Which Motorola Portable Transceivers Will Decode Two Tone?

[Jim1348]

I am looking for a laundry list of the Motorola portable VHF transceivers that can be programmed to decode two tone sequential fire pages. I am looking to possibly buy a used portable for:

-Amateur Radio, and

-Monitoring Fire Department Page Outs

With many agencies cutting over to narrow band compliant equipment there should be a number on the market. I did have a Motorola Visar several years back programmed like this and it worked out pretty well. More recently I had an HT1000 also set up that way.

[bezking]

Just to name a few:

• HT1250
• HT750 (16Ch only)
• HT1550
• HT1000
• XTS5000
• XTS2500
• CP200

[Jim1348]

So, the MT1000 and JT1000 will not do this, correct?

[Mfire39]

So, the MT1000 and JT1000 will not do this, correct?

The MT1000 can decode QCII, along with most JT's.. Also, the entire Astro25 platform with Host R08 and above is capable of two tone decode.. 1st gen Astro products, ie Astro Saber, XTS3000, 3500, are not capable of it..


-Marc

[Jim1348]

Maybe I can narrow my focus even further based on what I have read so far then, which Motorola VHF portable transceivers will decode two tone sequential paging codes that are also field programmable? Is it just:

-JT1000

-HT1550

-XTS5000

Or to narrow the list even further, what is likely to be the least expensive Motorola portable transceiver that will:

-decode two tone sequential

-and be field programmable for RF

It looks like it might be the JT1000 at this point.

[bezking]

But keep in mind you won't be able to field program the two-tones, only the freq and PL tones...

[Mfire39]

But keep in mind you won't be able to field program the two-tones, only the freq and PL tones...

Correct..

And I'm also not sure if MDC signalling is of use to you, but just as a friendly FYI, JT1000's will not encode/decode MDC.. Doesn't sound like it's too important for your aplication, but I thought I would throw that out to you..

-Marc

[Jim1348]

Thank you very much for the additional replies.

I think I did recall that the software is needed to program Quik Call II. In fact, if I recall correctly, I think the software is needed for the alpha numeric tags, too.

As far as MDC1200, I no longer need that, but it is good to know nevertheless.

[KG4INW]

...

I think I did recall that the software is needed to program Quik Call II. In fact, if I recall correctly, I think the software is needed for the alpha numeric tags, too.

...

The JT 1000 doesn't have user definable alpha tags but you can use the RSS to choose between frequency readout or what they call dispatch display (would look like CH 1 1, etc). I prefer the freq display myself as it also shows the PL or DPL, if any.

[Tom in D.C.]

Jim,

The alpha-numeric tags are writable with the FPP on the XTS5000, as are tx and rx, rx pl, tx pl, dpl both ways, bandwidth, NAC both ways, rx & tx type, and the zone name. Everything else has to be done via the CPS, including scan which I find to be a fat pain the neck when I add a channel to a zone and it's' not included in the scanlist until I reprogram the scan list.

Regards,

[Jim1348]

Well that answers one other question that I had not asked yet. I was wondering if on Astro P25 there was the ability to use split NAC code and obviously that is possible.

Now considering the scan issue on the XTS5000, that would sort of sour the deal for me if I were considering that one at this point, but it will take some time before the price comes down on those enough where I would consider one of those for personal ownership.

As far as QC II functionality on transceivers vs. Minitors, is it safe to safe that Minitors have more functionality with regards to QC II decoding then? For example, specifically I seem to recall that the latest Minitors allow for monitoring for multiple QC II simultaneously. Do any of the transceivers allow this or are they pretty much one QC II at a time?

Finally, I should know this, but can anybody refresh my memory on what accessories are interchangeable with which line of portables? For example, does the battery from an MT1000 work on a JT1000. Does the remote speaker microphone from a JT1000 work on an MT1000, etc. (I can't remember what is Jedi, etc.)

[RFguy]

MotoTrbo radios now do 2-tone paging decode

[KG4INW]

Finally, I should know this, but can anybody refresh my memory on what accessories are interchangeable with which line of portables? For example, does the battery from an MT1000 work on a JT1000. Does the remote speaker microphone from a JT1000 work on an MT1000, etc. (I can't remember what is Jedi, etc.)

No for the MT1000 battery nor the RSM to the JT1000. However, The JT will take all the same accessories as the HT1000, MT/MTS2000 and all others that look like those. I believe the antennas are the same used with the Astro Saber (but not regular Sabers) and XTS's though.

[Jim1348]

Will any of the Motorola portable transceivers simultaneously monitor for more than one QCII code, or is it one at a time?

[Mfire39]

Will any of the Motorola portable transceivers simultaneously monitor for more than one QCII code, or is it one at a time?

For the most part, with the exception of the MT1000, you can have them listen for 2 "sets" on 1 channel.. So as an example, you can have it decode an A-B tone, and C-D tone on 1 channel, or A-B, A-C.. Hope that makes sense.

-Marc

[Jim1348]

Okay, that is what I was hoping for. I wasn't sure if it could monitor on a single RF frequency for two completely different sets of QCII codes or if they had to have say a common A tone. It sounds like you are saying that, with the exception of the MT1000, it can monitor two completely separate sets of QC II codes. Needless to say, not quite as many as a more recent Motorola Minitor, but not bad.

[RadioSouth]

There's always the HT600/P200's, only 1 tone set at a time but at less than $20. hard to beat.