Stay with Kenwood or go with Motorola (amateur radio use)

[fontanei]

Non Commercial use!!!

**** Need advice as to whether to stay with Kenwood EF Johnson or go with Motorola for future radio purchases ****

Problem: I've an NX-5300 F6, three NX-5800, and an NX-5700 (can program these myself since I've the KPG-D1). I want an VP8000 and an VM800 (which I can easily get); however, I don't want to go through the hassle of getting my laptop set up to program the VP8000 or VM8000 since I've heard it is harder than setting up KPG-D1 and have to deal with yearly armada sw subscriptions (or so I think).

I was able to establish an Motorola Solutions account (customer hub) for amateur radio use. Just the fact that they will give me the sw I need hassle free, including fw, has made me rethink the whole thing about staying with Kenwood.

Can anyone advise on the process for acquiring armada sw for my own personal use?

Please.

 

[tweiss3]

The Armada software is only subscription based if you want to continue to get updates, if you want one time purchases, you can from your dealer. I chose the 5-years of updates because development and features are still being released for the VP/VM 8000 radios.

Programming is much easier than D1N, and the software is quicker in every way. You can copy your zones out of D1N into excel, then copy from excel into the zone table and save tons of time (still time involved).

Keep in mind, the VP/VM radios are a "buy what you need" for features, and it adds up quickly. Each band costs money and each mode is about $500 list. As opposed to buying a remote deck from a dealer, you are looking to invest more money into the VP8000.

Also keep in mind, while Moto lets you get the software, they may require a subscription to apply firmware updates, and don't do multiple modes in a single radio (P25 + DMR + NXDN). Also, if you compare your configured VP8000 to an "identically" configured APX radio, expect to pay almost double, if not more for the APX.

This is my experience as a low volume personal use buyer/user. It was worth it for me to buy the VP8000 and carry a single radio.

 

[cavmedic]

Armada is so much easier, costs less then the comparable Motorola. Want to do DMR and NXDN, because you cant do that in the same radio with P25 in a Motorola. Not only do I use VP's for two of the systems I work in , I also have a personal 8K and Ill never go back.

 

[DeoVindice]

Armada is probably the easiest modern CPS to install and use, there is no hassle. You'll just need to purchase it from a dealer.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Purchasing an APX for ham use is like purchasing a Lamborghini to only drive through 25MPH school zones. I have used both CPS & Armada and both have their quirks. Just remember that no radio is perfect and every model has its pluses and minuses.

 

[pewpew45]

I'll second what everyone has said thus far. I have an apx8000 but bought a VP8000. The software and radio is way easier to navigate and use. Having the ability to do analog, p25 and dmr on the same radio in the same zones is a huge benefit.

 

[n7maq-1]

I would personally would go with the Viking.

 

[KD9RTX]

Viking hands down, if only because of Armada. I just installed an NX-5700/5800 dual deck in my truck and those are likely the only Kenwood digital radios I will ever buy because of the turd that is D1N.

 

[KevinC]

My answer would be go with whatever has the features you seek. Don’t buy a brand (be it MSI/Kenwood/Harris/whatever) just for the name.

 

[mmckenna]

Problem: I've an NX-5300 F6, three NX-5800, and an NX-5700 (can program these myself since I've the KPG-D1). I want an VP8000 and an VM800 (which I can easily get); however, I don't want to go through the hassle of getting my laptop set up to program the VP8000 or VM8000 since I've heard it is harder than setting up KPG-D1 and have to deal with yearly armada sw subscriptions (or so I think).

Doesn't sound like a problem to me. There is a big cost difference between an APX-8000/8500 and a VM/VP-8000. The cost savings on the radios alone would far, far offset the cost of the Armada software.

Unless you are someone that just has to have the brand name, I think this is a no-brainer. Motorola makes nice stuff, but so do many others. Far more capability in the VM/VP-8000's than you'll ever see from Motorola.

Can anyone advise on the process for acquiring armada sw for my own personal use?

Talk to the dealer you are buying the radios from, and have them roll it into the cost of the radios.

Also, remember that Armada does a number of different radio models, not just the VM/VP-8000.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

The trouble with the NX line, each series or radios requires it's own software suite. The NX-5000's require D1N, the NX-3000's require D3N, etc. Not to mention there is the hassle with licensing (what happens if your computer gives up the ghost). Armada on the other hand, if for the entire Viking radio lineup (Vx600/Vx900/Vx5000/Vx6000/VM7000/Vx8000) and once you have access to the software, you can install it on as many computers as you want, reinstall it etc. So from that perspective, it's much more akin to APX CPS (even back when you had to have a subscription for APX CPS) in that it covers the entire line. Another big win for Armada over D1N (besides the fact D1N was written by a 3rd party contractor in Japan that has since closed shop) is that it uses RDNIS like everyone but Kenwood (still using serial in 2025) to communicate with the radio. Armada takes that a step further than others though and allows you to simultaniously read/write multiple radios at once. While you can do this with an APX…it has to be done through Radio Management. The one thing Motorola has on EFJ for programming…Radio Management has 100 free licenses (radios) where Armada Server (if you install it) only has 20.

What do I use personally?

I have a mix of VP600's, VP900's, VM600's, VM900's a VP6000 and an "on permanent loan" VP8000 in addition to a V/7/8 APX7000, V/7/8 APX7500 and U/7/8 APX7000. I don't have DMR or NXDN in the VP8000 and don't really care to have it.

So if you were to force me to choose between a VP8000 and APX8000…I would go BKR-9000 as it feel's better in the hand, can be setup for RX only Trunking without a system key, and has a larger main display than either the VP8 or APX8. Actually the larger display of the APX7 is what kept me using them until EOS just recently professionally.

As far as mobiles go…I'm torn between the APX7500 with an O3 and my Astro Siren and my VM900 in my personal vehicles. If I were buying new, I wouldn't hesitate with a VM8000 with either control head. Now if BK gets their multiband mobile out in the near future…I'm going to have a lot of thinking to be doing.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Non Commercial use!!!

**** Need advice as to whether to stay with Kenwood EF Johnson or go with Motorola for future radio purchases ****

Problem: I've an NX-5300 F6, three NX-5800, and an NX-5700 (can program these myself since I've the KPG-D1). I want an VP8000 and an VM800 (which I can easily get); however, I don't want to go through the hassle of getting my laptop set up to program the VP8000 or VM8000 since I've heard it is harder than setting up KPG-D1 and have to deal with yearly armada sw subscriptions (or so I think).

I was able to establish an Motorola Solutions account (customer hub) for amateur radio use. Just the fact that they will give me the sw I need hassle free, including fw, has made me rethink the whole thing about staying with Kenwood.

Can anyone advise on the process for acquiring armada sw for my own personal use?

Please.

I currently use Motorola radios. I have used all kinds over the years, and if I had the opportunity to get both a VM8000 and a VP8000, I would in a heart beat.

To be able to have DMR and P25 in a single radio? Multiple RID? Hardware AES? software and firmware engineers that actually listen to their customers? I can confidently say, for amateur use only, tye VP/VM is a far better product than the APX8000/8500. Armada is is light years ahead of APX family CPS.

Now for the low band guys, if you could get a VM7630(I think) VHF-Lo to mate with the VM8000, I'm sure hams would love it.

I do love the older Motorola radios, and love their audio, but to have to choose APX over EFWood for ham radio? Not even a question. EFWood all the way

 

[kayn1n32008]

Non Commercial use!!!

**** Need advice as to whether to stay with Kenwood EF Johnson or go with Motorola for future radio purchases ****

I was able to establish an Motorola Solutions account (customer hub) for amateur radio use. Just the fact that they will give me the sw I need hassle free, including fw, has made me rethink the whole thing about staying with Kenwood.

Not. Worth. The. Hassel. That is Motorola Solutions.

If you have a problem with your Motorola, MSI will care about you as much as they do for a agency that has 100 radios. As in not at all. Find a firmware bug? Good luck. Lol, 'works as designed'

 

[YL3IM]

Armada on the other hand...

Does Armada work in virtual machines like VirtualBox? Motorola software works well, Kenwood CPS is known to explicitly refuse to run in virtualized environments.