This forum is dedicated to discussions pertaining specifically to the Motorola ASTRO line of radios (those that use VSELP/IMBE/AMBE), including using digital modulation, digital programming, FlashPort upgrades, etc. If you have general questions please use the General or Programming forums.
A secret squerill sent me these new XTL and MCS control heads. They look sweet.
To me they almost look like a Kenwood ham control heads. I was told that they will be most useful on trunking systems, as the XTL/XTS5000 have the IP stuff in them. Conventional doesn't look like they will do much for you, but the display will be nice looking.
They should be out in a year. No pricing as of yet. Of course, all this may change!
W9 Head
W4/5/7 - Looks like one for all
W3
XTL2500
New mic?
MCS 2000 (looks like all models)
The W3 looks like a freaking Nokia cellphone. Now if it's bluetooth and has a speaker and mic in it the secret squirrel agents could be yapping on the radio and it would look like they were on a cell phone...
Oh, you mean like the guys that ask me what the PRI (priority) switch is on our King radios about EVERY OTHER DAY.
Or the guys that turn scan off but leave the priority switch on while the radio is ON the priority channel and think it's doing something...........etc.....
Wow....Those things look way too over technical...funny thing is I live in broward county when not at college and the Land Mobile Products Sector is down the street from me, thats where this stuff is designed. I know the guy really well who is or was the head of indus. design there. Looks like they hired kids in his place who have no idea about radios and how they are used, and got their artistic inspiration from their cheap ass car stereo's while looking at them on their way home from work after they were given the assignment..I can see it now "Radios? I have one of those in my car, this should be easy!" these tards probably said...Remember guys, in commercial radios that are used in critical applications, Less is More. Push-to-talk, release to listen...Let the dispatcher handle all of the features from the console and do the thinking, let the public servant do the fighting, cuffing, driving, chasing, spraying, and every other thing they have to worry about, not a bunch of friggin buttons and am I on the right channel. The control of EVERY radio in the field should be done by the dispatcher via OTAR like signalling and MDC channel steering. leaving the radio w/ a push to talk button, and volume, talkgroup/channel. I am working towards making this kind of setup a reality, and I am a true believer of what I preach.
These have got to be the more sorriest looking control heads I 've ever seen.
All they had to do was marry a MCS2000 Model 3 to the XTL5000 and that would kick ass already.
I agree about the simplicity aspect and the MCS2000 Model 3 head is just about borderline for having too many buttons, but clean enough to understand and keep us radio geeks happy.
Sorry, but M better fire whoever they hired/contracted to make these mock ups or they better be designs that someone found in the dumpster marked under "reject" designs.
I don't see what was wrong with Spectra-style control heads; I really like 'em.
