GigaParts sold out of Hytera ham radios, now offering special pricing on land mobile substitutes.

For people who just want to talk on a radio analog is the way to go. Until digital is as easy as analog is now it'll not be as popular with those who just want to talk.
I've tried digital and it's quite a hassle. I have to drive 4 hours away ,to the Twin Cities, just to hear digital repeater traffic and usually I hear nothing on the analog repeaters on the way there.

 

But back to the beginning, freq band and mode of operation is were the argument starts. It still comes back to being apples to apples, especially (assuming) the same folks are involved from the R&D and engineering side.

We both can go ahead and agree by saying "SCREW THE FUSION part". I'll even by you a bottle of your favorite beverage (Soda or Tea) if we can both say this out loud at the same time! But back to the topic. I have a Motorola XPR 8400, UHF repeater thats in MM. I do run DPL on the analog side and it stays 12.5 bw. The VHF repeater is a GE Mastr 2 that's been loved and massaged. Both repeaters run thru the same specd preselector, pre-amps, duplexers in running from the tower house to the top of the tower. each repeater travels up 280 feet of 7/8 feed line (loss greater on UHF, obviously). With similiar gain / pattern antennas up top.


Radios on this side are xpr 4550's and xpr 5550's on the UHF DMR / MM side and Moto XTL 5000's on the vhf side.

The repeater and the 300 ft tower are located in a urban area, center of whats otherwise of rural county. UHF both mobile and fixed (DMR and analog) while on the outer edge beat out VHF analog. I believe this is caused by the path, natural and man made losses caused to VHF while being in a city environment. On the UHF DMR to analog comparison, DMR wins out in our situation because of the FEC keeping the information in the transmission together while analog starts it degrading ride thru town.

I say by this then we can determine then that perhaps location (like in real estate) has it large hand in what mode and band works best.

As for the repeater owner programming the radio, yeah I can't comment, well because I am a repeater owner and I do program my radios.

*** Now, and this will probably blow everyone's mind when I say this. If I need 2 base stations, or a base to mobile station to have decent, respectable communication over 40 - 60 mile area (county, parish, small region, etc.) Then lets go with VHF Lo-band in the 39-46 mhz range. 100 watt base station and and 100 watt mobiles with proper 1/4 wave antennas.!!!

 

Not fond of the DMR, good radio I'm sure though

 

Not a big fan of eco link so I do not expect to be a fan of this.

 

the md782 will use a seperation kit