Motorola XTS2500 Question about Conventional and P25

[NickGray28]

I'm very new to this type of stuff and I don't want to make the wrong purchase. I'm looking at purchasing a portable radio such as the Motorola XTS2500 for work. It will be used to monitor channels as well as transmit on a few analog talk around channels and repeaters. I have been reading up on what type of features the radio would need to be able to monitor a P25 Phase 1 Trunked system. Before I go ahead and make a purchase off eBay or anywhere else, I wanted someone's input on what the radio would need for options to do that. I've been more into the scanner side of things and just started learning about the 2-way radio side. Normally I could just purchase a digital scanner but I need to be able to receive and transmit for work. Any feedback or comments would be greatly appreciated!

Like I said before I would need it to receive and transmit for Analog T/A channels and Repeaters, Non trunked.
As well as Recieve a P25 Phase 1 Trunked system.

 

[mmckenna]

I'm not the radio police. But I've had people try this on my system before, and you have some things you need to do before you buy a radio.

You, as an employee, cannot just add a radio to someone else's radio system. Even if that radio system belongs to your employer. The FCC rules are abundantly clear on this, you -must- have permission from the licensee. When you are working, you would be operating under their license, even if you own the radio. You don't have a license to transmit on that system, they do….

Putting a radio like that on a trunked system properly requires a system key and proper programming. Yeah, you can do non-affiliate scan, but that needs to be done correctly, or you'll suffer the wrath of the system administrator.

What you should do first, is talk to your employer and the license holder. Get permission in writing from them that says you can utilize your own radio on their systems. "Bob said it was OK" doesn't meet the FCC rules. Get. It. In. Writing.

The licensee/system admin will have the information you need to do this correctly. They can tell you what you need.

You need to have the correct flashcode in the radio to give you the options you need.
You need to have the correct band radio.
If you are going to do non-affiliate scanning of the trunked system, study up on that before dropping any money.
You may need a radio ID if they run MDC1200 or other radio ID methods on their system.

None of this is impossible to get, but you really need to do your homework first. Usually where people run into problems is when they are in a rush to buy a radio.

 

[NickGray28]

Mainly the thing that I didn't know much about was the P25 Phase 1 system, all i wanted to do with that is monitor it like i do on my digital scanners. however the reasoning for the 2 way is because i need to be able to transmit on an analog frequency. The analog channel I know I have permission to have programmed into my radio for receive and transmit. The P25 Phase 1 trunked system is from another agency that I monitor on my scanner. but due to needing a portable 2 way instead of a portable scanner I was wondering what the hassle and what also my radio would need to be capable of doing to monitor that system.

 

[a417]

I understand from other threads on here that MSCommNet can be frustrating to NAS, but it can be done.

 

[nikronzo]

your gonna want a flashcode that can handle APCO P25 trunking, which includes 9600 Baud Trunking (Q361) and ASTRO IMBE Digital Operation (Q806) to name a few. Be careful of those XTS2500's on ebay as most of them have been flashed for Front Panel Programming and unless you know someone with "special software tools" the radios won't do what you want in terms of scanning the system. But yea definitely read up on the forums here and over at communications.support about non-affiliate scan before you drop some dough on a Moto.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Buy a unication for scanning and a HT750/1250 for TX RX on analog channels.

 

[sfd745]

If you are expecting to use the radio to monitor MSCOMMNET, as well as your local systems in Washington County, you are going to have a very difficult time. The XTS radios, properly flashed, will do it, but the way that MSCOMMNET is set up, you will only be scanning MSCOMMNET or your local systems, but you won't be doing both. This is some of the same reasoning to why all SP units have both an MSCOMMNET radio and a separate mutual aid radio in their vehicles. If you don't need to hear anything other than regional dispatch, you can get an analog portable and monitor the REGIONNET rebroadcaster. If you want to hear any other talkgroups, I EXTREMELY recommend a digital scanner or unication pager.

A word of caution, the MSCOMMNET system WILL KILL unauthorized radios and not think twice about it. If you attempt to affiliate on the system, they will not take mercy on you. There is a reason only state units have it and they require their radios for accessing it.