APX Newbie Questions

[huntercody]

I’m primarily familiar with Kenwood but am looking for a VHF/700/800 solution for my alternative public safety radio. The APX 7000 seems like a viable option. Our system operates on both P25 and conventional.

As I’m sure many have asked before:

- What should I look for (or avoid) when buying a used radio?
- How accessible and difficult is programming?

Appreciate any insights!

 

[K2NEC]

Honestly if this is going to be a public safety radio, something you are going to trust your life with, you'd be better off buying a new APX8000 with just VHF/7-800 enabled. You'll at least have the peace of mind that the radio won't crap out on you and will be under warranty if something goes bad with the radio. That being said...

If you are set on an APX7000 just know that they are known for having the volume knobs go bad. It's a known issue with the AN series radios and not much you can really do to fix it since they are end of life. If you do get a 7000, inquire about the firmness of the knob and if it has a "click". Some of these radios are also 10 years old (or older) and could probably use a tune up. And despite physically being in good condition, internally they may have some issues.

APX CPS is free from Motorola with an MOL account

 

[mtp850]

One of the most important things to double-check when buying secondhand Motorola APX radios is to make sure they do not have the QA01648 ASK Enable option activated or enabled.