Who Makes Low Band Base Stations Now?

[Bruce42]

Recently CODAN (Daniels) gave up making low band radios, Midland's LMR folded up this week, Motorola quit years ago, RELM, now BK, doesn't show any on their website so the situation is getting ugly. It doesn't look like any American-based company is serving low band.

Can anyone help me to find other world-wide manufacturers that produce low band base stations and/or repeaters? I am talking 30-50 MHz, not mid band radios.

thanks in advance, Bruce....

 

[ko6jw_2]

Kenwood makes the radios for the California Highway Patrol. I expect they will keep making them as long as the CHP needs them. They are a big customer.

 

[Darkstar350]

Recently CODAN (Daniels) gave up making low band radios, Midland's LMR folded up this week, Motorola quit years ago, RELM, now BK, doesn't show any on their website so the situation is getting ugly. It doesn't look like any American-based company is serving low band.

Can anyone help me to find other world-wide manufacturers that produce low band base stations and/or repeaters? I am talking 30-50 MHz, not mid band radios.

thanks in advance, Bruce....

You sure Motorola dosent do low band anymore?
I could have sworn they still make low band CDM1250s...

 

[kf8yk]

I have several RF Technology Eclipse Series 50 100 watt low band stations in service on 46 MHz, about 8 years of use with no problems.

RF Technology ...Specifications

 

[mass-man]

Can't find any company making a 30-50 mhz continuous rig! The Kenwood TK 690 covers the segment on 3 blocks as do the CODAN units!
Hmmm....re-reading the original post and indeed there may not be BASE stations being manufactured...mobiles used as base stations maybe your best alternative!

 

[kb5udf]

How about this vertex unit?

Perhaps this would meet your needs:

Vertex Standard BSC-5000 Base Station Console Two-Way Radio Information

 

[PACNWDude]

+1 on the CDM series Motorola mobiles. Many in my area just use an older CDM1250 Motorola mobile radio and an Astron power supply. Then handset style microphones seem to be the most popular, with desktop mics being next most common.

Work well and the price is going down due to age and support. I have also used the Vertex BSC-5000 mentioned above. The CDM Motorola works fine and costs less. However the Vertex is more powerful if you have the budget and the desk space. It is a very large radio, based on their desktop repeater chassis.

 

[GaryRanson]

Recently CODAN (Daniels) gave up making low band radios, Midland's LMR folded up this week, Motorola quit years ago, RELM, now BK, doesn't show any on their website so the situation is getting ugly. It doesn't look like any American-based company is serving low band.

Can anyone help me to find other world-wide manufacturers that produce low band base stations and/or repeaters? I am talking 30-50 MHz, not mid band radios.

thanks in advance, Bruce....

Bruce,

Try Spectra Engineering

 

[W5KVV]

Hate to hear the news about Midland. Seemed like they were trying to get back on their feet.

Their older gear made by Hitachi was bullet proof.

 

[ko6jw_2]

A radio covering 30-50Mhz continuous would not be needed by anyone. Commercial/public safety users are licensed on specific frequencies. The California Highway Patrol uses 39-45Mhz, but the radios are channelized.

What is your reason for wanting such a radio?

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I have several RF Technology Eclipse Series 50 100 watt low band stations in service on 46 MHz, about 8 years of use with no problems.

RF Technology ...Specifications

looks like Daniels/ Codan equipment?

 

[NavyBOFH]

We run a large statewide low-band system here in SC still - all of it Motorola based. I don't know if the CDM series has been fully discontinued but we still purchase them new from Sandy's a year ago. We use CDM1250s for the base and mobile applications and HT1250s for HTs. The repeaters we build are using two CDM1250s with a fan on the TX unit and a TPL amplifier carrying the actual PA load and an Astron 70 amp power supply all tied together with a RICK. I can tell you they work great and we don't forsee having to source new radios any time soon.

 

[mmckenna]

I spoke to my Kenwood factory rep a few weeks ago about the future of Low Band VHF and what Kenwood's plans were.
Specifically I was looking to see if Kenwood had any plans to make an NX-5000 low band model.
Short answer was no, not at this time.
Longer answer was:
CHP has no plans to get off low band, neither do many other agencies. Since Kenwood is one of the last big manufacturers to build this stuff, they know they've got a market. The TK-690 is supposed to be produced for another 5 years. The TK-6110 is still available for the non-public safety type market.

Since these are commercial radios, and not amateur/scanners/hobby radios, there is no need to have a 30-50MHz radio.

CHP will be needing low band radios for a long time to come. The TK-690 will fill that bill.

They also have low band base stations, TKR-690, I believe.

 

[NavyBOFH]

Harris has a low-band PA for their Unity mobile but that requires buying a very expensive system just to get low-band as an add-on. That's I think where Harris is hedging their bets that most low-band users also have another band they need to access as well so they can sell a complete setup. Still doesn't solve the HT issue for some.


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[SteveSimpkin]

...
CHP will be needing low band radios for a long time to come. The TK-690 will fill that bill.
They also have low band base stations, TKR-690, I believe.

For an interesting look at the history of CHP radio equipment used over the years, see the first four links on this web site.
GEOFF FORS

 

[kf8yk]

looks like Daniels/ Codan equipment?

Similar form factor, but not the same. At one time the RF Technology Eclipse series was resold/relabeled as the DX Radio Systems Millennium series.

 

[davidzimmerman]

i still have a (USED) Motorola 100 Watt Maratrac in a box its on 36-42 MHZ 99 Channels

 

[N2AL]

Kenwood makes the radios for the California Highway Patrol. I expect they will keep making them as long as the CHP needs them. They are a big customer.

Tennessee Highway Patrol left the low band FM system about four years back. We have sold most, if not all of our surplus. Check http://govdeals.com and see what the State of Tennessee has listed. A few years back THP began pulling the low band radios from their cruisers that still had them. I doubt they have any left, but if they still do, they maybe listed. It's a long shot in the dark but aside from CHP it may be one shot of very few.

I hope this helps, and 73.

 

[lmrtek]

Carnival huckster two way salesmen and bribes aplenty have all but eliminated low band use

At one time the entire county was covered by ONE 39 MHz repeater

Today, it takes 9 tower sites on 800mhz to do the same job!

modern 911 systems have turned into a massive money pit and cesspool of bribes instead of providing reliable communications at the least cost to the taxpayer

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Carnival huckster two way salesmen and bribes aplenty have all but eliminated low band use

At one time the entire county was covered by ONE 39 MHz repeater

Today, it takes 9 tower sites on 800mhz to do the same job!

modern 911 systems have turned into a massive money pit and cesspool of bribes instead of providing reliable communications at the least cost to the taxpayer

How True! I wonder how many trillion $ to convert CHP to UHF P25?

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