Will ALL the portables line up please!

[JohnnyGalaga]

I think they are refering to the radio in Pcrguy's post ... not sure though.

I have never seen anything like that before.

Well when the radio is up side down, who could tell what it is ?

 

[JohnnyGalaga]

Okay, dammit, yes, now I think I've figured it out. prcguy's radio indeed looks the Thales MBITR radio: http://www.thalescomminc.com/media/MBITR_System_Brochure.pdf

It does like 30 - 512 MHz continuous, which explains all the antennas in prcguy's photo. I don't see that it can do any trunking though.

I can't find a price on the internet. The Thales website says you gotta call 'em for a price. I wonder if they'll sell to just anyone, WITH the software and programming equipment.

In the first photo, what is that device that says "Lo charGe" on the display. It doesn't have an antenna on it.

 

[XTS3000]

Okay, dammit, yes, now I think I've figured it out. prcguy's radio indeed looks the Thales MBITR radio: http://www.thalescomminc.com/media/MBITR_System_Brochure.pdf

It does like 30 - 512 MHz continuous, which explains all the antennas in prcguy's photo. I don't see that it can do any trunking though.

I can't find a price on the internet. The Thales website says you gotta call 'em for a price. I wonder if they'll sell to just anyone, WITH the software and programming equipment.

In the first photo, what is that device that says "Lo charGe" on the display. It doesn't have an antenna on it.

The Lo charGe item in the photo is a Key Loader for loading DES-XL, OFB encryption keys into the Astros.

 

[JohnnyGalaga]

Why does motorola do this ? Why do they make you have to buy some big clunky contraption just to load numbers into a radio? All it is is numbers.

 

[mikegilbert]

Why does motorola do this ? Why do they make you have to buy some big clunky contraption just to load numbers into a radio? All it is is numbers.

The advantage of a keyloader is that ONE person controls the 'key' If every user was in charge of entering his own encryption key, that would compromise the security and defeat the purpose of a secure network.

If you had one person entering the key into every radio through the keypad, his fingers would be falling off by the time he finished.

The keyloader simply keeps things centralized, 'secure' and eliminates the need for specialized hardware to be included on every radio. Secure modules notwithstanding

A buddy from the Airforce said their stuff is even crazier. He would't tell me how, but I can only imagine.

-Mike

 

[flecom]

Very impressive assortment! Did you know that most of that can be replaced with just one radio and a handful of accessories these days?
prcguy

what radio is that?

looks like a ge/ericsson speaker mic?

 

[JohnnyGalaga]

what radio is that?

looks like a ge/ericsson speaker mic?

See my earlier post, #42.

 

[KX5MOT]

Some pretty impressive collections on here. At last count i have between 40 & 45 portable two-way radios, all Motorola of different models, vintage & current, i would take a picture but i don't know if i can get all of them in one photo, so i guess i could try to take mutilple shots.

 

[JohnnyGalaga]

prcguy, how much did that Thales radio cost ?

 

[mancow]

They will sell you one for about 8 grand. That's what I was told by email not too long ago.

 

[mancow]

It's actually quite a bit more involved. The unit passes the key back and forth and verifies the data etc.......

You have to realize those key loaders were designed in the 1980s. Google some images for Motorola MX300 series portables and you will see they used the MX body and put the key loader parts in it.

It's pretty impressive considering the age of the technology.

Why does motorola do this ? Why do they make you have to buy some big clunky contraption just to load numbers into a radio? All it is is numbers.

 

[XTS3000]

Actually keyloading is not that difficult. People have made OFB / XL loaders with Windows CE PDA's. TheT3011DX keyloaders were made until the late 90's.

Current OFB / XL / AES256 keyloaders cost 5-10 grand.

 

[MattSR]

"People have made OFB / XL loaders with Windows CE PDA's." Id love to know how this is done... I have a copy of the P25 keyload spec however the hardware design is a bit beyond me..


Also, forgive my ignorance but what is a preselector? what does it do when looking for freqs?

 

[mancow]

A preselector is just a tuned circuit that optomizes the RX system for a specific range or band of frequencies.

As for the PDA keyloader you are correct. EFJ markets them for their sytems. The Thales25 portable software has the keyloader built in too. It's nice as hell. You just enter the data and program it. It spits it in along with the rest of data. It saves a couple grand on having to have a KVL3000.

I think the MBITR software is similar.

Seriously, it has become an obsesion with me. I have to have one. I'm about to sell the ride and get one. I have a take home car anyway so hey...

 

[prcguy]

Don’t do it! It’s a cool radio but not that cool to spend full price. You also might check if the latest versions do DPL yet.
prcguy

I think the MBITR software is similar.

Seriously, it has become an obsesion with me. I have to have one. I'm about to sell the ride and get one. I have a take home car anyway so hey...

 

[mancow]

Just kidding. I'm too lazy to walk that much.

I don't get why they don't fill them up with everything. I figured they would do P-25, DPL, and just about every signal format there is.

 

[w8mkh]

i hope you have a very strong belt to hold all of them on
and to keep your pants up
nice collection

 

[JnglMassiv]

Ok, all. Finally got my camera and today, summoned the motivation to line these suckers up!

Two-ways:
Motorola XTS5000 M3 VHF DES-OFB/DES-xl
Motorola XTS5000 M3 UHF DES-OFB/DES-xl
Motorola Astro Saber M3 UHF
2x Motorola Astro Saber M1 UHF
Motorola MTS2000 M3 UHF
Motorola Systems Saber UHF DES/DES-xl multikey
Motorola Saber M2 VHF Ham split - DES/DES-xl
Motorola Saber M2 VHF High split - DES/DES-xl
4x Motorola GP350 UHF
2x Motorola MT500 Lowband w voice inversion boards
Yaesu VX-7R

Scanners:
BC246T
BC250D
BC245xlt
Pro-2022

Speakers (not converted for scanner use yet):
Motorola NSN6054A - 12 watt amplified
2x Motorola NSN6027A - 12 watt amplified

Misc:
Motorola TRBO prototype..unknown working condition
2x Motorola T3011DX DES/DES-xl key variable loaders

..and speaker mics all over the place!

 

[kb9hgi]

HOLY MOLY how do you listen to all of them?:lol:

 

[platinumrx8]

HOLY MOLY how do you listen to all of them?:lol:

All he needs is a roll of ducktape and he can get most around his head!