I saw them.

Once again radios that look like cheap ass consumer cell phones.

ASTROMODAT wrote:The W9 head looks almost as good as a Kenwood TM-D700 Ham radio head!

Looks like Mother M screwed up their proposal a bit. They state that the new LCD W9 head for the XTL 5000 has "an 11 character alphanumeric display, with a 3 x 4 keypad." Even if they meant the old vacuum flourescent W9 head, it had 13 characters of alphanumeric. Oh well...

Larry

Huh? Are you referring to characters displayed, or characters (123,ABC, # etc) that can be displayed?

In the System 9000/W9 heads, there are only 11 segments...

OK, Pj, they may be saying 11 alphanumerical character TYPES. That could make sense. If that is the case, that is impressive.

In their VA STARS proposal, Motorola states that their new LCD W9 head has a 3 x 4 keypad for direct dialing (Section 10.2.1.2). Where is the 3 x 4 keypad on the new LCD W9 head?

I assume it is not a touch display, so I don't see any way the new LCD heads can have a 3 x 4 keypad. Best case, it would have to be on the mic. Sure hope they didn't eliminate this functionality (e.g., no more Data 12 packets in ASTRO?).

Larry

I concur with the "ugly" vote.

At least they finally got rid of those VFDs and went LCD like the rest of the world.