CSP APX Radios

[Cskib32087]

CSP is putting new APX radios in their cars.
Yesterday on Statewide 2 I herd 3 times the motorola guys call in for an APX radio swap out. Then this morning on the troop I car to car channel 1 trooper was telling another how better the new radio sounded in his car

 

[APX7500X2]

Good catch!! I just herd the same thing on SWCOMM 2. CSP sure spends alot of tax money

 

[garys]

Interesting radio. I wonder if they will use the VHF capability for mobile extenders? Or do they have sufficient portable coverage on 800 as is?

 

[KB1JHU]

They may be using the APX6500 which is single band. I don't see much need for them to use a dual band radio.

 

[garys]

They may be using the APX6500 which is single band. I don't see much need for them to use a dual band radio.

Ooops, I missed that one on the Motorola web site. That makes more sense. But that 09 control head available with the 7500 sure is radiosexy!

 

[w2csx]

So why the need to change radios if what they already had was able to do rebanding?

 

[garys]

So why the need to change radios if what they already had was able to do rebanding?

Maybe, but depending on the age of the existing radio fleet, it might have been time to refresh anyway.

 

[w2csx]

I thought they had Motorola Astro XTL2500's in their cars.

 

[cvpiradio]

I thought they had Motorola Astro XTL2500's in their cars.

No they have Astro Spectra W4's currently. Here is a brochure showing it and the specs on it.

http://www.motorola.com/governmenta...roductInformation/ASTRO_Spectra_specsheet.pdf

 

[Cskib32087]

They are changing because the Astro Spectra does not do 700Mhz and the next upgrade they do will be to 9600 P25 trunking. Im sure its a few years down the road but better to spred it over a few years for money.

 

[Lynch_Christopher]

With the CSP switching to APX mobiles any talk of them also switching over to APX portables??

 

[PJH]

Here is the deal.

The state doesn't have the all the cash to cutover to the ASTRO25 Phase 1 system. There are still litterly thousands of ASTRO Spectra/XTS3000 radios in service when the system was put in. They (at least the astro spectras) can be upgraded to 9600bps operation but you lose many of the conventional features and other things that still might be nessesary. They were never truely designed for 9600 operation but they can be do it at a cost of loss of other features. The Astro spectra and xts3000 will not do 700, but thats really not a factor at the moment. The 800 system and the 700 system slated for the municpailites in Fairfield county is an overlay system so it doesn't matter if the radio is on 800 or 700 - the talkgroups are universal to both.

With that being said, there are XTS/XTL5000's in the fleet as the older radios are taken out of service for failures and a spare is not available. The XTS2500/5000, XTL2500/5000 are current production radios. The APX6000, 6500 are current production single band radios - along with 7000/7500 being the dual band version (yes you can order the 7xxx as single band but why when the state really doesn't need it and the cost).

So, essentially - your looking at field replacements for radios that have failed or are going in for special units/operations where it might be nice. A few of the contracted radio tech's are carrying APX7000's but those were paid for by the radio shops they work for.

BTW: The O9 control head is about a $1200 option. Don't plan on seeing that installed in the state anytime soon.

 

[w2csx]

They are changing because the Astro Spectra does not do 700Mhz and the next upgrade they do will be to 9600 P25 trunking. Im sure its a few years down the road but better to spred it over a few years for money.

I guess it has to come. Oh well

 

[APX7500X2]

The state has changed the controlers to upgrade to P25 and some other upgrades are done and others are on the way soon, i would give it 3 or 4 years for P25
The state got 700 APX7500 radios to start the replacements of mobiles
From another post it shows the radio guys going back to troop G next week again, im asuming its for APX work as they spent a week there before and it would make sence since coastal fairfield county is getting the 700 system

 

[cg]

that schedule is only for the rebanding work. If it is simply swapping out a Spectra for an APX with no additional work, it would likely fall under the Nextel contract. If it involves rewiring and new mounts and the old radio only needed flashing for rebanding, then CSP would likely have to pay something extra or have it done under the CTS/Motorola contract.

I am seeing many new radios over various troops so they are not only in Troop G. But, since I dont see any Troop G traffic (I can't monitor those sites), I can't say how many are in service so far.

chris

 

[joetnymedic]

Chris,
I got some traffic on SW2 a couple of weeks ago with radio swap outs, That being said, are they just sticking to the same freqs, rebanding, or simulcasting because I'm still getting the troop G cars on the old freqs with the old talkgroups. I'm thinking they are keeping the freqs the same just because if they took the ability to talk to a neighboring troop out right now, it would be a bit unsafe

joe

 

[APX7500X2]

If it is simply swapping out a Spectra for an APX with no additional work, it would likely fall under the Nextel contract.

chris

Thats just what it is. Motorola makes a cable that converts the spectra 15 pin to the XTL/APX connector.
Plug & Play.



I think troops A, I, F & G are getting them so far but im not sure

 

[cg]

you will not see the new frequencies active for a while but I would consider putting them in the scanner in a conventional bank to hear when they go active.
I thought there was activity late last month but it was an illegal user having radio problems.

chris

 

[KB1JHU]

I think troops A, I, F & G are getting them so far but im not sure

I have seen them show up on A, I, F, G, and H.

They all seem to be radio ID's in the 32xxx range