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What is the oldest still-in-use ( by PD / FD / FED ) Motorola portable radio ?
- Thread starter mbnv992
- Start date
12dbsinad
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Narrowbanding really killed off the old relics in our area, otherwise we would probably have HT440's still in service. I think there is 1 dept off the top of my head that still has a supply of HT1000's that basically sit in chargers around the station used as a scanner but they still work and function just fine.
Not much left for low band around here unfortunately. I don't even think we have any low band customers left but I'd have to check the database. Believe the last one we serviced was a fuel oil company and a bus transportation company.
Not much left for low band around here unfortunately. I don't even think we have any low band customers left but I'd have to check the database. Believe the last one we serviced was a fuel oil company and a bus transportation company.
My agency has several hundred XTS1500/2500's and XTL mobiles still in use, and there are tens of thousands of XTS/XTL models still in service on our state system. This past month alone I've added probably 50-60 (15+ year old) XTS5000's to our state system for smaller fire depts and PD's who can't afford to pay several thousand apiece for APX models.
We also have a few HT1000's and HT750/1250's out there. Plenty of 20-ish year old analog mobiles still out there as well.
We also have a few HT1000's and HT750/1250's out there. Plenty of 20-ish year old analog mobiles still out there as well.
I have not seen one of those in years. Glad to see one working
When I was a contractor for the USCG in Elizabeth City, NC last year, they were still using XTS 3000 on their VHF analog system, along with Harris XL 200P. Currently at YPG in AZ, they have APX, but still use XTS 2500 and 5000 and XTL 2500 mobile radios. When I was in Maine back from 2015-2020 Lewiston/Auburn and Androscoggin county was using XTS 1500/2500,3000, XTL 2500. They have since upgraded to Kenwood and APX since the twin cities went to a new P25 PII system. The State Police to this day are still using XG100P and other older Harris radios. Other state agencies are using P5400. All on analog and the statewide P25 P1 trunk system.
For 33mhz operations, we use MT1000 and Radius P200 portables in my department. I know of quite a few XTS3000 radios in service in my area, UHF and VHF. There are a few Astro Sabers kicking around the region as well.
Two (MT1000 / Radius P200) charging on my rack in the station, one in my truck, one on the rescue, one on the engine, two on the brush truck, at least one chief has one, and three in the radio room.
That’s so awesome that there is still P200’s and MT1000’s in service in 2023 !! A true testament to how good these radios are.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
I agree, the Genesis and Jedi radios are so well made that I'd fully expect that the vast majority of them that still exist are fully functional and just need batteries, antennas, and knobs to stay in service. If the P200/HT600/MT1000 had been narrowband ready, they'd still fill a need.
Same goes for the Jedi series. Aside from the run of bad LCDs I don't recall that they ever had a common failure.
Same goes for the Jedi series. Aside from the run of bad LCDs I don't recall that they ever had a common failure.
I still have several HT600’s, P200’s and MTS2000’s that are in day-to-day use for our GMRS radio system here in Phoenix. They all work 100%, and sound much better than the Baoturds that all the ham/gmrs users seem to love.
Only thing about my Jedis is one of the MTS’s pixels are almost completely out ( the “iron” meathod to the back of the display fixed it for about 2 weeks then it faded out again ) and the other was dropped on a tile floor and now the speaker sounds like it’s under water. However - still works and sounds great with a speaker mic haha
I have a HT1200 and a HT 1250 that with just the rubber duck get better reception for Boston depts and I am 35 miles away. They sometimes sound better the a scanner sitting right next to them. Those old hand helds were hard to kill.
Sure is...
BrentYost
Member
Our counties fire departments are predominantly XTS/XTL radios . New radios are so expensive. There is some APX’s trickling in to other depts. Until WVSIRN puts them on the do not use list and they start dying they still work. My department has exclusively all XTL 2500 mobiles in the apparatuses and mostly XTS 5000 with a few 2500s and 1500s
It’s definitely interesting to hear about the xts5000’s still in service. In the federal fourm there was a member that was saying the Secret Service still issued out Systems Saber III radios to some people doing details. That’s probably the oldest radio I’ve heard of still “in service”. Figured most Federal agencies would have AES256 encryption so no clue how a Systems Saber would even talk to the other APX radios.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
It's been so long since I've seen the Systems Saber software that if you ask me if it is even a narrowband capable radio, I have to say, I don't know. If it IS, then it could still be fairly useful. If not, then technically it wouldn't even be legal to operate except in certain restricted frequency ranges.
I dot t believe they were plus they don’t support aes so I’m surprised they were still using them.
RFI-EMI-GUY
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The Systems Saber is not compliant with the narrowbanding mandate. The analog SABER radios could have deviation set channel by channel, but the receiver bandwidth was fixed. There may have been some SP radios with narrow IF crystals.
The UHF Systems Saber is still useful for GMRS (1) as it is specifically Part 95 certified, and of course still good for Ham.
The Astro Saber is in fact narrowband compliant.
NTIA has long had a narowband initiative for federal agencies, however they could continue to use radios that suited a mission.
(1) Provided 440-470 RF modules are fitted and properly aligned.
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"The Astro Saber is in fact narrowband compliant."
... it certainly is. I have VHF and UHF Astro Sabers as spares for my fire company, along with the XTS3000. They work better than the Vertex portables we've been issued.
... it certainly is. I have VHF and UHF Astro Sabers as spares for my fire company, along with the XTS3000. They work better than the Vertex portables we've been issued.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
Just my opinion but I still consider the Astro Saber to be the best radio Motorola has yet made other than the analog Saber.
