What's wrong with these EFJ radios?

[phillydjdan]

I was browsing fleabay and found these radios that are supposed to do Phase 2 TDMA modulation:

EF Johnson 5100 51SL ES 5100ES 5000 7 800 P25 Ambe 2 Trunking XTS FPP AES Des | eBay

EF Johnson 5100 51SL ES 5100ES 5000 7 800 P25 Ambe 2 Trunking XTS FPP AES Des | eBay

EF Johnson 5100 Ascend ES 51SL 7 800 P25 Ambe 2 XTS 5000 Antenna AES Des FPP | eBay

So my question is, if the APX series goes for well over $1,000 (more like $3,000 or better), then why are these ones so cheap? If I wanted to get onto a Phase 2 9600 baud trunked system in the 700 or 800 MHz bands, would these radios really work for me? What's the catch? How do they compare to the APX series?

Your input would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[mmckenna]

I could be proven wrong, but I'm pretty sure the 5100es doesn't do phase 2. I think you have to have a VP600 or VP900 to do that.

Not sure if this guy is confusing AMBE+2 with "Phase 2".

All the EF Johnson documentation I can find says they are not "P25 Phase 2 software upgradeable".

 

[phillydjdan]

These ads say these radios have "the newer AMBE2 vocoder, which works with X-2 TDMA", though. Is this possible, or is it complete bull@#$%?

 

[hitechRadio]

I could be proven wrong, but I'm pretty sure the 5100es doesn't do phase 2. I think you have to have a VP600 or VP900 to do that.

Not sure if this guy is confusing AMBE+2 with "Phase 2".

All the EF Johnson documentation I can find says they are not "P25 Phase 2 software upgradeable".

mmckenna has it right, he is confusing AMBE+2 with Phase 2 TDMA. Or assuming that because other manfactures that are TDMA capable have AMBE+2 that the radio he has must be TDMA capable because it has AMBE+2.

I would ask him if he can garuaratee Phase 2 operation, because AMBE+2 does not mean it is capable.

 

[phillydjdan]

OK, so what radios WILL do Phase 2 systems (besides the APX series)?

 

[hitechRadio]

Besides The Moto APX line, Efjohnson has the VP series and other manuf. support P2.

A little google searching reveals this thread.
http://forums.radioreference.com/pr.../265367-p25-phase-ii-radios-manufactures.html

It will be some time before cheap P2 radio's will be found on fleabay.

If you are wanting to monitor a P2 system, scanner or SDR is the way to go.

 

[grem467]

The seller has been told numerous times that the radios will not do any flavor of TDMA, and he argues. It is a blatant misrepresentation of the products he is hawking IMHO.

As stated, the ONLY EFJ Radios that will do phase II are the Viking series. The ES and earlier radios will never be able to do TDMA

 

[RadioBoy69]

I think everyone is right,, that they will not do phase 2. But if u look at an old 5100 radio brochure, it says that it is upgradeable to that. The county where I am at bought an EFJ system, and efj told me they would not do it. I am assuming they stopped any upgrades to the 5100 to push their new vp line.
bottom line, stay WAY clear of any EFJ product. Very bad support from EFJ and their P25 system performs way less than ideal.
APX is the way to go.

 

[davidgcet]

there is a TDMA upgrade option for the 51ES series, BUT to my knowledge it is preorder only and not actually shipping yet. I know the 53ES I just got in has the TDMA upgrade option and my EFJ rep(i'm a dealer so this is a factory rep) says the software will roll out in a few months. I'm wondering if it actually will or not though, as the new Viking mobile are rolling out at the same time.

 

[grem467]

There is not a tdma upgrade path for any pre Viking radio. This comes direct from EFJ engineering.

 

[davidgcet]

Better tell that to the state of MS then because it is listed on the EPL. that PDF comes straight from the EFJ website for the state EPL, and entering the option number in the configurator does bring it up as a TDMA upgrade for the ES at a cost of 1950.00!!!!

Going by the drastic difference in cost between a TDMA upgrade for the ES and that for the VP series I am wondering if it is not a new board as well as software? Could be why engineering would say there is not a path for upgrade, because technically you would be changing out the radio anyway. LOL

 

[grem467]

There is an upgrade path for the 53es. I was referring to the 51es. I should have been more speciffic

 

[davidgcet]

well the sheet comes from EFJohnson Technologies | Mississippi and lists the 5100 ES MSWIN as having the TDMA upgrade option. the other 5100 ES sheets listed do not have it, so who knows?????

 

[DisasterGuy]

OK, so what radios WILL do Phase 2 systems (besides the APX series)?

Harris P7200, P5500, P7300, XG-25p, XG-75p, XG-100p

 

[grem467]

Vp600 vp900

 

[ElroyJetson]

EFJ 5100 radios are essentially the same as XTS5000s with virtually the same capabilities and options.
In fact, at least some of them contain Motorola XTS5000 RF decks.

EFJ specifically lists the ES version of this platform as being P25 Phase II TDMA capable.

For a price, no doubt.

 

[grem467]

It's a radio swap. EFJ is only doing tdma in the Viking hardware platform.