Batboard

I plan to get a VHF with full keypad and display, but I'm not sure if I should go with a "JT1000" or an "MT2000". Did they both have the "display issues"? I know the JT is field programmable, is the MT? Its for ham use, so alot of firmware bells and whistles won't be used.

Any suggestions?

Since the full keypad display board is the same in both the JT1000 and MT2000, both can theoretically suffer from the dead pixel display problem. None of my half dozen Jedi radios have ever had that problem.

A JT1000 is of course field programmable, though it's somewhat cumbersome compared to an amateur rig. It has only 16 channels. A MT2000 is not field programmable, but it has 160 channels, and in my opinion is easier to operate as far as the menus and softkeys go.

If you wanted the best of both worlds you might consider a HT1550. Those radios are newer (and consiquently more expensive), and some people consider them not to be as rugged, but I'm very happy with my UHF high split unit. They can also have issues with bad pixels on the display.

The JT also doesn't support alpha tags, IIRC. It just says "CHANNEL 16" or whatever instead.

I'd have to agree with Akerdam...

Unless you are planning to keep changing your channel layout, a MT2000 would be a better bet for the channel capacity.

The HT1550 with the programming battery would be the best choice of all worlds...in production radio and will do everything under the sun excpet ASTRO...not a bad looking radio either.

Other than that, would be an XTS5000 with the FPP option, but your looking at least $2000 +/- if you could find one.

I think new the 1550 is running around 700ish?

The JT and I think the MT2000 (pretty much anything Jedi) is now discontiuned.

I myself have a UHF MT2000 and a VHF MTS2000, mostly with ham channels and a few commercial frequencies receive only. I'm very pleased with the radios. Neither of mine have the display issues, though I have seen radios that have that problem.

Be advised that once you get bitten by the black Batwing, your Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu gear will seem like complete crap and you'll want to go all /\/\. It's a sickness, and an expensive one at that, but it's so worth it.

I started off with a GTX LTR portable for 900 and from there added the MT and MTS. I have no doubt that I'll be rounding up some mobiles at some point.

The only thing that might be useful in an MTS2000 over a MT2000 is the MPL feature, if you can find one that has it. Just be aware that you can brick it if you use the wrong software.

It really helps to have a spreadsheet made ahead of time with the channels you want programmed into the radio BEFORE you set out programming them. It'll also take some time to get them set up exactly as you want them. There is some stuff I still haven't quite figured out, but I'm learning as I go along.

Sadly, all of the Jedi portables are now discontinued and replaced with the Waris series portables (the HT750, 1250, and 1550 portables).

The main reason I don't recommend them is that you will probably have a harder time getting the RSS for them than the older radios. (Feel free to prove me wrong on this point, gang-- all I know is M won't let me have it)

Naturally, if you have any questions, help is as close as the board. Just keep the rules of the road in mind and in no time at all you too will be a confirmed member of the Church of Motorola.

-b-

I vote for the MT2K,I the JT1000 is an overpriced HT1000 with a display that lets you EDIT the c/p. It isn't a VFO, and in fact, is quite devoid of features (and channels). No alpha tags, no MDC, only one scan list...besides, if you want an affordable field programmable portable get an Icom or Kenwood.

Try to get the newest MT2K you can. Like all Motorola products, the earlier revisions have bugs. with the Jedi's, the early radio suffered from a flimsy flex connector, loosening shields, antenna connectors that came out of the castings, etc etc. The later (1998 on) radios seem to be refined, minus the dead pixels NTN7153/7154 assemblies that Motorola had outsourced to an asian company that did a piss-poor job of die bond laminating the display driver IC's to the board.

MT2K's are getting cheaper by the day. A word of warning about the MTS2000 (not MT), most of them lack any signalling on conventional, and of course there's the TOOLPROOFING issue if you try to use illegal LAB/DEPOT software to program them with. There are lots of surplus V and U MTS2K's showing up on Ebay lately, most of them lack MDC, QC II, etc. if that's what you are looking for.

I did see a seller on Ebay selling 8 MT2000 VHF A7's, all of them appeared to be late 1998 vintage and very clean. He was asking 335 plus shipping BIN, including rapid charger and battery. Not bad if they aren't hacked up parts junk IMO.

WC4RAV wrote: I did see a seller on Ebay selling 8 MT2000 VHF A7's, all of them appeared to be late 1998 vintage and very clean. He was asking 335 plus shipping BIN, including rapid charger and battery. Not bad if they aren't hacked up parts junk IMO.

I saw those too, I did think the price was pretty good. Its always a gamble buying from ebay, and 99% of the time people try to rape you on the price.

I've already been bitten buy the moto bug, all my ht's are motorola, If I could find one that does 220mhz I'd be all set.

There are some 220 GP300's floating around. Pretty rare but they show up from time to time.

How many channels of the 160 will the MT2k scan?

Youy can use lab on any MT or MTX radio to make it do 255 channels.

You can have 20 scanlists, each scanlist is limited to 15 channels.

I believe your limited to 10 channels in each scan list.

VE9MP wrote:I believe your limited to 10 channels in each scan list.

Only when the scan list type is set to "Talkgroup" (i.e. trunking). Conventional lists will allow you 15.

Just a correction to a couple of comments here...

First, there are two display modes available on the JT1000...one simply shows the channel number, the other displays transmit and receive frequency and PL/DPL. You can toggle between these two modes using button 1 on the side (unless that function is reprogrammed somewhere else). Availability of these display modes is controlled via the RSS, as is the selection of which one comes up as the default.

Second, while not having a VFO knob, the JT1000 can be completely programmable to any frequency within its operating range and to any PL/DPL combination, including split codes on transmit vs. receive. In addition, squelch is settable from the keypad, and the operator can freely select between two preset power levels. A fully operator programmable scanlist with a priority channel is also available. (And scan really works.) All of these functions must, of course, be enabled via the RSS.

No question around the features available on other models, but the JT1000 is a very capable radio.

My latest MTS2k is nearly immaculate, and it's ex state government. I've no need for Smartzone, but voting and MDC1200 are certainly handy.

I paid $315 for it.

MTS 2000 Model II low UHF
466AUJxxxx
H01RDF9PW1BN
R06.58
209108-104600-2

H260 250 Modes on W3 and W4 (150 or 160 channels for MTS2000)
G170/H43 Remote Monitor and Radio Trace
H46 One-Touch Operation
H39 Selective Radio Inhibit
H38/G51 Smartzone Operation
Q181 Add StatAlert (MDC1200) Features
H270/H738 MDC Status Message
Q387 Conventional voting scan
Q173/G173 Smartzone OmniLink Operation