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APX 6500/8500 E5 Question

Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 7:07 am
by PropellorHead
Here's the scenario: new battalion chief truck install. We typically have three radios for them set up with dual heads: (1) 6500; (2) 6500; (3) 8500. They have three heads up front and then three heads in the back on their command box.

They're moving from a Suburban to a Silverado and the console will only have space for two heads up front. Not a huge issue because there aren't too many situations where they really need three radios up front while driving. The plan was to dual head two radios up front and then in the back, just have that third radio with a single head.

Then I started reading that the E5 can do dual radio operation -- I just can't seem to find any photos of what that split screen looks like.

Here's my question though: Is it possible to have two radios, we'll say an 8500 and a 6500, work on a single E5 control head up front in the truck but then have them be dual control head setups at the back of the truck simultaneously? So in the front you have two control heads, three radios but in the back you have three control heads off those three radios.

Thanks!

Re: APX 6500/8500 E5 Question

Posted: Mon May 05, 2025 8:05 am
by alex
E5 does support it and it's beautiful on the display (Shows both radios at once). However, the feature does not work across multiple control heads. If you need multiple control heads with multideck/radio features the only product out there that seems to do it (and you can mix/match heads) is the Kenwood/EFJ VM7000/VM8000. Don't know if Harris/Tait supports same/similar as Kenwood/EFJ.

Re: APX 6500/8500 E5 Question

Posted: Tue May 06, 2025 7:38 am
by PropellorHead
Thanks for the reply. Ya, we’re currently moving Away from the Kenwoods so that’s my reference for multi-deck/head support.