Tait TP9800 multiband

[mmckenna]

I spent about 30 min in their booth at FDIC last year, had a few questions and ideas about that new line. I got the impression then it was coming soon.

That's good, focusing their efforts.
I'll feel better when I actually see them in production. I looked at the one they had at IWCE a few years ago, and it looked like a nice radio. It's just been a long time and one starts to wonder if they are still the company they once were. It's things like this that make me a bit skeptical about waiting on them.

 

[speedway_navigator]

Someone at a tradeshow remarked Motorola would push out a model 100 (HT-100, P-100) radio just to get it on the market, even if it had bugs. The R-100 repeater was a bugger to program but was a workhorse, we used them for the Indycar safety team and pace cars.

One year at the 500 it was hot on race day and the R-100 I was using for infield medics almost became 100% duty cycle. When it gets hot the fans tend to drink a yellow frothy fluid which has a side effect of accelerating the 9.8 meter/ sec squared effect of gravity while negotiating steps in the stands. Said fans ended up at the bottom of the stands needing medical attention.

 

[iamhere300]

Did they say if it would support DMR and P25 along with analog, or is it either/or?? Would love to see all three modes in a radio this size!

-B

When it is released it will be available as an option to the P 25 radio, it will be a mixed mode capability.

And the pricing you're seeing quoted here is more expensive than what the list price will be for the radio with all bands p25 but not with trunking. That is an add-on that will make the radio approach 5K

 

[iamhere300]

That's good, focusing their efforts.
I'll feel better when I actually see them in production. I looked at the one they had at IWCE a few years ago, and it looked like a nice radio. It's just been a long time and one starts to wonder if they are still the company they once were. It's things like this that make me a bit skeptical about waiting on them.

It's my understanding that they have lost Cal fire. If that's the case don't expect them to be in business very long. Wildfire community is what's kept BK alive for the past 10 years. Losing it would be in death Note

 

[NParkNJ]

customers that will actually need that memory for multiple modes

In North Jersey, it could definitely do well. Unlike most states that have everything or a majority on a state-wide system....NJ is all over the place. Especially in north Jersey.

I can name you towns all within 10-20 miles of each other on the State NJICS 7/800 Phase 2 P25 system, Bergen County's own P25 system, conventional P25, analog VHF/UHF, and conventional DMR. Oh almost forgot, lowband....what a mess to monitor.....

 

[BMDaug]

In North Jersey, it could definitely do well. Unlike most states that have everything or a majority on a state-wide system....NJ is all over the place. Especially in north Jersey.

I can name you towns all within 10-20 miles of each other on the State NJICS 7/800 Phase 2 P25 system, Bergen County's own P25 system, conventional P25, analog VHF/UHF, and conventional DMR. Oh almost forgot, lowband....what a mess to monitor.....

Oh I totally agree that there would be customers! But would the million dollars spent on case studies reflect that? That is what’s so silly to me! For the amount these companies spend on market research, they could have just added the extra memory and had a more flexible product that appeals to more customers no matter what their needs may be!
-B

 

[BMDaug]

@mmckenna Tait just sent a press release! 9800 multiband has been released!!

Introducing TP9800 P25 Multiband Portables |

The Tait TP9800 P25 Multiband Portable is the latest p25 development in portable radio operating across multiple radio networks and frequency bands.

blog.taitcommunications.com

-B

P.S. No tall knobs unless they are an option.
P.P.S. They are an option! 16 key GLOVE FRIENDLY CONTROLS!

 

[mmckenna]

@mmckenna Tait just sent a press release! 9800 multiband has been released!!

Introducing TP9800 P25 Multiband Portables |

The Tait TP9800 P25 Multiband Portable is the latest p25 development in portable radio operating across multiple radio networks and frequency bands.

blog.taitcommunications.com

-B

P.S. No tall knobs unless they are an option.

Proof I don't lie.

Tall knobs were a thing they were playing with. I guess it didn't make it to production, or will be an option.

 

[12dbsinad]

Can't wait till I get my hands on one!

 

[TDR-94]

I still don't understand what practical sense it makes to use backlit color displays on radios, other than marketing eye candy. They ruin your eyes natural low light sensitivity after viewing them. They consume more power, produce more heat, are harder to read in direct sunlight, and are terrible for any type of covert use.

 

[BMDaug]

I still don't understand what practical sense it makes to use backlit color displays on radios, other than marketing eye candy. They ruin your eyes natural low light sensitivity after viewing them. They consume more power, produce more heat, are harder to read in direct sunlight, and are terrible for any type of covert use.

Ya, there’s a reason why mil radios still have a soothing green backlight, which is why I really love using the 100M with the HHC731… I will say that I like the programmable backlight on the top display of the XL series. Being able to color code channels is a great feature. You can, of course, turn that feature off for covert ops.

-B

 

[Echo4Thirty]

I still don't understand what practical sense it makes to use backlit color displays on radios, other than marketing eye candy. They ruin your eyes natural low light sensitivity after viewing them. They consume more power, produce more heat, are harder to read in direct sunlight, and are terrible for any type of covert use.

You can thank the iPhone generation for this. The opinion is that it must be old ancient technology if it has such a bland screen. At some point, there will be TicTok videos playing every time you change the channel at this rate.

Its not about functionality, its about pizzazz

 

[BMDaug]

There are a couple of practical implantations of color in certain UI elements. On the XG, they started using blue signal bars for CC RX strength, green bars for traffic RX, red for TX and orange for ETX. It’s not strictly necessary but does serve a purpose. Other colorized status elements allow the radio to be more verbose, like battery level, but most of the color display does nothing practical. An OLED status bar with a monochrome screen would be excellent IMO. It’s too late for that though… once it’s a feature on one radio, it must be matched by all competitors… :-/

-B

 

[mmckenna]

And if they hadn't done a color screen, it would have been used as a disqualification by crooked purchasing contracts as a way to "sole source/no bid" Motorola.

Harris did the right thing.

 

[Echo4Thirty]

There are a couple of practical implantations of color in certain UI elements. On the XG, they started using blue signal bars for CC RX strength, green bars for traffic RX, red for TX and orange for ETX. It’s not strictly necessary but does serve a purpose. Other colorized status elements allow the radio to be more verbose, like battery level, but most of the color display does nothing practical. An OLED status bar with a monochrome screen would be excellent IMO. It’s too late for that though… once it’s a feature on one radio, it must be matched by all competitors… :-/

-B

Back when the EFJ VP600 was being developed, agencies often commented that it looked 'old' because it looked like their current XTS5000 fleet. It was hard for some to wrap their heads around the fact that it was a new platform as it looked like the old stuff.

Some actually liked that because it meant less user training.

 

[Echo4Thirty]

And if they hadn't done a color screen, it would have been used as a disqualification by crooked purchasing contracts as a way to "sole source/no bid" Motorola.

Harris did the right thing.

Bingo! I actually have read RFPs that were influenced by Motorola that specified the literal angle in degrees of the volume knob as a requirement for the subscribers to be considered. That one was nuts.

 

[mmckenna]

Should have said "Harris and Tait did the right thing".

 

[12dbsinad]

Most users could careless about how fancy the screen looks, as they rarely look at it anyways. Turn it on, adjust volume, very rarely click to the next channel/talkgroup, push button to talk, release to listen, charge battery at end of shift and that's pretty much it. Some users have no idea how to change zones. They just want to be heard when they hit that button. But unfortunately today's industry is all about 2 sided fancy color screen/touch screen radios at 8+K apiece. Just look at the number of users that would be happy to get their old no screen HT-1000's back.

 

[BMDaug]

Most users could careless about how fancy the screen looks, as they rarely look at it anyways. Turn it on, adjust volume, very rarely click to the next channel/talkgroup, push button to talk, release to listen, charge battery at end of shift and that's pretty much it. Some users have no idea how to change zones. They just want to be heard when they hit that button. But unfortunately today's industry is all about 2 sided fancy color screen/touch screen radios at 8+K apiece. Just look at the number of users that would be happy to get their old no screen HT-1000's back that's screenless.

Oh for sure! I have my XG in an OEM Harris case that completely obscured the screen… BUT, those users aren’t the ones signing the contracts and having minimum specifications for a viable bid set by money hungry contractors. It shouldn’t be that way, but that’s where we are in 2022. End users are… end users.

-B

 

[gtaman]

Tait drops the Multiband as well as BK. The BKR9000 is a thing now. MSRP is rumored around 3500.