Look at it from the system owner perspective. . . .
First just because a radio still shows up on a manufacturers web site doesn't mean it is "available for sale".
Now on to the system owner perspective-
Rolling out a new system and having to program/reprogram- upgrade/reprogram lots of radios.
Multiple vendor platforms (Ex. Moto, EFJ, Kenwood, Relm, Harris, etc)
A problem is encountered with operation of a particular radio on a radio system . . . . I'll use your EFJ 51 SL ES as an example.
I run into a problem (as a system owner) and need "support" for programming. I call in and say I have an EFJ 51 SL ES portable radio firmware version X, and am having problems with this.
If they no longer support it, they tell me that.
Now what do I as a system owner do? I tell you as the radio owner, sorry. we can't figure it out and support is not available.
You as radio owner are pissed at me as system owner either way. I tell you in advance u need a new radio. Or I wait until we have problems and I can't resolve them. Either way you end up with a radio that doesn't work or doesn't work properly and an unhappy radio owner.
If you want on the system- you will have to play by their rules. Simple as that.
Last fall I turned away folks wanting to put XTS3000's on a new Motorola ASTRO25 trunking system. Radio out of support, programming software not available for purchase.
There is a reason the owners put standards on what they will let play on the system. Ability of the radio to simply function is only one part of that list they go thru.
I disagree with several of your points, not saying you are incorrect, just that it is not the situation here...but I don't want to start a firestorm, so I'll just say that my Department does not want on this system. We are being told that we must be on it by the system owner, i.e. the state.
Several concurring opinions, including the one given here, indicate that this is an older version of a model still produced and that EFJ has decided to pull the plug on it. If I discover that the system owner knew about this when they approved them for purchase (this P25 CAI update has been in the works since well before these were acquired), then they will have seriously dropped the ball and at that point I will be upset with them, not until, at least not over this issue.
My sole purpose here was to get some answers. I have invested well over 30 years in my Department, so I've been around the block, and I've learned that you never take the first bid and you never rely on one opinion. I got one here and I got a couple from other sources, so now I know that yes, we will have some expensive paperweights, and no, there's nothing to be done about it, except replace them.
And I make no secret of the fact that I don't like these systems, for the most part...they are an answer to a question never asked, at least in my neck of the woods, because we're a largely rural state and conventional would serve our needs perfectly well, providing interop capability, as it did quite well before this whole jump-on-the-TSYS-bandwagon craze got started. So If I've come across as being a little contentious, it's just my tendency to really hate to see my Department getting screwed over. Thanks for the input.
