DMR dual band single control head

[kc5zji68]

What is the best DMR dual band single control head.

 

[mmckenna]

What is the best DMR dual band single control head.

Two options:

2 Kenwood NX-5000 series RF decks and a single control head.

Band/power options for DMR:
NX-5700 = VHF 50 watt
NX-5700H = VHF 100 watt
NX-5800 = UHF 45 watt
NX-5800H = UHF 100 watt
NX=5900 = 700/800MHz 35 watt
There is a low band deck option (NX-5600 100 watt), but it does not support DMR.


EF Johnson VM-8000 with only the VHF and UHF bands active and the DMR option. 50 watts only.

Viking VM8000

www.efjohnson.com

"Best" depends on your budget and what you may need down the road.

NX-5000's will do analog, DMR, NXDN and/or P25 (but only 2 digital modes at a time) It's two separate RF decks, so you need to consider the space it needs. 2 separate/smaller RF decks might be easier to mount in some vehicles. If you want one single dual band antenna, you'll need a diplexer to combine the antenna outputs on each deck. Older radio, so you may be able to find used if you don't want to pay new prices.

VM8000 is a single RF deck with multiband capability and P25, DMR, NXDN and Motorola Type 2 trunking options, just order the bands you need with the DMR option. It may be "best" for those that may want to activate the 3rd band down the road. One single RF deck to mount, but it's a bit bigger than the NX-5000 RF decks. Plus, the Armada software is better than the KPG-D1N used on the NX-5000 line. Single antenna port, so if you want to run separate antennas, you'll need to run a diplexer. No low band option unless you pair it with the NX-5600 RF deck. Brand new radio, and would be hard to find used ones quite yet.

 

[OCEANCRITTER]

IIRC the 5700H and 5800H won't DMR.

 

[mmckenna]

IIRC the 5700H and 5800H won't DMR.

You are correct, the high power decks on VHF, UHF and low band will not do DMR.

 

[AM909]

You are correct, the high power decks on VHF, UHF and low band will not do DMR.

Wow – that's easy to forget. Do we know if you can tell a 5700H or 5800H that it's a non-H and enable DMR by setting the model in KPG-D1N? (I'd try it but the only H I have onhand is a 5600.)

 

[mmckenna]

Wow – that's easy to forget. Do we know if you can tell a 5700H or 5800H that it's a non-H and enable DMR by setting the model in KPG-D1N? (I'd try it but the only H I have onhand is a 5600.)

I don't know, I don't have any H models at work.
Evans would be the guy to ask. I know he's made 5600H's work on 6 meters with NXDN, but the NXDN part is already active, just got to scooch the upper frequency range up a bit more.

 

[tlemke940]

it wont work unfortunately due to the model hard coded into the radio

 

[mmckenna]

it wont work unfortunately due to the model hard coded into the radio

Thanks, that's what I'd expect to see. Kenwood has done a pretty good job of this, other than the obvious mess of KPG-D1N.