Where do you travel that so many P25 Phase II are slowly popping up?
Has anyone actually tested PSR800/900 to confirm it will not pick up Phase II?
GRE PSR-900 Pre-Release Thread
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Where do you travel that so many P25 Phase II are slowly popping up?
Has anyone actually tested PSR800/900 to confirm it will not pick up Phase II?
kinfolk
Member
I spoke to GRE several weeks ago and they confirmed that the PSR800/900 cannot decode P25 Phase II. I then asked if a firmware update could make these receivers compatible with P25 Phase II and the rep said no. He said a new model would have to be developed to decode Phase II.
Spitfire8520
Might be slightly less clueless! =)
Assuming that this information is accurate and the "rep" knows what he is talking about, looks like everyone who purchased the PSR-800 in hopes that it could receive Phase II will have a nice paperweight when Phase II implementation comes around.
From what I've heard there's some in Md and Pa that are at least starting to migrate or strongly considering/waiting to do so. That's not saying any actually WILL and that the ones that are working on it have very much done. But it looks like some are determined to while others aren't very far along and may not go for it. And I won't rule out that the people I've heard things from have no idea what they're talking about as well...
The Northern part of Pa is still all conventional but those other areas I travel through a few times a year so if any of them actually do go to Phase II full time it would be a bummer. But then again by the time some of them get to a purchasing stage there may be something else out there besides Phase II that's pushed as the "latest and greatest".
Yes we tested a 800 on a phase II system in Bowling Green,Ky.I had a good long time customer of the store test it and it was not decoding that tyoe system.
Here in New Jersey it is actually a requirement of funding that all the new 700MHz TRS's be P25 Phase II. And they are complying. Based on licenses and buildout info, by 2014 we'll have at least 7 counties, plus the state operating as such.
Boatanchor
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Not really a good time to be releasing a new 'same ol' scanner is it?
If GRE release the 900 without phase 2/DMR capability, together with US consumers increasingly pulling back on discretionary spending, plus the negative comments posted here, it doesn't bode well for sales.
The fact is that unless the 900 has significant new capability, experienced punters will just stick with their existing scanners and newbies will buy the cheaper existing models that have well developed support bases available.
Don't be surprised if the actual release date of the PSR900 is postponed indefinately..
If GRE release the 900 without phase 2/DMR capability, together with US consumers increasingly pulling back on discretionary spending, plus the negative comments posted here, it doesn't bode well for sales.
The fact is that unless the 900 has significant new capability, experienced punters will just stick with their existing scanners and newbies will buy the cheaper existing models that have well developed support bases available.
Don't be surprised if the actual release date of the PSR900 is postponed indefinately..
BoxAlarm187
Level 6 RR Member (Since 1998)
Sure hope not...as soon as the 900 is released, my 800 is for sale is the classifieds!
tonycash
Member
What is the benefit of a head at all, it it doesn't have a keypad?
RadioDaze
Member
Aside from reading the display easier, that's a good question. I'm thinking it's an evolutionary step toward a more complete solution.
Space. Mounting options.
K4APR
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Exactly!
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Crazy huh.. Just like them people who buy them cellular telephones without keypads!
Would be nice to mount a head unit in my vehicle so it doesn't go flying around the cab. Since you don't need a keypad to operate a radio, it should work great.
RadioDaze
Member
One thing that is fair to note is that detachable-head ham radios typically have their keypad on the microphone. And the heads are usually smaller than DIN size.
I think a separate, and maybe optionally purchased, keypad would be a reasonable compromise. Though it's probably too late to engineer it into the 900, maybe the next "600" could go that route.
Even though some of our comments seem critical from time to time, I believe threads like these are useful to GRE (and Uniden) as a source of ideas for what their products should offer. We ARE the target market, right?
I think a separate, and maybe optionally purchased, keypad would be a reasonable compromise. Though it's probably too late to engineer it into the 900, maybe the next "600" could go that route.
Even though some of our comments seem critical from time to time, I believe threads like these are useful to GRE (and Uniden) as a source of ideas for what their products should offer. We ARE the target market, right?
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Radioman1993
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Well this information just stopped me from upgrading my current 500/600 pairing to anything else.
Guess I'll be in the dark for a while until someone comes out with a P25 PII capable scanner. If anyone wants help testing one I am available and work very closely with a soon to be P25 PII system.
Radioman
barefootdipole
Member
GRE had a booth at Shelby (NC) Hamfest this past weekend and had a working PSR-900 on display and I was able to play with it.....it's just a mobile version of the PSR-800....no big improvement :-(
in fact they used the exact same PSR-800 spec/info sheet for the PSR-900.....
PSR-900 price was $100 higher than the PSR-600....
in fact they used the exact same PSR-800 spec/info sheet for the PSR-900.....
PSR-900 price was $100 higher than the PSR-600....
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If it's just a base/mobile of the 800 that's still not too bad of a price. I'd like to see P25 PII or other new things along with it but depending on other factors just that alone wouldn't keep me from purchasing a 900. It'd be very disappointing but not a dealbreaker.
cherubim
Member
It still looks like a good buy imo. The large memory capacity, loud speaker (presumably), clear display and detachable head are all great improvements. I don't really care for the iPod style of the PSR-800 even though the lack of a full keyboard is not an issue for me. The PSR-900 looks more to my liking as durability is something I consider important.
Gre psr-900
WELL!!! Is Monday 10/01/12 going to be the day???
WELL!!! Is Monday 10/01/12 going to be the day???
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