Ar8200 mkiii digital upgrade available

[coopermj]

AOR posted on their website ( AOR U.S.A., INC. Torrance, CA U.S.A. Home Page) yesterday that the long awaited upgrade for the AR8200 MKIII is now available.

COMPLETE information is available on the site. It is posted in the news update section.

There is a PDF manual update that can downloaded to cover all the changes, as well as the modification request. There are also pictures posted of what the radio interfaces will look like before and after the upgrade.

Memory card, memory card adapter and USB cable is included with the upgrade.

$299.00 including return UPS ground shipping.

2 week turnaround is advised by site.

 

[CWR]

SO ,,,,,,,,,, I'm gonna buy an AOR-8200 from Universal Radio for $709.95 , then send it to AOR for a $299 Digital Upgrade.
That's a total of $1,008.95.
I think not.........

 

[Dude111]

Yes its insane.......... In my opinion only people who dont realise HOW GOOD ANALOGUE IS will be on digital anyway!

 

[ScanXO]

so late in the game of digital...no DPL...sure lets get one or two.......can get a DPL & digital and will trunk for the same $$ or a little less - cant wait to see what price for the new model instead of the up grade version

 

[prcguy]

There are some brand new surplus Govt versions for sale on Epay occasionally in the $400 range and less. These are unblocked and some come with the optional inversion descrambler. $400 plus the $300 P25 upgrade for a total of $700 is not bad considering the unblocked frequency range and capability.
prcguy

SO ,,,,,,,,,, I'm gonna buy an AOR-8200 from Universal Radio for $709.95 , then send it to AOR for a $299 Digital Upgrade.
That's a total of $1,008.95.
I think not.........

 

[fourthhorseman]

Now i have a reason to SAVE N start shopping for that 8200!

Honestly,,Ive been droolin for one of these for the longest..could Never feel good about
that kind of dough on a analog receiver...But now...Xmas n Taxes are a comin!

 

[CWR]

Now i have a reason to SAVE N start shopping for that 8200!

Honestly,,Ive been droolin for one of these for the longest..could Never feel good about
that kind of dough on a analog receiver...But now...Xmas n Taxes are a comin!

Yeah , BUT , what are you gonna listen to when you get it ? ? ?
It doesn't Trunk-Track , and I don't know of very many Single-Channel Digital Systems out there.
Correct me IF I'm wrong............

 

[prcguy]

Where I live in So Cal I don't know of any trunked P25 systems, they are all conventional VHF and UHF repeaters.
prcguy

Yeah , BUT , what are you gonna listen to when you get it ? ? ?
It doesn't Trunk-Track , and I don't know of very many Single-Channel Digital Systems out there.
Correct me IF I'm wrong............

 

[CWR]

Where I live in Kansas , the only single channel Digital that I'm aware of (that's NOT encrypted) IS the Army Corps of Engineers
on 173.050 MHz.

 

[kruser]

What does AOR do if you live here in the good ole USA and send in an unblocked radio for the upgrade?
Do they return it unmodified or do they swap the logic board for a blocked version with the upgrade?

I'd imagine those here in the US won't be able to have the upgrade installed if they send in an unblocked radio.
Not that it is a big deal as there is nothing in the old blocked range anyway. That is one rule that should be removed as it makes no sense in today's times. All so the cellular carriers could say that your phone conversations were private.

 

[mule1075]

From the AOR Website below
To qualify for a modification, your receiver must meet at least one of the following:

Serial number: 05XXXX, 055XXX, or 15XXXX
Receiver model: AR8200MK3 only
US consumer version or US government version (for eligible users)

 

[coopermj]

If someone does take the leap and do the upgrade, would you consider posting your before and after impressions after checking out the upgrade? This may need to be a new thread, but the moderator can determine that.

I, personally, was hoping for more than I actually saw mentioned in the upgrade. CTCSS was a holdout for me, but there is no DCS.

Looking forward to hearing from someone who did the upgrade.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[prcguy]

Received my P25 upgrade yesterday. First impressions are the P25 audio is good and I would say better than my PRO-96. Still learning how to navigate the new functions and discovering things not mentioned in the supplemental manual.

There are a few quirks that AOR might be able to address but if you consider this radio is more of a '"communications receiver" rather than a garden variety police scanner then the quirks can probably be lived with.

The P25 upgrade along with the CTCSS squelch and scan probably make this the end of the line in a hand held communications/surveillance receiver. More to come as I get familiar with the upgrade.
prcguy

If someone does take the leap and do the upgrade, would you consider posting your before and after impressions after checking out the upgrade? This may need to be a new thread, but the moderator can determine that.

I, personally, was hoping for more than I actually saw mentioned in the upgrade. CTCSS was a holdout for me, but there is no DCS.

Looking forward to hearing from someone who did the upgrade.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[fourthhorseman]

Yeah , BUT , what are you gonna listen to when you get it ? ? ?
It doesn't Trunk-Track , and I don't know of very many Single-Channel Digital Systems out there.
Correct me IF I'm wrong............

Her in Phila,there are fed p25 channels..along wth the city's P25...there is also Conv p25 in the surrounding
areas...same reason i got my psr800..got it for the phase/x2..but soon realized that it was good for WAAYYYY more...
trunking is not the benchmark in a receiver..for me anyway..(still head over heels in love with my alincoX10)

its not so much to hear whats on Now..there are digi channels to monitor...its also keeping in mind
for whats to come..Digital is here,,,and here to stay..

i think this sums it up good...

The P25 upgrade along with the CTCSS squelch and scan probably make this the end of the line in a hand held communications/surveillance receiver. .
-PCRGUY-

 

[CWR]

Here in the Kansas City area , all the Fed P25 channels are encrypted......

 

[kc2kth]

Surprised as well

I was thinking about picking up of these myself, but was taken aback when I emailed AOR asking if new models came with the upgrades. As we know, the new ones are still not upgraded and need to be sent back for another $300 worth of work. I appreciate the effort in providing a significant update to the rig, but there should be some point where you can buy the radio and have everything included from the factory instead of needing an immediate board swap on top of the other work. I've been in the hobby for nearly 30 years now and I've always wanted an AOR rig. I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those government surplus models on the 'bay. Dropping $400 - $500 for a new one - especially one that is unlocked with the voice inversion module - would make it easier to bite off the upgrade charge.