Future Firmware upgrades

[havmedic26]

Dear Upman, or anyone who knows,

I am writing on behalf of a large group of 996xt owners (about 600 members) with 2 - 4 996xt's each, and the company owns over a hundred of them. There is a sudden panic about whether the 996xt will be compatible with p25 phase 2 and tdma phase 1 and 2. Will there be an update to cover these protocols, or as everyone is putting it "these expensive radios will be useless bricks" and subsequently advising others not to buy them or not to buy any more of them. When I told a group of them that I was sure uniden would deal with it they asked me to find out for sure that they would and if so when. could you speak on this so that I can offer an official answer?

Thank you,

Jt

[sjlamb]

I think your question can best be answered by saying that the XT series of radios will continue to do an excellent job of doing what they were designed to do, equipped to do and sold as being able to do. That hardly will make them "useless bricks". Expecting or hoping for anything beyond modest performance improvements at this point in time is most likely wishful thinking.

When and if evolving systems become prevalent enough to justify the cost of new product development, it will most likely come in the form of some "next generation" scanner.

[havmedic26]

So I should tell everyone to stop buying these scanners? I really thought that uniden would stand behind there product, keeping it compatible with p25 systems. I personally just bought 2 more of them a month ago. I guess I should return them for now.


Upman, can you comment here?


Jt
K9WFD

[sjlamb]

Originally Posted by havmedic26

So I should tell everyone to stop buying these scanners? I really thought that uniden would stand behind there product, keeping it compatible with p25 systems. I personally just bought 2 more of them a month ago. I guess I should return them for now.


Upman, can you comment here?


Jt
K9WFD

Return them and buy what?? What other manufacturer offers a radio that does these evolving systems? What manufacturer is selling scanners and promising that they can be upgraded for some future system with a simple firmware update?? Too many people have a complete misunderstanding of just how much (or how little) can be accomplished through firmware alone. Are you saying that you know 600 people, who bought up to a couple thousands dollars worth of scanners each, simply on the prayer that it might be able to do something different than it was advertised as being able to do, at some future date?

[Chauffeur6]

Originally Posted by havmedic26

There is a sudden panic about whether the 996xt will be compatible with p25 phase 2 and tdma phase 1 and 2.

The current Uniden scanners (XT series, HomePatrol) are not and will not be P25 Phase II TDMA capable. There is no "update" that can provide this function, TDMA decoding is based on the hardware.

UPMan already addressed this issue.

[Chauffeur6]

BCD996XT still at ver. 1.04 ??

Arlington, TX we have a problem (TDMA)

HomePatrol-1 Extreme Upgrade

[sjlamb]

Originally Posted by Chauffeur6

The current Uniden scanners (XT series, HomePatrol) are not and will not be P25 Phase II TDMA capable. There is no "update" that can provide this function, TDMA decoding is based on the hardware.

UPMan already addressed this issue.

Correction..... the Op's question can best be answered by "Chauffer6"