Radio's with no factory tags

[luch]

Whats the general opinions from others about radio's with no factory serial tags? Stolen, parts made radio, case swap to hide something...?

I see a lot of radio's newer that are advertised with no tags and it pretty much turns me off from the get go; anyone else feel this way?

[MSS-Dave]

How about if the case was swapped in the field to fix a broken case? I saw a good analogy here about this. Buy the seller, not the product. Do some research.

[Tom in D.C.]

How about if the case was swapped in the field to fix a broken case? I saw a good analogy here about this. Buy the seller, not the product. Do some research.

That would apply only in the case of older radios. Newer radios have the tags attached to the radio's chassis, so changing the case does not affect the tag's status.

[guy being a guy]

I am assuming you are referring to maybe the manufactors name or model number stickers on the face of the radio. Serial # sticker on the rear chassis ?
Why do you immediatly get suspicious - makes no sense . Research the seller is what I do .
I have been repairing radios for over 25 years, I don't ALWAYS worry about a sticker when I have to recase the radio. I try to keep plenty in stock , but it's an imperfect world. My customers save lives and are less productive each and every day they are w/o their radio . It's a tool much like a socket wrench is to a mechanic - Would a socket wrench be defective or "suspicious" if the Snap On sticker came off ?
I can order MOST plastic housings as a "kit" ( all stickers , speaker , mic , wires ) which cost's CONSIDERABLLY more than if I just order the plastic alone and move over the innerds which are fine. So I forgot to order the Motorola sicker , get it back in service and move on.
Lets use the popular Jedi series for example - the rear chassis had 2 common problems which facilitated many to be repalced. When you attempt to move over the serial # "sticker", most times the lettering will be destroyed, it will curl up ,and half the adhesive will not be there. Grab a label maker and print a new serial # sticker and get it back to the customer - HE NEEDS THE RADIO !
If I don't have any "HT1000" stickers in stock it may take 3 days to get them shipped in. Does the HT1000 label keep the radio from operating ? No, get it back into service !
If all you owned was my opnion and $2 ........You net worth would be about $2 !

[luch]

Seller aside, there are a lot of radio's up for sale here with no serial tags. Sure I can buy the seller, but I am still wondering why there are so many of these radios. Paople even now mention in the sales so it has to come up by other people interested in these units. And swapping cases, how often has that ever really even been 'necessary'...unless the radios has to look out of box new.

[luch]

Guy being a guy, what do you think? I am asking to be suspicious ober the "HT1000" label being gone? Do I seriously need to spell this out so you can even understand? Maybe your better at fixing radio's than reading my post but yes...I am talking about the factory labels which consist of the the serial numbers and radio specific information...Flash information also. I am well aware that you can purchase the other stickers. Maybe you should be a little more suspicious seeing as what happens on Ebay and some instances around here. I have lurked around here for long enough to see what's going on in the hobby.
Re-printed labels of any type with important information should always make a potential buyer suspicious.
My opinion, your more concerned with cosmetics...hmmmmm?

[guy being a guy]

" Do I seriously need to spell this out so you can even understand? " Obviously Yes.
On your original post you called them "tags", so I DID assume and kinda asked in my very first sentence what exactly your reference to "tags" was .
I also took it a step forward in my response by explaining the rear chassis and why the "tags" were not moved over to the new chassis. I thought I posted with good information from what exactly was asked in your original post. If your post was more specific instead of a generic word like "tags" it would help us be able to help you more.
Sorry , I was just trying to help ..................

[Mfire39]

Play nice without the :o session, or it's going to get locked...


-Marc

[N4KVE]

A few years ago I picked up a FPP XTS5000 here from the 2nd owner. The 1st owner of this radio usually sells high tier radios, & is held in the highest regard on this board feedback wise. Since I'm using this radio as a "hobby radio" I don't really care, considering the original seller. However, if I was involved with public service, & needed a radio for the job, I would insist on a radio with the ser # tag. The ser # of these tagless radios can still be read in the service mode, but I sometimes wonder why current high tier radios sold by honorable sellers here don't have tags. I don't give it much thought though, as I'm more concerned with the upcoming gun restrictions. GARY

[luch]

Well Guy with a guy you weren’t a help. I will learn to spell out everything around here in very basic grammar moving forward.
N4KVE, you have me laughing…and sort of crying as I am trying to deal with the gun restrictions also…and my state is bad with just about everything.
I think what you state is exactly what just started me thinking about the higher tier radios also, why so many…already, with no tags, oh wait stickers. The listings on Ebay with the APX’s from Hong Kong, that’s a given, but some around here where did those surface? Yes, I get suspicious but would not most anyone willing to pay top dollar for a radio like most on here are interested in? I just wanted a general idea from some those that have maybe felt like I do about the topic.

[MT2000 man]

I usually buy the seller as well. No tags ( especially on an APX, or XTS5000 ) could sometimes mean it's an ALT ( accelerated life test ) radio, and that should be avoided.

All my radios have tags, and I prefer it that way.

[N4KVE]

could sometimes mean it's an ALT ( accelerated life test ) radio, and that should be avoided.

But don't the ALT radios have the 123ABC ser #'s? Mine & most other tagless radios seem to have real ser #'s. GARY

[KG4INW]

But don't the ALT radios have the 123ABC ser #'s? Mine & most other tagless radios seem to have real ser #'s. GARY

Usually, but the SN can be changed with the right tools.

[MTS2000des]

It comes down to this:

Buy the SELLER not the ITEM. This is true when buying ANYTHING second hand, or as Fraudbay calls it "seller refurbished".
Luch, if you've "lurked" long enough, than you know who to and not to buy high end radios from.

Truth is many are built from parts, many are "upgrades" of say, a low end model of a particular product line that can be "transformed" into a more desirable and functional product by someone with the right skills, and proper technique. A great example of this are the many XTS2500 radios or XTS5000 radios with "model number and flashcode do not match but serial number does". Usually the model number printed on the chassis tag indicates a model 1, when the radio has a model 3 housing and display. All someone did was buy the Motorola parts, install them, then "wave a magic wand" to make them work. So long as the radio is tuned properly, it will work and act like a model 3 that rolled off the factory floor- except for one or two characters in the model number tag, there is NO INTERNAL DIFFERENCE.

In fact, if some people on here did the "upgrade", I'd prefer it to one that has all matching tags that comes from an unknown source- at least I know the "upgraded" radio has seen an auto tune on a $50,000 service monitor and was done by someone who knows what they are doing and will stand behind their work.

[escomm]

could sometimes mean it's an ALT ( accelerated life test ) radio, and that should be avoided.

But don't the ALT radios have the 123ABC ser #'s? Mine & most other tagless radios seem to have real ser #'s. GARY

There are plenty of radios being sold right here on Batlabs that are ALT radios with no tags, but purported "clean" serial numbers. When one makes up serial numbers out of the air I guess they would be "clean" huh

[N4KVE]

The tagless ALT radios I've seen on auction sites have no tags at all. But what about a 5000 that has the top tag that says "restricted to occupational use to satisfy FCC exposure limits" , & the bottom tag with the 2 vent holes. Could those be ALT radios too? GARY

[FireCpt809]

All XTS5000 have those tags and the vents

[DJP126]

I don't know if this is still true or not but when I worked at Motorola's depot, Motorola wouldn't sell the serial tags to anybody. In fact, WE had a different serial tag than the factory tag to identify what radios had been in for service before. The thought process was supposedly "to help prevent" counterfitting the product.

[com501]

When I put a new back on the XTS3000s I own, because of the inset RF port or the HT1000s I used to own, I always kept the old frame. If I sold the radio, I rubber banded the original frame with the rebacked radio and it went out that way.