Batboard

Saw a picture today. It is a single band [cheaper] version of the APX7000.

M is really proud of their new APX platform - lots of features + high performance RF + high performance audio.

Now they are starting to introduce additional models to broaden the line.

Hmm... I believe I shall make a prediction: The ASTRO25 line (1500/2500/4000/5000) will turn into the red-headed stepchild. Don't expect to see further platform enhancements, like dual-radio O3, TDMA, etc. The new company line will be "well, you need to upgrade to the APX series for that feature!"

The 3500 is the freaky genetic-experiment half-brother of the XTS3000 that is kept chained up in the attic!

tvsjr wrote:Hmm... I believe I shall make a prediction: The ASTRO25 line (1500/2500/4000/5000) will turn into the red-headed stepchild. Don't expect to see further platform enhancements, like dual-radio O3, TDMA, etc. The new company line will be "well, you need to upgrade to the APX series for that feature!"

Motorola has stated there will be no more product enhancements or features developed for Astro25 platform - the new "mini" APX as XMO has described it will probably start to replace the Astro25 Series. This is obvious from what we have seen of CPS 13... No new major functionality.

If they add anything it will be because they sold someone a feature and said these radios will do it when they don't.

-Alex

Hightower wrote:

tvsjr wrote:Hmm... I believe I shall make a prediction: The ASTRO25 line (1500/2500/4000/5000) will turn into the red-headed stepchild. Don't expect to see further platform enhancements, like dual-radio O3, TDMA, etc. The new company line will be "well, you need to upgrade to the APX series for that feature!"

The XTS3500 is the real red-headed stepchild currently

Heyyy I have one of those!!!

tvsjr wrote:Hmm... I believe I shall make a prediction: The ASTRO25 line (1500/2500/4000/5000) will turn into the red-headed stepchild. Don't expect to see further platform enhancements, like dual-radio O3, TDMA, etc. The new company line will be "well, you need to upgrade to the APX series for that feature!"

Dual radio O3 is definately out.

Yup... so all the departments who bought ASTRO25 gear and were promised that it was "flash upgradable!" and could be upgraded to the newest technologies... now have to replace everything again if they want to go TDMA or get any new features. Sounds like bait and switch to me...

tvsjr wrote:Yup... so all the departments who bought ASTRO25 gear and were promised that it was "flash upgradable!" and could be upgraded to the newest technologies... now have to replace everything again if they want to go TDMA or get any new features. Sounds like bait and switch to me...

Eh - While an O3 does look quite sexy - they do make a dual radio XTL, it just happens to be with a W3 control head. Do you think the majority of the US Gov't (who the option is built for to the best of my knowledge) people who pay out the contracts or sign them care what the head looks like? Hells no. Most of them probably don't know what a radio is, but know enough to go, oh this matches this line etc.

So unless motorola actually has a contract saying do this, do that and the product specs can not be met - then it would be on them to fix.

Sadly I don't think people talking at expo booths about what is to come is really a binding contract. Nor would presentations showing product road maps... Just because they are thinking about it doesn't mean that it'll come out of the box.

Look how long the O9 took to show up...

-Alex

Does the APX6K look like the APX7K? CAn you post a pic.

tvsjr wrote:Yup... so all the departments who bought ASTRO25 gear and were promised that it was "flash upgradable!" and could be upgraded to the newest technologies... now have to replace everything again if they want to go TDMA or get any new features. Sounds like bait and switch to me...

Ill agree with you on that one. The back and forth BS on whether the 5000's [XTL or XTS] would be PhaseII ready annoyed a lot of people. "Oh, the model III's will, but not the Model I or II's , etc" I've heard it all, and knew they would eat all that sooner or later, with the APX coming..

WCHija wrote:Does the APX6K look like the APX7K? CAn you post a pic.

Slice a line off the 7000 display and you have a 6000. Not much different other then that loss of height restricts it to one band. This might turn out to be the hotter seller. There are plenty of agencies out there that would like all the enhancements APX brings that have little to no use for multi-band.

Thats cool, I guess. Well except that I own a 5K and about every accessory known to man for it.

alex wrote:Eh - While an O3 does look quite sexy - they do make a dual radio XTL, it just happens to be with a W3 control head. Do you think the majority of the US Gov't (who the option is built for to the best of my knowledge) people who pay out the contracts or sign them care what the head looks like? Hells no. Most of them probably don't know what a radio is, but know enough to go, oh this matches this line etc.

But I met Moto cares. The W3 requires the old W-series TIB and is more akin to the old long-since-discontinued W-series instead of the new O platform.

So, they'll kill it off early and force all the fedgov users to APX7500... I foresee W3 XTLs dying long before O-series XTLs.

Thales and Harris look better everyday...plus you get a 3rd band for 1/2 the cost of a loaded APX.

Pity you never see Thales or Harris in the used market. Only /\/\oto seems to be available for us P25 HAMs

The Thales T25 (VHF, FPP P25) is out there. Quite a few members here have the Thales or Racal branded unit.

You can buy a Liberty or MBITR from Thales. They are not as a pain to deal with as Moto. I believe Harris is just as nice to deal with.

For what it's worth, if the P25 Phase 2 channel data rate had remained at 9600 baud (instead of changing the data rate to 12 kb as voted by Tyco and EADS), the XTS/XTL series WOULD have been flash-upgradeable to Phase 2.

Has anyone heard the audio output on the APX6000 is .5 watt and not 1watt as the 7000 is?????

tvsjr wrote:Yup... so all the departments who bought ASTRO25 gear and were promised that it was "flash upgradable!" and could be upgraded to the newest technologies... now have to replace everything again if they want to go TDMA or get any new features. Sounds like bait and switch to me...

Hey, where have I seen this before?....hum. Let me think. Ah! yes, the Astro Saber series Product brochures ! Hahah. That was Motorola's selling point to make everyone change from MTS-2000s to astro sabers in the 90s.

Oh wait ! They did it with the MTSX series > MTS 2000 NOoo! tell me it aint true?

Same ole Old tricks, just a new year