Anyone have any more info on this Nextel i680 radio

[Tank67]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum category

NEXTEL i680

Technical Specifications-GSM/WCDMA/LTE - 850/1900/900/1800 Quad Band -136-174MHz VHF Band -403-520MHz UHF Band -Front Panel Programmable (FPP) -3200mAh LiIon Battery -MultiBand Antenna -Telephone Mode -Rapid Rate Charger -Dual PTT Buttons -MIL SPEC C/D/E -GPS Built In -Color Display -Drop In...

nextelcentral.com

 

[MTS2000des]

Chinese made CCR (think Baofeng) with a UMTS/LTE board that runs a proprietary PTT over cellular app and connects to a PTT over cellular server via cellular.

 

[JASII]

With Zello and other apps, you may see more PTToC (Push To Talk Over Cellular) soon. Having a radio built in can be pretty handy for some people, too.

What I am waiting for is a device that will do PTToC and off-network simplex. They do exist, but early adopters often pay a price!

Rfinder B1+ Dual Band DMR 4G/LTE DMRoIP

This package includes DMRoIP and APRS-IS integration. DMRoIP allows connecting to DMR networks via 4G or Wi-Fi, in case a local repeater or hotspot aren’t within reach. This means that you wi…

rfinder.shop

Network Radios - 4G LTE Advanced Android Two Way Radios – boxchip

Boxchip is a leading manufacturer, supplier of handheld and mobile network radios with GSM sim operators and antenna, battery, push-to-talk button, led flash light, speaker and WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity.

boxchiptt.com

WAVE Push-To-Talk (PTT) - Motorola Solutions

Connect your team with greater speed and efficiency using WAVE, the push-to-talk (PTT) service that has no boundaries.

www.motorolasolutions.com

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah, someone bought the rights to the Nextel name and has been sticking it on low tier Chinese radios with an LTE module in them.

It's not Nextel like it used to be. It's a CCR with a sticker on it and the ability to do LTE push to talk.

These guys were at IWCE last year. I looked a their products. NOT high quality stuff. There's a lot of better options out there.

I rate this up with someone buying the Tram, Browning and RCA names then slapping it on a P.O.S. radio and marketing it to people tht don't know what they are purchasing.

 

[MTS2000des]

I first saw them in 2017 at IWCE. They actually had copies of their paperwork "proving" they had the rights to the Nextel intellectual property, including the service mark/trademark stylized logos, etc. IIRC they paid not much more than a few hundred bucks. They were shilling low rent Chinacom 3G/UMTS PTT radios back then.

Sprint (by T-Mobile) killed Nextel. They essentially sold the toe tags for a song. It's dead Jim...

 

[12dbsinad]

With Zello and other apps, you may see more PTToC (Push To Talk Over Cellular) soon. Having a radio built in can be pretty handy for some people, too.

What I am waiting for is a device that will do PTToC and off-network simplex. They do exist, but early adopters often pay a price!

Rfinder B1+ Dual Band DMR 4G/LTE DMRoIP

This package includes DMRoIP and APRS-IS integration. DMRoIP allows connecting to DMR networks via 4G or Wi-Fi, in case a local repeater or hotspot aren’t within reach. This means that you wi…

rfinder.shop

Network Radios - 4G LTE Advanced Android Two Way Radios – boxchip

Boxchip is a leading manufacturer, supplier of handheld and mobile network radios with GSM sim operators and antenna, battery, push-to-talk button, led flash light, speaker and WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity.

boxchiptt.com

WAVE Push-To-Talk (PTT) - Motorola Solutions

Connect your team with greater speed and efficiency using WAVE, the push-to-talk (PTT) service that has no boundaries.

www.motorolasolutions.com

PTToC is pretty much the wave of the future. The radio shop I work part time for has almost completely abandoned their LMR DMR networks in favor for LTE radio's. Customer's LOVE the nationwide coverage, too.

 

[mmckenna]

Customer's LOVE the nationwide coverage, too.

Yeah, for non public safety use, it's hard to beat.

However, I'm not impressed with the cellular carriers ability to keep things up and running in a disaster/emergency. Far too many sites rely on weak links back to the MSO.

 

[MTS2000des]

However, I'm not impressed with the cellular carriers ability to keep things up and running in a disaster/emergency. Far too many sites rely on weak links back to the MSO.

Interesting you say that. T-Mobile's nationwide failure on 6/15 caused them to lose SIP on their native network but not LTE/UMTS. I could use PTToC all day long, and everything else- but not make a phone call. They're getting better at layers of redundancy but it is fragmented. The same issues that plague cellular plague LMR. Lose your site/backhaul/core, you're dead. Just the RANs differ.

 

[mmckenna]

Interesting you say that. T-Mobile's nationwide failure on 6/15 caused them to lose SIP on their native network but not LTE/UMTS. I could use PTToC all day long, and everything else- but not make a phone call. They're getting better at layers of redundancy but it is fragmented. The same issues that plague cellular plague LMR. Lose your site/backhaul/core, you're dead. Just the RANs differ.

I'm not sure how the handle the switching for that. Glad it worked for you. Current systems around here all rely on various forms of IP back to the MSO's, and that's a mix of everything from T-1's, cable TV fiber service, AT&T Fiber and a few other carriers. When fiber goes down, or AT&T Wireline has an issue, we lose pretty much everything.
I don't have T-Mobile, as they are one of the less built out carriers in these parts. All my staff is split between AT&T and Verizon. We have one satellite phone as a fall back.

Back in the early 2000's, NexTel was easily overloaded. I remember after a small 5.x earthquake it took me over half an hour to get any calls out on my NexTel phone. AT&T has about 4 hours of battery backup at the local site and no generator. Verizon is the same.

 

[70cutlass442]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum category

NEXTEL i680

Technical Specifications-GSM/WCDMA/LTE - 850/1900/900/1800 Quad Band -136-174MHz VHF Band -403-520MHz UHF Band -Front Panel Programmable (FPP) -3200mAh LiIon Battery -MultiBand Antenna -Telephone Mode -Rapid Rate Charger -Dual PTT Buttons -MIL SPEC C/D/E -GPS Built In -Color Display -Drop In...

nextelcentral.com

What would you like to know? I am a dealer through the new Nextel. I have one of these sitting on a shelf.

 

[wardaddy]

What would you like to know? I am a dealer through the new Nextel. I have one of these sitting on a shelf.

I have a question. Can I use any number of cheap Chinese garbage "network radios" to achieve the exact same thing, or do I have to buy one with a Nextel sticker for five times the price?

 

[12dbsinad]

So the new Nextel radio includes VHF & UHF capability with front panel programming along with PTT over cellular? A birdie just flew over me and asked if these are FCC type accepted?

 

[70cutlass442]

I have a question. Can I use any number of cheap Chinese garbage "network radios" to achieve the exact same thing, or do I have to buy one with a Nextel sticker for five times the price?

All the same. I also don't actually know anyone that pays that much for these units. I am unaware of this site and have no idea where the price points come from.

So the new Nextel radio includes VHF & UHF capability with front panel programming along with PTT over cellular? A birdie just flew over me and asked if these are FCC type accepted?

The cellular modem is type accepted, as for the UHF/VHF... we all know that answer.

I found no practical use for this particular unit hence why it's been on the shelf for two years. I bought it to use as a gateway between LMR and PTToC which is built in, but there are far better routes to go to achieve that.