Motorola cheap professional portable two way radio for firefighters.

[sam55671]

Any cheap Motorola UHF 450-512 MHz portable two way radios with a display for firefighters? $60.00 a piece

 

[cmjonesinc]

Certainly not new. You may find a used radius, mt or ht series for that but it will likely need a battery and/or antenna at that price. I'm also assuming conventional analog.

 

[sam55671]

Yes used. How is the saber is it a good radio because I know it is cheap?

 

[cmjonesinc]

I may be wrong without looking at my list but I don't know think they will narrowband. Most likely why they're so cheap. Same goes with any ht1000 with the last two digits of the model number being AN or BN.

 

[cmjonesinc]

In fact, here ya go. It's from a train website but non narrowband is non narrowband so the info is good. As I suspected the saber is on the no go list. Motorola radios that are NOT narrowband capable

 

[sam55671]

I have a ht1250 ls+ which is my personal radio and my chief told me to ask around to see if we might be able to get quality back up radios with a display and 16 channels. Our budget is low which is why we are looking to buy quality radios at a low price.

 

[cmjonesinc]

Personally if you're just wanting a back up radio I'd buy a bunch of vx180s. They're cheap, available, two tone page, 16 channel and have a display. My department had a mixture of them and mt2000s before going trunked and had no issues with them. I also work for another company that has about a dozen vx180s and they love them. I love my Motorola's but as a cheaper alternative you can't go wrong with a vertex, especially the 180

 

[sam55671]

We want Motorolas so do you think the mt2000 is a good option?

 

[cmjonesinc]

I have a couple. I have no problem with them. However the pixels are bad to go out on the screens. It seems to be worse with the top screen ones that I've had through the years.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Whether or not the radios narrowband is irrelevant. The OP is looking to use in the T-band which was exempt from narrow band mandates.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cmjonesinc]

Whether or not the radios narrowband is irrelevant. The OP is looking to use in the T-band which was exempt from narrow band mandates.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hahaha derp..... brain fart. Sorry about that. However on the same side as that, if it's so old it can't narrowband you may not want it.

 

[mmckenna]

If a display is mandatory, you are going to have a difficult time finding and quantity of suitable radios for $60 each.
If you can ditch the display requirement you could look at the HT-1000 line. You should be able to find those for somewhere in your price range. Very durable radios.

The MTS2000 might be an option, but they have the known issues with the display pixels dropping out.
And then there's the whole Chinese branded radios. $60 would be easy, you'd get a display. Not sure I'd trust them in a fire fighting environment, even as a back up radio.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Probably want a IS radio for fire use…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mmckenna]

Probably want a IS radio for fire use…

True. Not sure I'd trust the IS rating on a used/$60 radio, though. If IS rating is a requirement, your $60 budget just flew out the window. You'd need a radio that had documented service by a shop that is factory trained to do IS work.

 

[sam55671]

It doesn't have to be IS rated.

 

[jcop225]

Whether or not the radios narrowband is irrelevant. The OP is looking to use in the T-band which was exempt from narrow band mandates.

I'm not sure where you're getting T-Band from, OP spec'd the entire UHF band in his request. More to the point, T-Band is NOT exempted from narrowbanding:

https://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety-spectrum/narrowbanding-faq.html#question_1_1_1

Depending on how you intend to use these radios, I would look up the environmental (usually MIL-STD) rating of the radios you are considering to see if they are satisfactory.

 

[sam55671]

Ok thanks

 

[ecps92]

T-Band was exempted, that document is out-of-date, however many agencies DID go ahead and NB their equipment due to Grant $$ already allocated

https://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/narrowbanding-overview
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-12-642A1.pdf

He should, if T-Band, confirm if his agency did or did not go Narrowband, as well as determine any future plans to NB
Many agencies continue to migrate to NB

I'm not sure where you're getting T-Band from, OP spec'd the entire UHF band in his request. More to the point, T-Band is NOT exempted from narrowbanding:

https://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety-spectrum/narrowbanding-faq.html#question_1_1_1

Depending on how you intend to use these radios, I would look up the environmental (usually MIL-STD) rating of the radios you are considering to see if they are satisfactory.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I'm not sure where you're getting T-Band from, OP spec'd the entire UHF band in his request. More to the point, T-Band is NOT exempted from narrowbanding:



https://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety-spectrum/narrowbanding-faq.html#question_1_1_1



Depending on how you intend to use these radios, I would look up the environmental (usually MIL-STD) rating of the radios you are considering to see if they are satisfactory.

OP actually stated 470-512 MHz in his post. He has since broadened the requirements.

However, I'm not aware of a single /\/\ radio that will currently cover 450-512 MHz. In fact the only radios I know that will are Baofengs.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sibbley]

OP actually stated 470-512 MHz in his post. He has since broadened the requirements.

However, I'm not aware of a single /\/\ radio that will currently cover 450-512 MHz. In fact the only radios I know that will are Baofengs.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My HT1250 will do 450-527 Mhz. Vertex 454 UHF will do 450-512 as will Kenwood TK-3312. Also Icom F60v will cover 450-512. You HAVE to search for this wide split, but they are out there.