• 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.

IWCE 2026

AM909

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Sadly, I couldn't get there this year. Anything interesting from Kenwood/Viking other than the new control head? NX-5k refresh? VP-8k size reduction?
 

mmckenna

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Anything interesting from Kenwood/Viking other than the new control head? NX-5k refresh? VP-8k size reduction?

The already mentioned purchase of ESChat. Having that integrated into those radios/systems will be nice.
 
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I missed the Siyata booth, use to get email from them but nothing for over 2 years now..
PoC was more prevalent than CCRs, also more ROIP vendors.

During my antenna and line sweeping class I mentioned how different jumper lengths can show high reflected, a tech said he had a truck with a report of poor coverage. He ran a Wattmeter check on ch 2 to avoid tying up dispatch, good power, low reflected.
Next week he got another trouble ticket, that time he tested on ch 1 and had high reflected.

I asked my EMR buddies if this comes in a mag mount...
 

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joescanner

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The Viking VP8000 is cool but, I think the next model revision should be slimmed down. We get complaints that it is bulky.
I was surprised how bulky a lot of the new portables were across all the vendors. The explanation I was given was that it was to facilitate gloved operation (e.g. by fire-fighters specifically).
 

mmckenna

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I was surprised how bulky a lot of the new portables were across all the vendors. The explanation I was given was that it was to facilitate gloved operation (e.g. by fire-fighters specifically).

Yeah. Tait seems to be on the opposite end. Their TP9800/9900 is comparatively thin.
 

ATK3

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I think someone posted a photo over on CommunicationsSupport.
Do you remember what thread that was in? I can't find it, though from what I've since heard they weren't allowing photos of it to be taken.
 

Project25_MASTR

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The Viking VP8000 is cool but, I think the next model revision should be slimmed down. We get complaints that it is bulky.
The problem with the VP8000 is that the VP6000's form factor simply didn't scale up as intended. IMO what really needs to happen is the battery (which is the reason it feels so bulky) needs to be redesigned for a holster style like what Motorola has been using with the APX6000/7000/8000, APX N70 and APX NEXT or the BK Technologies BKR9000. That design allows for a physically slimmer area to be gripped with adequate flare to ensure it doesn't slip through gloved hands.

Also, the main display of the VP8000 needs to be larger. There are a bunch of people out there still running APX7000's over the APX8000 due to the larger display on the 7000. The BK has a decently large display for a traditional form factor radio.
 

12dbsinad

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The problem with the VP8000 is that the VP6000's form factor simply didn't scale up as intended. IMO what really needs to happen is the battery (which is the reason it feels so bulky) needs to be redesigned for a holster style like what Motorola has been using with the APX6000/7000/8000, APX N70 and APX NEXT or the BK Technologies BKR9000. That design allows for a physically slimmer area to be gripped with adequate flare to ensure it doesn't slip through gloved hands.

Also, the main display of the VP8000 needs to be larger. There are a bunch of people out there still running APX7000's over the APX8000 due to the larger display on the 7000. The BK has a decently large display for a traditional form factor radio.
In my area, bulkiness is a big deal. However, form factor of the radio itself not so much. Our clients are typically not handling the radio itself. So how the radio "feels" and operates with gloved hands is minor, as well as how beautiful the display looks. What they want is glove friendly with the RSM since I'd say 85% percent operate this way in my area. Either in a holster (PD) or a man purse (Fire/EMS). Nobody talks or uses the radio directly like it's 1978.. for the most part.
 

N4KVL

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In my area, bulkiness is a big deal. However, form factor of the radio itself not so much. Our clients are typically not handling the radio itself. So how the radio "feels" and operates with gloved hands is minor, as well as how beautiful the display looks. What they want is glove friendly with the RSM since I'd say 85% percent operate this way in my area. Either in a holster (PD) or a man purse (Fire/EMS). Nobody talks or uses the radio directly like it's 1978.. for the most part.

This. It needs to be as slim as possible for fire to fit in a holster in a strap that is not going to get hung up on stuff or in the coat pocket and not be more of a burden than it needs to be.

For LE, most of them are moving to the chest rig mounted solution. Same logic applies here.
 
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I'm not a firefighter but from my observations the majority of FF runs are medical with no turnout gear nor gloves, so the design factors
in that area don't make much sense to me. I can only recall a few fire ground situations where a channel was changed once units
were on scene and those were tankers in our rural areas using a different ops channel.

I think the spkr mic would be the primary means of changing anything once turnout gear is on. The AARs I've read on FF injuries or deaths
did not mention the emergency button being used, the FF made the mayday call and gave a location.

Maybe budrosa can chime in.
 
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If anyone here took my ed forum classes my wife and I thank you for your support, IWCE is a major source of my income.

These 2 FCC reports came out right after we finished our RFI class, would have made good examples.
This is a rare 2nd order intermod from an FM station at 106.1 and its STL at 945.5 MHz.
The Agent found that an intermodulation product, measured at 839.39 MHz, was
transmitting from the Armada Media’s rooftop equipment, was greater than 600 kHz
from the K291BW center frequency of 106.1 MHz, and was not attenuated by the
required minimum 60 dB.
Is this next one a CCR replacement for vehicle repeaters?
The FCC received a complaint from Allegheny County Pennsylvania Emergency Services concerning interference to its 911 emergency communications channel operating on 470.4375 MHz in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On July 30, 2025, Agents from the Columbia Office of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau (Agents) conducted an investigation and determined, using direction finding techniques, that the source of the interference to the Allegheny County system was a signal emanating from the residence of David O. Knudtson, licensee of amateur radio station KD3ASC.

After the Agents notified Knudtson of the interference issue, he produced a handheld radio (identified as a BTech UV-Pro). An examination of the radio determined that it had been modified to monitor the Allegheny County channel, and its “Audio Relay” feature had been activated.

This feature turned Knudtson’s radio into a simplex repeater that was retransmitting the Allegheny County channel. Knudtson surrendered the radio to the Agents. Subsequently, the Agents verified that the interference to the Allegheny County system had ceased.
 

Project25_MASTR

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The Icom looks like a BKR5000 and XPR7550 hybrid to me. The Tait OpenDMR is the Kenwood Tier 2.5 solution…which Tait manufacturers.
 
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