Poss. moving from /\/\ to Icom

[n9upc]

Well after many years of the old /\/\ branded on my radios I might make the move to Icom (or maybe Kenwood).

What I am looking for is a commercial (not public safety) grade radio that has the ability to do Front Panel Programming, can do scrambling (voice inversion), and would be nice to have a simple Tx inhibit feature (so when I use it to listen only I don't accidentally bump the PTT button). I plan on using it for amateur as well as business purposes.

I have thought about going digital with the iDas format but I am not so sure or sold on this format of digital as of yet and since I have some time before 6.25 kHz narrowbanding I can deal with that later.

So suggestions????

 

[traffic27fl]

RE: Poss moving from M to Icom

See: W6TRW MotoTrbo Digital Ham Radio. Scroll down to MOTOTRBO links, click on "TRBO users worldwide". No repeaters near you but system is growing.

 

[jeatock]

Look at the F3161T/4161T. Spectacular performance when they are programmed properly. Performance issues are normally caused by dealer thick-finger programming or agency idiotic policies.

The FCC nominally prohibits all part 90 land mobile radios from being user-programmable without software. This keeps the unwashed masses from doing things that are illegal, immoral and fattening, or interferring with critical communications.

Nearly all manufacturers have a secret way of doing this, but most do not advertise it. Every wildland firefighter know that the bulletproof BK bricks can be programmed with just a paperclip or car key.

I will confirm only that there are ways that allow dealers and duly authorized individuals to face program many Icom radios 'for offshore, testing and emergency interoperability purposes'. You must have the software to enable that reserved dealer set mode access field programming function, and apply a Vulcan neck pinch when power-cycling.

Doing so may get you in DEEP trouble.

You will have to search out the details for yourself, but they're out there.

 

[W2NJS]

As was pointed out above, under FCC regs you are not permitted to use an FPP radio in Part 90 (business) service. The Forest Service has FPP because they are regulated by NTIA, not the FCC. Hams have FPP because they're permitted to operate on any channel within a respective ham band.
If you don't wish to ever transmit on a channel you program the radio for receive-only operation.

 

[n9upc]

I use Business Band freqs as well as have PS freqs due to being in EMS and I will use it as a primary for ham. I carry an XTS for on-call so this would not be my primary radio. But I do not want to carry a seperate PS/Bus Band then ham radio. Thus I am looking for some FPP capability in case I need to repro for ham things.

I had an HT1550 with FPP battery when they first came out and now kick myself for not keeping it. Also I want to move to digital now for my Business Band stuff so I want to kill 40 birds with one stone.

The more and more I read the more and more I have issues with the new age old question: FDMA vs TDMA. I see that maybe Baofeng is releasing a UHF FDMA portable for around low $200.00. This was seen on Asia Radio Sales.

I guess in the next month or two while I prepare to sell my old radios I am sure things will change.

 

[mancow]

FPP is not an issue.

Every King, Bendix/King and even clear back to the EF Johnson branded units built since the mid 80s has FPP capability. Nobody cares. You won't get into any issues if nothing stupid is done with it.

 

[krokus]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.973 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

FPP is not an issue.

Every King, Bendix/King and even clear back to the EF Johnson branded units built since the mid 80s has FPP capability. Nobody cares. You won't get into any issues if nothing stupid is done with it.

The same could be said with any radio that has FPP capabilities. (Such as using a ham rig on Part 90.) That doesn't make it legal.

 

[JASII]

..... I see that maybe Baofeng is releasing a UHF FDMA portable for around low $200.00. This was seen on Asia Radio Sales.....

That is interesting news. I guess I need to snoop around at Two way radios, Security 2 way radio accessories and commercial handhelds!

Thank you for the tip!