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Prediction on vselp users
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 4:54 pm
by carbineone
I was just wondering a nearby city to me is using vselp astro smartzone.
Will Motorola still supply them with vselp equipment or is it just a matter
of time before they have to go to project 25 ?
Thanks in advance
it's called
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 5:43 pm
by batdude
PLANNED OBSOLECENCE
they will be forced to upgrade eventually because there won't be any spare parts to fix their broken infrastructure.
and...
most of the vslep stuff can't be "flashed" to P25... it's hardware changes... there are exceptions.... but they are few...
d
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 7:39 pm
by xmo
"a nearby city to me is using vselp astro smartzone.
Will Motorola still supply them with vselp equipment or is it just a matter
of time before they have to go to project 25 ? "
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Motorola has announced intent to cancel VSELP portables/mobiles Q1-2004. Infrastructure support for SZ 2.x systems should be available from the SSC through the end of 2006. These systems were originally sold in the 1994 time frame - 12 years isn't exactly planned obsolescense.
According to Motorola, there were only four Smartzone VSELP systems left in the country and two of them are planning upgrades at this time. That leaves Cleveland and Trenton. Considering that support ends in about two and a half years and considering the time it takes to deploy an upgrade - they better be making plans soon.
If they act immediately, they might get in on a reasonably priced upgrade. A year from now.. the options will be SZ4.x or SZ6.x and the cost will be scarry and OMG (respectively).
The mobiles and portables can all be upgraded from SZ2.x to SZ3.x/SZ4.x with a reasonably priced flash (about $300) to change the VOCODER. Astro Saber and XTS3000 can supposedly be upgraded to SZ6.x but Motorola does not recommend it. The Astro Spectra can be upgraded to be a full Astro digital Spectra Plus (which makes it SZ3/4/6 compatible) with a new vocon for about $800.
All Quantar base stations can be flashed to SZ3 or SZ4 if they have new enough firmware - otherwise they need the firmware upgraded. DIU's can also be upgraded. Astrotacs are about the only thing that needs a hardware upgrade. The zone controller network is another matter.