What is the oldest still-in-use ( by PD / FD / FED ) Motorola portable radio ?

[nokones]

XTS2500s are old? I bet there are FD's calling those "our new radios"

I've seen HT600s in use by a FD. For mobiles I think I've spotted a MAXAR 80's in brand new Fire trucks. If ever there was a time to get a new radio guys.... With a big square DTMF mic. Like nearly a Galaxy note sized mic on these things.... They don't know that they can be replaced.

Where I'm from the GTX mobile and portable were in near universal use with FDs until 2020. Plenty of XTL1500s that people bought with dreams of upgrading them to P25 in a few years. Whoops... that can was kicked down the road so far that XTL upgrade support disappeared.

I was asked "does anyone have a programming cable for MCS2000s?" in like 2021 too. For a University PD or security.

Twowayradioparts.com has an OEM cable for a little less than $400.

 

[speedway_navigator]

VFD in northern IL

 

[mbnv992]

Ha, an old P100 still in service ?!

 

[KC2GSP]

My job still uses ht1250's and has Centracom Gold Elite dispatch consoles from the early 2000's

 

[BrentYost]

My job still uses ht1250's and has Centracom Gold Elite dispatch consoles from the early 2000's

We still use VHF 1250s for a backup. Dispatch center has a VHF patch that can be tuned on when needed.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

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.

Back in late 2017, early 2018 I was working on several console upgrade projects across the country for a TLA. They were still installing Astro Spectra's in 2018 YM Chevrolet Tahoe SSV's as the only radio. They were mostly running APX portables but still has some XTS5000's and the occasional XTS3000 out there.

 

[FFPM571]

I've seen quite a few departments still installing CDM mobiles....

 

[speedway_navigator]

Ha, an old P100 still in service ?!

That was from Feb 2015

 

[redbeard]

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.

They were using Astro Saber not Systems Saber.

 

[K6GBW]

I was issued an MTS2000 in 1997 and I turned in the same radio in 2019 when I retired. Twenty one years and about six batteries later, it was still working!

 

[PACNWDude]

I work for an employer that runs many private fire departments across the country (United States), and it is everything from HT-750/1250's and CDM series mobiles to APX8000XE handhelds and 8500 mobiles.

Recently some federal government agency sites just dictated "no Bluetooth, WiFi, or GPS options" allowed. This means no APX series radios, and I ended up buying refurbished HT-1250 LS+ handhelds for several sites (IS rated with the correct battery). Luckily, there are a few vendors I trust that re-case these older radios and gave us a great deal. Everything old is new again in this use case.

Still amazed though to think what is still in use. I put some HT220's mentioned earlier in this thread into the "corporate museum". I expected some issues with wireless options within Motorola radios, but to go full on Waris series is interesting. Looking over CDM series mobiles to put back in service too, luckily we never got rid of those. Maxtrac's are also in use, but in a secondary function, not direct fire or security use.

 

[K6GBW]

Seems like they could just shut off the BT and WiFi? Kinda weird. Obviously some administrator made that decision.

 

[littona]

Rebanding was a fun project to work on. The company I was with did contracts for Motorola to go visit various systems and inventory all of them. People would bring stuff out of the woodwork claiming it was working on their trunked system. Nextel usually didn't put up too much of a fight replacing equipment if it was on their pre-approved list of radio models. The user didn't have to prove that a radio was working and they got a shiny new replacement. Motorola made a lot of money and got a lot of old radios "off the streets".

 

[ElroyJetson]

Ah, rebanding.... I know somebody who may know something about fire departments that worked deals with people or companies that had an inventory of compatible used radios and thus acquired extra radio inventory for the rebanding project, at absolutely zero cost, and then, when those radios were traded in for brand new radios, a percentage of them got handed back to the guy who provided the used radios.

"Here's 32 complete STX radios that power on. I get half of the new XTS radios that Nextel swaps them for, you keep the other half." "OK!"

I suspect that happened a LOT.

 

[redbeard]

Power plant near my old house if still online is using LCS2000 portables on the 800MHz type ii

 

[PACNWDude]

Seems like they could just shut off the BT and WiFi? Kinda weird. Obviously some administrator made that decision.

Yes, but when the cost is so low to meet the contract requirements, I am not going to complain. HT-1250 LS+ radios instead of APX8000XE's, the money is going to roll in just fine (for profit company that has many private fire stations across the United States).

 

[CqDx]

Chicago Transit Authority has a sizeable number of HT1000s still in active use today.

 

[EWC_BDN]

Chicago Transit Authority has a sizeable number of HT1000s still in active use today.

They aren't super heavy or anything too with a NiMH battery. nice solid good feeling radio. you feel like you're having an important conversation when you use one.

 

[speedway_navigator]

The airport staff at PHX all look to be using APXs, even the guy cleaning the rest rooms. IND uses DMR Trbo.

 

[BD4ROQCN]

I have three of model iii xts5000 and Chinese HAM really enjoy these retired XTS2500 or 3000 or 5000, thounds of them via containers from Australia and USA security, pd or FD department.