hfdrick5488
Member
Was thinking about purchasing a UHF and a VHF portable motorola brand for ham radio usage. Was hoping I could get some input as to which portable everyone recommends. I apologize if this is the wrong area for this post.
-
To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:
Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.
If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.
To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.
The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.
For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).
This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.
Best bang for your buck Motorola Ham Radio
- Thread starter hfdrick5488
- Start date
- Status
TomTN
Member
Which digital mode is in use in your area?
For DMR (MotoTrbo), the XPR series
For P25, the XTS series
If analog, there are several older models available but the newer XPR and XTS will still work better on Analog.
For DMR (MotoTrbo), the XPR series
For P25, the XTS series
If analog, there are several older models available but the newer XPR and XTS will still work better on Analog.
hfdrick5488
Member
Unfortunately we don't have any digital in my area. All analog :-(
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Waris series are probably your best bet.
HT-750
HT-1250.
Your choice, VHF or UHF.
HT-1250 is probably what you are looking for, plenty of channels to add the local repeaters plus a couple of simplex frequencies. It's got a fairly nice LCD display so you can alpha tag the channels easily.
Drawback with any Motorola gear is the cost of the programming software. Only legal source for anything modern, including the HT-1250, is direct from Motorola. It isn't cheap. Last time I purchased software for the Waris series it was somewhere around $250.
Plus, you need the radio specific cable. You can get after market.
There are other options, but you'd really need to give us a better idea of exactly what you are looking for, features you want, budget, vintage, and amount of the cool aid you are willing to drink.
HT-750
HT-1250.
Your choice, VHF or UHF.
HT-1250 is probably what you are looking for, plenty of channels to add the local repeaters plus a couple of simplex frequencies. It's got a fairly nice LCD display so you can alpha tag the channels easily.
Drawback with any Motorola gear is the cost of the programming software. Only legal source for anything modern, including the HT-1250, is direct from Motorola. It isn't cheap. Last time I purchased software for the Waris series it was somewhere around $250.
Plus, you need the radio specific cable. You can get after market.
There are other options, but you'd really need to give us a better idea of exactly what you are looking for, features you want, budget, vintage, and amount of the cool aid you are willing to drink.
12dbsinad
Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2010
- Messages
- 1,953
If it's pure analog, HT1000, MTS2000, HT750, HT1250 are good performers. Or, you could go with something like a XTS or XPR and just use it in analog mode for now. I wouldn't worry about a older Motorola not talking as well as a newer one on analog. I'd worry about if it works and meets spec, and getting it programmed.
N4KVE
Member
The MTS2000 is hard to beat. They are under $75 each, have 256 memory channels, & program with Windows CPS. Ribless programming cables are $25, & because the CPS is no longer sold by Motorola, it's freely available w/o breaking any copyright laws. Hard to beat.
Which model of the MTS2000 is dual-band (VHF/UHF)? Or did the OP means he's buying two radios?
TomTN
Member
As posted above, the HT1250 is a good choice for analog only. I assume you already know that you will be single band for any of the "affordable" options with Motorola.
My suggestion in your situation would be to get the XPR6500 series. These do DMR (MotoTrbo) which is rapidly expanding across the world with Amateur Radio. Go to DMR-MARC and see the list of DMR repeaters already in use. Even in the unlikely case that no one in your area puts one up, you are likely to find them as you travel.
Best of all, they are great on analog. They have great receive and transmit with both analog and DMR.
My suggestion in your situation would be to get the XPR6500 series. These do DMR (MotoTrbo) which is rapidly expanding across the world with Amateur Radio. Go to DMR-MARC and see the list of DMR repeaters already in use. Even in the unlikely case that no one in your area puts one up, you are likely to find them as you travel.
Best of all, they are great on analog. They have great receive and transmit with both analog and DMR.
davidzimmerman
Member
HFDRICK5488 i sent you a PM about a Portable
kayn1n32008
ØÆSØ
The MTS2000 is a mono and radio. The only radios Motorola offers in dual/multi band are the APX series.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Important to keep in mind that the OP will want wide band FM analog for amateur work. More recent radios will not only require purchasing expensive software, but he'll also need the wide band entitlement key to give back 25KHz.
My extensive experiences with ALL of the major "legacy" Motorola radios makes me heavily favor the Saber (which is wideband only) or, even better, the Astro Saber. Which is usually both wide and narrowband, but as I recall it is possible to get one that isn't narrowbanded in options. (Not sure, it's been a while.)
If you get a good one and get new batteries for it, the only issue you have to contend with is knobs that tend to crumble at a certain age. (which, unfortunately, is right about....NOW. ) A creative person can work around the crumbly knob issue if you can't find spares. But I think Motorola still carries spares for the Astro Saber at least.
However, neither Sabers nor Astro Sabers are dual band. As has already been mentioned, the only multi-band Motorola portable that exists on the used market is the APX7000. (You're not going to find an APX8000, not likely for years if ever.) The APX7000 is ordered from the factory with any two of four band options: VHF, UHF low, UHF high, 700/800. You'd want a VHF/UHF-L (range 1) model to cover both VHF and UHF amateur bands. The UHF-H model starts at 450 MHz and I don't think you can drop it to 440.
If you get a good one and get new batteries for it, the only issue you have to contend with is knobs that tend to crumble at a certain age. (which, unfortunately, is right about....NOW. ) A creative person can work around the crumbly knob issue if you can't find spares. But I think Motorola still carries spares for the Astro Saber at least.
However, neither Sabers nor Astro Sabers are dual band. As has already been mentioned, the only multi-band Motorola portable that exists on the used market is the APX7000. (You're not going to find an APX8000, not likely for years if ever.) The APX7000 is ordered from the factory with any two of four band options: VHF, UHF low, UHF high, 700/800. You'd want a VHF/UHF-L (range 1) model to cover both VHF and UHF amateur bands. The UHF-H model starts at 450 MHz and I don't think you can drop it to 440.
Last edited:
davidzimmerman
Member
i have a Motorola PR-400 32 Channels does WIDE or NARROW BAND with a Display i have posted in groups to sell.
Not sure why you specifically want a Motorola. The problem is they are not Ham friendly. You need to buy the 300 dollar CPS software, then special permission key from motorola to allow 25khz and even that part is not easy, and there are plenty of DMR capable radios for better prices that offer free CPS and programming cable.
N4KVE
Member
kayn1n32008
ØÆSØ
Lots of other manufacturers make solid gear. For what you find in the used market and unsupported there are much more modern and, IMHO, better quality. Kenwood makes solid gear, look at the TK-280/380 radios. The TKx80 portables offer 250 conventional channels, and 250 zones. The TK-2180/3180 offer 512 conventional channels and 128 zones. Both the TK-x80 and TK-x180 have companion mobiles that all use the same software for each model type. Vertex offers the VX-530 they have something like 512 channels and at least 32 zones. Even Icom has some decent equipment. The kenwood, vertex and Icom software is significantly easier to learn than the Motorola software. Cables for all those manufacturers are cheap on Ebay.
The OP stated he only wants analogue gear.
kayn1n32008
ØÆSØ
Is there a particular reason you are set on Motorola gear? While software is out there, I find that Kenwood or Vertex is better bang for your buck than Motorola. Especially for anything currently supported. If it is not supported, then Kenwood is a much better bang for your buck. Better features, and just as durable.
Lots of great suggestions here. As Elroy said: Saber (my favorite) or Astro Saber, and as Gary said: Mt2000 (great radio also) I do really like the Waris line also (ht1250) but to throw another favorite into the ring: HT1550. A nice Moto Waris series radio, Ham friendly as it is front panel programmable with the correct (red) battery, lots of channels and I think wide/narrow switchable? (Experts chime in..) Pretty slick radio without dipping into the more expensive XTS line.
I'm one of those who really has no interest at all in any non-commercial gear. Kenwood, Icom, and Yaesu may make very good radios but I have always preferred my Motorolas to such an extent that I've never owned a Kenwood, Yaesu, or Icom radio for 2 meters for longer than it took me to sell it for a modest profit.
Despite the limitations and need to program Motorolas via their own unique software and cables, they're still really better radios. Radios made for public safety needs are loud, clear, and rugged. Radios made for hams are none of the above, at least, not to the same level.
Despite the limitations and need to program Motorolas via their own unique software and cables, they're still really better radios. Radios made for public safety needs are loud, clear, and rugged. Radios made for hams are none of the above, at least, not to the same level.
N4KVE
Member
In my opinion, any Jedi [MTS2000] etc, is far superior to any Waris [HT 750, 1250, 1550]. JT1000's [Jedi] are also keypad programmable w/o any special red battery.
- Status
