• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Zetron Paging

Status
Not open for further replies.

WB5UOM

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
721
Reaction score
582
For those that may still use in house paging such as Hospitals, and use any of the Zetron terminals, Zetron has decided to cease all production
on the 640,2100,2200 series as well as supporting 66 controllers.
 

PACNWDude

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
1,613
Reaction score
869
They also announced the end of 1700 series SCADA gear as well. Can't get the chips anymore.
 

WB5UOM

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
721
Reaction score
582
Yup...I now have several small to medium water companies in a dither..I am sure there are many more out there in the same boat.
Zetron did not have to end it the way they did, Im sure they just decided they wanted out....with little notice.
 

davidgcet

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 17, 2010
Messages
1,377
Reaction score
122
wow makes me wish i had all the ones i threw away when we shut down our paging a few years ago. 100+ 66 panels, probably 20 640 terminals and enough 2100/2200 chassis and cards to build out 8-9 good sized systems. before anyone says "you should have sold them" i tried for over a year.
 

WB5UOM

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
721
Reaction score
582
Hindsight is 20 20....lol...
I think Im ok, with what I have to work with. Ive picked up a mint spare 2100 , to go with my main 2200 and backup 2100...plus a couple of 640's.
In 30 years Ive only had 1 model 66 die.
Im amazed I still have a profitable operation, although I know the days are numbered. I can not whine having 30 years this Month of profitable paging.
SCADA on the other hand...thats a problem
 

WB5UOM

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
721
Reaction score
582
Actually, I was told they only want yo do Public Safety dispatch
 

PACNWDude

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
1,613
Reaction score
869
Full disclosure, I worked for Zetron for a short while, when they were part of the JVC/Kenwood Group. One of my arguments was that they should expand their focus on Motorola Trbo as well as public safety and Project 25 issues, as many of their products work just fine with Motorola Trbo, NXDN Kenwood, iDAS Icom.....but they only wanted to focus on Public Safety dispatch then as well (as their market value was tanking). One of the best things that happened to them was being bought out by Codan Communications.

Now, I administer a nationwide radio network that combines Motorola Astro and Trbo into a patchwork of networks for private fire stations, currently 58 cities with many of them being centrally dispatched. Recently the SCADA product line "end of life" and now the paging systems....well that is going to impact a lot of people, companies, and locations.

Edited: to add Trbo, as I missed my main point, Motorola Trbo is in wide use, and the Zetron 6300 IP Gateways allow for a much cheaper expansion of an Astro Motorola network (Zetron 6300 is cheaper than a Motorola Conventional Channel Gate-Way [CCGW]), to Trbo subsites.
 

PACNWDude

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
1,613
Reaction score
869
@PACNWDude

Are the JPS Z series, Telex IP-224, and Omnitoronics IPR-1000 hardware not a valid replacement for the Zetron gear?
Those are all possible options for many users and use cases. In my case, I must use hardware and vendors on an approved list (fedgov affiliate), but many end users do not have those restrictions.

In my case, Telex/Bosch Communications IP-223 and IP-224's were used in the past, but were eventually replaced with Zetron 6301/6302 devices to standardize hardware.
 

N4KVL

ÆS 8675309
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
130
Reaction score
170
Location
South FL
Sonik Messaging Systems offers a drop in replacement for the 2100/2200 that is completely software based and runs on a COTS server. Web based administration and database management.

Kenwood Kairos will do POCSAG as an option via TNPPOIP

A couple solutions that I have found over the years maintaining a nine site POCSAG simulcast.
 

WB5UOM

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
721
Reaction score
582
Thanks for the info..will keep that in mind...From when I started Im down to 11 sites from 18....but really the 66 controllers never break, never needed tweaked...and of course as we know the weak link on 21/2200 is the hard disk...
Im gonna check out the info you gave though..thanks again
 

WB5UOM

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
721
Reaction score
582
Yup.....When I inquired about current tech help rates, Thats when I was told there was a link on the reseller login page down at the bottom you have to click on to read about it.
Pretty crappy way to go about it, with NO advance notice.....just Baam! -- its gone no more orders.
 
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
1,976
Reaction score
987
Location
Pittsboro IN
I have not been in paging since we put in Rcomm terminals for a VA hospital upgrade, who else is in the business?
I think we used Unipage when we had a state wide network on 152.48 back in the 90s.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top