XTS Question, What to do with a 3500

FMROB · Post by **FMROB** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 5:52 pm

Okay, Here is one for the board...I have read through the astro and xts pages but still am a little confused. If one were to have a UHF xts3500R in very nice condition, how would one determine if it is VSLEP or IMBE...I tried to test it with the astro ID, but the # that is listed on the website has one to many numbers as compared to what the radio will accept. Can a VSLEP radio talk to an IMBE radio, and the clincher...
If I wanted to turn this radio into a model III xts3000, how would I go about doing it. Is there any advantage to having VSLEP or IMBE,,,

I have read in past past posts that there is a gentlemen named nick that is pretty handy with these radios. How is it all done, upgrades that is?...Could I do it myself by ordering parts and a flash upgrade. Or can I load a codeplug into the radio from a working model III radio and replace the front cover/electronics.

Sorry to ask so many questions, but the model specific pages starts at an advanced level. I am new to this series of radio...Thanks, Rob

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 7:34 pm

The XTS3500R if flashed for digital operation would almost be certainly flashed with IMBE. I don't know of any XTS3500's that have come from the factory as VSELP. That radio was released well after VSELP was left in favor of IMBE.

There is no way to change a XTS3500R into an XTS3000. Even if they used the same controllers, and you had the ability to change the firmware and codeplugs, they only really share plastic with each other. The hardware is different.

The XTS3500R is marketed as a higher tier radio with better RF performance - don't damage a perfectly good radio in a futile attempt to downgrade it.

A VSELP radio CAN not talk to an IMBE radio.

RocketNJ · Post by **RocketNJ** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 11:04 am

FDNY uses a modified version of the 3500R.

As Chris stated the 3500 came out after IMBE was the standard so it is going to be IMBE capable. It depends on the Flashcode whether or not it will do digital out of the box.

George

fubb26 · Post by **fubb26** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:16 am

what is the diference that the fdny modified radio has?

is it the ATIS signalling or more?

just curious as a member of the nypd i wanna know what they have so i can talk to the salesman about it, so when it somes time for us to change we are ready!

and for the last time the nypd is not switching to vertex. they radios were bought to just bring extra radios into the department. i know this for a fact despite what some people will post about knowing salesman who say this or that . the vertex's are only a temporary fix.

and to get this job to change to digital is like pulling teeth.

just to get a few quantar's to test was a pain!

Post by **alex** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 5:32 am

FWIW, the 9/11 radios didn't have anything in them - just straight up conventional...

When I was there, most the FDNY people were carrying Saber II's.

Just observations from my travels there... But it was a XTS3500...

-Alex

RocketNJ · Post by **RocketNJ** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:48 am

The FDNY 3500's were not deployed on 9/11/01. They were using their MX and Saber portables on high band.

The FDNY 3500's have several enhancements which include sending digital ID out before and after analog transmissions, and an enhanced receive that allows the radio to hear multiple tramsmissions (not clear but you can hear two people talking at once). Since a typical fireground scenario there has at least 24 firefighters with radios there are normally simultaneous transmissions. I've seen a demo of some the new enhancements.

I've heard the PD just ordered some new Moto SSE5000 portables.

George

RocketNJ · Post by **RocketNJ** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:49 am

Alex, what you saw were high band XTS3500's. They have been using them in conventional analog since the MX radio parts are no longer available.

Now FDNY is using the modified UHF XTS3500s (since early this year).

George

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:27 am

RocketNJ, you mentioned SSE5000 radios for NYPD. Do you mean XTS5000, or is there yet another new high tired portable coming out?

Larry

RocketNJ · Post by **RocketNJ** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 1:38 pm

I was told by one of the radio mechanics there that the new radio is called the SSE5000. It is supposed to look like the old Sabers. I don't have any other details on it.

motor59 · Post by **motor59** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 5:24 pm

I've heard about this radio as well - it's an SP just for NYPD, I'm told.

I'm not sure if that's good or bad.
I also heard that the saber production line was kept up and running longer than anticipated in order to fulfill the NYPD contract (plus forecasted spares for 7 years).

Should be interesting to see...

radar76 · Post by **radar76** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:32 pm

guys
I have a chance to purchase a UHF xts3500 with charger speaker mic ect for about 1000.00 Supposedly the radio is a factory legit unit with all serial tags intact. I have been told by the owner that the unit will not do trunking, yet i recall reading here that some 3500 radios built by members here are trunking capable. My question(s) are is this a feasable modification, i do have a need to monitor a trunked Uhf system so I would honestly need this capability. Another thing the seller told me was that this unit was some sort of special edition that had a "limited memory " of 1 meg I was under the impression that the xts3500's came with more than that.
Another thing I was wondering about is the question of enhanced performance, I have a great working ASIII would a properly tuned xts3500 really outproform an equally good ASIII

thanks for your opinions

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 7:05 pm

The XTS 3500 UHF radio supports conventional operations only, and there is no factory option to allow it to trunk.

BTW, if you are interested in using it for Ham ops on the 440 - 450 MHz amateur band, you will likely have a big RF performance problem. It is designed to operate across the 450 to 520 MHz range, as opposed to having a 403 - 470 MHz capability, as does the XTS 3000.

Larry

radar76 · Post by **radar76** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 1:45 am

guys/astromodat

do you have any comments as to the claims that this radio has better proformance over an ASIII or xts3000. I have been told that its recieve capability is better than both the ASIII and xts3000, I have also been told that the 3500 is a higher tier radio than the 3000, is this really true seing that the radio is not trunking capable? Also is there anything that you folks have heard about this "special edition "limited memory" xts3500, the 1000.00 or so price tag does not seem bad but i am no expert.

thanks

RocketNJ · Post by **RocketNJ** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 2:33 pm

the 3500 does have slightly better receive specs and tx specs than the AS or XTS3000. Also the 3500 is standard as the "ruggedized" radio, water resistent, better receive in harsh RF environments, etc.

If you absolutely need trunking then get an XTS3000 for about the same money.

George

radar76 · Post by **radar76** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 2:42 pm

thanks george

I will take a look at the radio this week and see if it will do all that i need, i suppose if the price is right and the unit is as good as the owner says it is it is probably worth it. As i said the uhf trunking is a need but i dont find myself in the washington DC area too often so i guess i could try to get my ASIII to work, the only problem is that DC has a astro digital smartzone system and my ASIII is only flashed for smartnet. thanks for your help.

RocketNJ · Post by **RocketNJ** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 6:19 pm

That is NYPD.

There is no NYFD, it is FDNY. They take insult if you say NYFD.

George.

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 8:28 pm

heh the saber isn't dead yet. Odd how the report on dateline a couple weeks back about the comms in NY showed XTS3500 and XTS5000 units up close, but no the NY special "saber"

RocketNJ · Post by **RocketNJ** » Sun Sep 28, 2003 6:11 am

From what I heard from one of their techs is that they have placed an order but have not received them yet.

George

radar76 · Post by **radar76** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 2:17 am

i wonder if the "special saber" comes in a ModIII version

Sure cant for one of these to filter out onto the market. I wonder however if these will be the special 1 Watt only versions that NYPD uses. I have been told to be ware of buying any old NYPD stuff because it is a 1 watt only radio? have you folks heard the same things?

thanks
john

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:24 pm

awesome.. this proves several key things..

a) motorola does listen to the major accounts. i guess a few vertex radios running around the city scared a few folks in s-burg. All i have to say is good. The rest of the market will benefit.

b) the saber form factor isnt dead! not everybody wants a tiny star trek radio, or a bulky xts with a back mounted battery. I would sure hope the batteries are interchangeable with the analog Saber, Astro and the SSE. Im sure its nothing more than a 5000 in a different form factor, but long live the Saber, who cares if they want to call it somthing else.

Hopefully the high band and high power 450 versions arent too far out. Probably the last chance to get a narrow/wide band radio before the mandate.

radar76 · Post by **radar76** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 4:30 pm

I would almost guarantee that the batteries and accessories will be interchangable, I bet a large motivating factor for this "special series radio" is the cost savings to the department, in not having to replace hundreds of thousands of dollars in accessories. I just wonder if these "new sabers" will be a full 4watts or they will be the "special 1 watt " units that many nypd units are.

mike m · Post by **mike m** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 8:24 am

Since everyone already knows about the SSE5000 I guess I can't get yelled at for talking about it. From a close source at Mot: NYPD didn't want to get rid of all the thousand of accessories they had for their sabers but they wanted digital so they asked Mot to repackage the XTS in the old saber body and viola the SSE5000. I'm not sure if they are a low power radio with a different output FET like the XTS5000 has or the crappy power modules like the 3000, 3500s have but it would still be a nice radio to have in the saber case.

Personally I like the saber receiver specs better than the XTS3500 or 3000 but I'll admit if they had based the SSE on the XTS5000 receiver then it would be something to talk about, so far the 5000 is one of the best rxs I've ever tested.

Mike

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 10:55 am

mike m, what are the problems with the PA on the XTS 3000? I have not previously heard of any design flaws in this area...

Just curious...

Larry

XTS Question, What to do with a 3500

XTS Question, What to do with a 3500

question on xts3500

SSE