APX Motorola APX series as receive only

[nikronzo]

Consider using a Harris radio instead. It's much easier to scan P25 systems with them, WITHOUT transmitting accidentally.
I'd recommend an XL200P if you have the budget for it. I can even assist in getting features and bands added to it, for a significant discount off of the retail price for those upgrades.

I note that my fan club got here early.

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Except what your forgetting to mention is that RPM2 software is in the thousands of dollars and that you still need an AAC dongle with permissions for the specific trunking system you wish to monitor.

Unless you are suggesting that you have a hacked version that allows bypass of the AAC permissions for system keys which would be illegal...? Since ya know you are suggesting that a Harris is somehow a better and more legal option than APXs which also require illegal system keys to do naught NAS...

 

[K2NEC]

What would be the equivalent Harris radio for 700/800 NAS P25 P1 and P2 trunking? (sorry not trying to hijack the thread) Local agency has gone P25 and Unication G4 and BK KNG2-P800 dont decode as well as my SDS100. So looking at Harris now.

Something like the P7300 or any of the XG series

 

[ElroyJetson]

I'm not going to concern myself with HOW someone gets access to the Harris software. Except tha it's not as expensive as you make it out to be. You are quite mistaken on that issue. I can refer you to a Harris dealer who will confirm this. There is even a means for purchasing a "full access" edition of RPM 2, or a dongle type access device, and it is a legit product and costs less than you are implying.

 

[Forts]

If you are looking for a 7/800 portable, and XG-25 or Xg-75 is a good entry point. Just be sure to double check which features are activated in the radio beforehand. Also programming cables can be expensive and somewhat difficult to get ahold of.

 

[KC3ECJ]

There's the Unication pagers to consider.

 

[Forts]

+1 on the Unication. My G5 goes with me everywhere.

 

[Mikeyb101]

I appreciate all the suggestions, however as I stated in previous post, I really like the Motorola APX. I also know it's very technical and very complex. I still have a lot of research to do before I actually "pull the trigger " . If anyone can point me in the direction as far as Motorola APX (NAS) radio reference post or YouTube video, it would GREATLY be appreciated!

 

[Forts]

Just search for exactly that on YouTube and you should turn some stuff up.

 

[Mikeyb101]

Okay, thank you, I'm already on it👍

 

[N1SQB]

To the OP:
I took the route you're seeking. My go-to radio is an APX 8000 XE with all bands activated. Our area has 100/400/800 mhz. analog systems. My fire department uses VHF, so I have that set up for TX. All the other departments use analog or P25 single channel frequencies. It is awesome to have an all in one radio. While not a scanner, you can set up different zones ( like banks ) the way you want. As has been suggested on here, you CAN do trunking but I would stick to a scanner for that. I use my SDS100 for exactly that. The other thing is the price. If you do not belong to any entity (PD/FD/EMS), it is overkill. I have our FD mutual aid towns set up on my 8K. Some are VHF, some are UHF. I do love the Moto radio audio/sensitivity/selectivity though. Much better quality than portable scanners. Think about it thoroughly before making any purchases, it can get very costly.....

Manny

 

[KC3ECJ]

To the OP:
I took the route you're seeking. My go-to radio is an APX 8000 XE with all bands activated. Our area has 100/400/800 mhz. analog systems. My fire department uses VHF, so I have that set up for TX. All the other departments use analog or P25 single channel frequencies. It is awesome to have an all in one radio. While not a scanner, you can set up different zones ( like banks ) the way you want. As has been suggested on here, you CAN do trunking but I would stick to a scanner for that. I use my SDS100 for exactly that. The other thing is the price. If you do not belong to any entity (PD/FD/EMS), it is overkill. I have our FD mutual aid towns set up on my 8K. Some are VHF, some are UHF. I do love the Moto radio audio/sensitivity/selectivity though. Much better quality than portable scanners. Think about it thoroughly before making any purchases, it can get very costly.....

Manny

It's not P25 or a Motorola, but I have a Retevis RT73 mobile for analog and Tier II DMR and I do like it's zones as well as it's sensitivity, selectivity, and true narrow band receive.
The zones make things so much easier.
Then while it's not a true scanner, it scans fire department paging frequencies saved as memory channels fine using a preset scan list.

 

[Asunakiyori]

my xg100p and my apx7k go near every where with me. some times one hits on something the other doesn't... but to be fair.. my work van is a like a faraday cage. both monitor conventional, convention p25 p1 and p2 I'm torn if i still wanna get my grubby paws on an APX 8k if my xg100p is all band....

 

[ElroyJetson]

I like the APX too. And I'm an authentic OG Moto fanboi in spades. Freely admitted.

If the radio is being paid for out of my pocket, and my choice is a loaded APX8000 or a loaded XL200P....I almost hate to admit it but for this case I'll probably go with the XL200P. It has enough "operational advantages" for my usage case to push the needle in its direction.


The relative ease of safe scanning is one of those advantages. The other is MISSION PLANS. What are mission plans?

Basically....load ten codeplugs into your radio and be able to switch between them at will.

And be able to password protect all of them and set the radio to erase itself to a blank state if someone tries to access it and blows the password in a defined number of tries, thus keeping anybody else from seeing what you had in it.

I don't know if the APX can do the last one or not.

I guess that my transition to the Dark Side is now complete. Maybe I need to add Sith to my handle. Sith Lord Elroy. I kind of like it!

 

[nikronzo]

I'm not going to concern myself with HOW someone gets access to the Harris software. Except tha it's not as expensive as you make it out to be. You are quite mistaken on that issue. I can refer you to a Harris dealer who will confirm this. There is even a means for purchasing a "full access" edition of RPM 2, or a dongle type access device, and it is a legit product and costs less than you are implying.

IDK what sh*t your smoking, but there is no sold RPM2 "full access". If you belong on the system you administer then you get an AAC dongle for those sysIDs and WACN. Otherwise there is a conventional only version.

 

[Asunakiyori]

And be able to password protect all of them and set the radio to erase itself to a blank state if someone tries to access it and blows the password in a defined number of tries, thus keeping anybody else from seeing what you had in it.

I don't know if the APX can do the last one or not.

I have my all my radios password locked on power on. Too many invalid tries and it deadlocks

 

[ElroyJetson]

Nikronzo, I will allow you to think what you think you know without challenging you on it. And leave it at that. I will not discuss THAT matter any farther, not here, and not in private. Not interested in making it a discussion, conversation, or argument. DONE.

 

[DewAddict]

What would be the equivalent Harris radio for 700/800 NAS P25 P1 and P2 trunking? (sorry not trying to hijack the thread) Local agency has gone P25 and Unication G4 and BK KNG2-P800 dont decode as well as my SDS100. So looking at Harris now.

XG-100P (end of life long ago but can be found for a good price on the used market)
XL-185P (current single band portable)
XL-200P (current all band portable)

The XL series uses the newer RPM2 programming software and I am not familiar with it or how it works. The older XG portables use the older RPM14. The XG can do phase 2 if it's been flashed.

I am no Harris expert and I'm sure others can add much more than I.

 

[ElroyJetson]

The P7300 is also Phase II capable with appropriate feature upgrades. They're dirt cheap but good radios.
I've got a ton of them to try to sell off. They have Phase 1, not Phase 2.

 

[Asunakiyori]

XG-100P (end of life long ago but can be found for a good price on the used market)
XL-185P (current single band portable)
XL-200P (current all band portable)

The XL series uses the newer RPM2 programming software and I am not familiar with it or how it works. The older XG portables use the older RPM14. The XG can do phase 2 if it's been flashed.

I am no Harris expert and I'm sure others can add much more than I.

xg100p all band with phase II is averaging about 900 on fleabeay

 

[nhfdcadet]

Get yourself a unication pager. It's cheaper than any APX, and the software is much cheaper than Harris. Plus there's no question of the legality of scanning with it.