I am confused by the term "very limited system/talkgroup memory" when discussing the 996P2. How is the memory limited I have according to the memory used in the info screen 1049 channels/9 systems/9sites which is just about every possible talkgroup and conventional frequency in my metro area in my 996 and I am using 2% of its memory.
When this issue is discussed, they are not talking about total overall memory or even the number of systems that can be entered. They are talking about the 500 item limit per system. You can have 500 information pieces in a single system, including frequencies, talkgroups and unit ID's.
When just discussing talkgroups and frequencies, this is not much of an issue except for some of the huge statewide systems that include tons of talkgroups and many sites. Those systems are usually broken out into smaller pieces anyway and usually don't create any real limitations other than you can't get the whole thing into one system,
Where the real limitation comes in is if you store unit ID's or radio ID's. A typical medium-sized city or county trunked system can easily have 5-6,000 unit ID's. Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks, Schools, County Administration, inspections, and the like including bases, mobiles and portables real easily exceed the 500 limit. And keep in mind the real limit is maybe 400 if you've already got a combination of 100 frequencies and talkgroups in the system.
The 996xt/396xt is the first radio I believe that was equipped to handle unit ID's or UID.
It's never been expanded in size. PSR-800, PRO-668, WS-1080, HP-1, HP-2, 436, 536, and other more recent radios all have UNLIMITED storage of unit ID's within a system.
The 996p2 is based on the 996xt and contains this same limitation. This is what is meant when the limitations of the 996p2 is discussed. If you don't store unit ID's its not really an issue. If you do, it's a BIG issue.
Once you have had UNLIMITED storage, it's hard to go back.
