ASTRO on eBay

[ASTROMODAT]

I'm looking for either a mint condition ASTRO DIU or a DIU 3000. So far, I've had no luck with traditional sources like Panick, etc. Does this piece of ASTRO equipment ever show up on eBay, or is the reality that this will be so rare/hard to find that I should bite the bullet and order one new from Motorola?

Larry

[xmo]

You will have to beat me to it.

Not a lot of Astro infrastructure stuff makes it to ebay. I have been watching for about a year.

There was a DIU3000 new in box about a year ago - went for about $900. I didn't bid because I thought I would never find a Quantar I could afford - however - 2 VHF Quantars have sold on ebay recently in the $2500 range - local ham club paid that much for an Icom....

I haven't seen a UHF Quantar yet - I will let you know when the second one comes up (after I get the first one!)

There was an 800 Quantar a long time back - they had a start bid around $4k. The pictures showed the S.N., so I checked it out. It came back as replaced due to a freight claim. That made sense - the thing looked banged up in the ebay pictures.

Actually - it is possible there will be some DIU's floating around now that Motorola is upgrading Smartzone systems to the Astro25 SZ6 platform which does not need DIU's. I'll let you know when the second one of those shows up too...

It was reported here on Batboard that the ebay DIU was stolen & so I'm glad I didn't get into that....

[ASTROMODAT]

Thanks for the reply, Xmo. Yeah, I also had heard about the too-good- to-be-true el cheapo DIU3000 on eBay. But, I also heard that because the serial number was clearly visible in the eBay photo and it was a stolen DIU, Motorola tracked down the buyer and he was out the DIU, as well as his $900. One would think you would know that if an item sells new for $10k, and then it shows up NIB for $900, it is obviously a stollen and/or severely damaged item. I would think such a unit would command a price closer to $6k or $7k, if it was truly NIB.

Xmo, what is the situation that you alluded to regarding the latest Motorola trunked system that does NOT require a DIU? Does this mean that the latest and greatest Motorola ASTRO system does NOT allow analog equipment (e.g., Tone Remotes) to be interfaced, since there is no DIU? Is the reality that one "saves" the $10k on the no-longer-needed DIU3000, only to have to buy at least $10k of remote desk sets that are ASTRO digital? Just curious. Also, with no DIU, how/where do you do encryption? (I guess it could be done in the digital desk sets?) Then aqgain, what if you need a secure patch? Is there a digital patch that replaces the MRTI 2000 that has built in encryption?)

Always like to know---I hate buying the end of a generation of stuff, and then having to junk it shortly thereafter.

Larry

[xmo]

"...Does this mean that the latest and greatest Motorola ASTRO system does NOT allow analog equipment...?
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That is exactly what it means. Analog? What's that?

The new Smartzone 6.0 platform is completely digital - APCO25 digital. CAI on the radio channel, 9600 baud APCO control channel - and the ifrastructure interconnections are all digital - VOIP. When you look at the system - it's all computers - routers - data links. Very scary, To get there from any earlier platform (i.e.:SZ2, SZ3) is BIG bucks - the forklift upgrade route.

Analog connections to this platform are through the Centracom Gold Elite.

Obviously this platform is intended for large systems: multi-channel, multi-site public safety systems. Quantar - DIU - mixed mode conventional systems will still be available for smaller needs.

[XDCLabs.COM]

There was a DIU3000 new in box about a year ago - went for about $900. I didn't bid because I thought I would never find a Quantar I could afford

Good thing you didn't bid. That was was stolen from inside M.

[ASTROMODAT]

Did M catch the DIU Inside Thief?

[XDCLabs.COM]

Yes.