Small CP200 Compatible HT

[daedalus]

I have just been saddled with a CP200 brick at work. I really don't need even more weight to carry around!

Can anyone recommend a small radio I can use in its place? We use only two channels, in a single building and the HT is, I believe UHF. Ideally, something that would fit into a pocket like a small cell phone.

 

[blaze]

They're no longer made, but if you can find a Motorola Visar that's a bit smaller than a CP200.

If you want to really go nuts, you could get an XTS4000, which is a "cpvert" P25 / analog portable disguised to look like a (rather large by today's standards) cell phone.

 

[chrismol1]

Really? CP200 is really lightweight as the newer ones come
Motorola makes a lot of small on site business radios that are small
Maybe a Motorola Mag One at around 10 oz

 

[SteveC0625]

They're no longer made, but if you can find a Motorola Visar that's a bit smaller than a CP200.

Really? I was just advised by a Motorola salesman to plan on purchasing the CP200 because the HT750 is being discontinued. And the CP200 is still all over Motorola's website as a portable of choice.

Guess I will be having words with them again.

 

[blaze]

Really? I was just advised by a Motorola salesman to plan on purchasing the CP200 because the HT750 is being discontinued. And the CP200 is still all over Motorola's website as a portable of choice.

Guess I will be having words with them again.

No, sorry, I mean the Visar is no longer made. As far as I know the CP200 is definitely still in production.

 

[SteveC0625]

No, sorry, I mean the Visar is no longer made. As far as I know the CP200 is definitely still in production.

Whew! Thanks.

 

[davidgcet]

the CP200 has several models already dsicontinued, my bet based on past experience is it will be cancelled within 12 months. the replacement is the CP200XLS which has LTR capability.

does your desired radio have to be Moto, if not look at a Vertex or Icom, both have units with similar or more capabilities that are a lot smaller.

 

[SteveC0625]

the CP200 has several models already dsicontinued, my bet based on past experience is it will be cancelled within 12 months. the replacement is the CP200XLS which has LTR capability.

I need to talk to the sales guy anyway. He wants us to buy the more expensive XLS and we don't need anything more that the straight CP200.

does your desired radio have to be Moto, if not look at a Vertex or Icom, both have units with similar or more capabilities that are a lot smaller.

The boss says stick with Motorola. About half of our squad is issued portables, but the actual individual useage is really low so anything fancier or more expensive is really not needed.

Getting a straight answer out of these sales people is not easy even when you know exactly what you need.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Does your desired radio have to be Moto, if not look at a Vertex or Icom, both have units with similar or more capabilities that are a lot smaller.

+1 for Vertex, specifically the VX-231. I have two for work and they are REALLY GREAT portables. Good audio, very light weight, and a standard Li-ion battery that lasts 10+ hours in -20C with the radio on a very active repeater. As well I have abused them over the last couple of months, crashing through the snow covered bush, the radio pouch on my survey vet usually fills with snow and at the end of the day the radio ends up covered in snow and ice. Its like a Timex watch, takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'

I like my vertex radios better than the CP-200(used them with a previous employer), or any other radio in the same class that /\/\otorola makes.

My handhelds, although Vhf, have transmit frequencies spread out over 30Mhz and these portables recieve and transmit more or less uniformly across all frequencies programmed, so I can not see a Uhf one being much different.

 

[kayn1n32008]

I need to talk to the sales guy anyway. He wants us to buy the more expensive XLS and we don't need anything more that the straight CP200.

Naturally as he will make more money that way

The boss says stick with Motorola. About half of our squad is issued portables, but the actual individual useage is really low so anything fancier or more expensive is really not needed.

If you do decide to give the Vertex a try I think you will be pleased with the product Vertex makes

Getting a straight answer out of these sales people is not easy even when you know exactly what you need.

Nope, they are salesmen, you very rarely do, it makes it easier to get more money out of you.

 

[davidgcet]

tell your boss that Moto owns 51% of Vertex, and some vertex product is in teh dealer catalog. so technically you are looking at a Moto unit!

 

[birdieboy]

I need to talk to the sales guy anyway. He wants us to buy the more expensive XLS and we don't need anything more that the straight CP200.


The boss says stick with Motorola. About half of our squad is issued portables, but the actual individual useage is really low so anything fancier or more expensive is really not needed.

Getting a straight answer out of these sales people is not easy even when you know exactly what you need.

What dealer are you looking to buy from? only reason I bring this up is action comm down in az has some of the best customer service and prices. Bought both of my cp200xls's from them.

tom

 

[chrismol1]

I don't know if you operate on the listed UHF business freq or not but Motorola came out with a very cool radio called the CLP its a 1 watt radio with a very unique design. It operates on 99 UHF business freqs so maybe your on one of them. They are repeater capable too.

 

[lucas2121]

Look at Icom, Icom has to be some of the best radios I've used, I'd prefer them over Motorola.

 

[daedalus]

Thanks for all of the input guys.

I'm getting closer to moving to a smaller handheld such as the Vertex or Icom.

A bit of research in the databases provided me with the frequency for which we are licensed. Now I need to figure out what PL tones are in use.

The HT has sixteen 'channel' capability, although so far as I know so far we use only two. Is it common for IG service radios to use a single frequency for all 'channels' and change the PL tone for each channel?

Sorry for the dumb questions. I've been a ham since the late 1950s, understand the concepts, but never been involved with business class before.

I guess I need something that will decode PL tones. My scanner might - I can try that.

Any easier ideas?

 

[davidgcet]

it is possible to use different pl's on the same freq, but not common. you would want to enable busy channel lockout on all chans/all radios, because monitoring before talking is not as easy as it is with a mobile. if you had 16 different user groups(PL channels) on the same freq then odds are you have a bunch of folks and they are going to talk over one another. of course the drawback is that if any 1 radio is keyed no one else can key up or use "their" channel.

 

[daedalus]

That makes sense, David - thanks.

I'm starting to think these radios are not on the frequency shown for my company in the database. I just ran out to the car, set the scanner for the assigned frequency, keyed the HT and.... nothing! I then tried blockscanning 450.ooo to 452.000 and still nothing. I need to find someone local with a frequency counter next.

 

[davidgcet]

get someone to key one while standing 15-20 feet away, keying right next to the scanner will overload the front end. also if you use a repeater the TX side will be 5mhz higher.