P25 Phase 2?

[batdude]

i will drop this here... since there seem to be some Icom insiders....

any idea when/if P25 Phase 2 will be added to the 8600?

this is simply a go/no-go for me ...

TIA


doug

 

[ka3jjz]

As I understand it, there is no such thing as a P25 phase 2 conventional frequency - at least not yet. As I think the 8600 doesn't trunktrack, the answer would likely be not in the near future

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Let me anticipate your comment - something along the lines of Project 25 means trunking.

This is incorrect, and a common misconception

P25 and its various flavors are simply methods to impress intelligence on the signal - in other words, a modulation scheme. Trunking describes how the frequencies in a system are administered, not necessarily modulated. Otherwise you couldn't have analog trunking or MOTOTRBO, as examples.

Uniden and likely Whistler are the 2 powerhouses in the consumer trunking game (i.e. scanners) and it's unlikely, though possible for the right amount of long folding green, that they would share that technology.

Mike

 

[MStep]

i will drop this here... since there seem to be some Icom insiders....

any idea when/if P25 Phase 2 will be added to the 8600?

this is simply a go/no-go for me ...

TIA


doug

First off--- yes, I love the R8600 for what it does. That being said. as I mentioned in one of my first threads about the 8600 (see: https://forums.radioreference.com/icom-receivers/375547-icom-ic-r-8600-sdr-already-obsolete.html), the unit has been available for well over a year, and to the best of my knowledge, no additional digital modes have been added to the radio during that time.

There have been some tweaks via firmware along the way, and MY stumbling block had been lack of DMR and Fusion. Nonetheless, I did manage to acquire an 8600 and I'm very happy with it.

Regardless of trunking or non-trunking, it would be nice to decode a digital voice signal when one comes upon such during tuning. In that regard, the 8600 can be a bit frustrating.

It had been one of my "hopes" that Icom, like Uniden, would sell "keys" to unlock various other digital capabilities in the radio, including your P25 Phase 2. Of course, with the passage of time, that appears to be less and less likely.

 

[batdude]

ah, yes, i should have provided some more clarity on my post.


yes, I understand p25 phase 2 is (currently) only in existence on p25 trunked networks...

and yes, I understand the likelihood of iCom paying Uniden or Whistler for trunking/DMR following firmware is **zero**....

this was more from a "spin the dial" and decode Phase 2 approach.

Keep in mind that I have a UHF Phase 2 system nearby... so there is some utility to this in my situation.


thanks for the replies!


doug

 

[vince48]

Yes, I too would like to see Icom allow "other" digital modes (DMR, Phase II) to be available to the R8600 as long as the current hardware is usable.
However, there will be a work around using the R8600 with third party software.
Although the perceived performance (non trunk tracking) will be limited, but using SDR Console and DSD+ will bring some satisfaction to P25 II happiness. Just hang in their