What's the difference? pm 1500 & xtl1500

[ptolemy9200]

Is the pm1500 a newer radio from the xtl1500? Such as look and feature capability with the firmware or it just the same as the xtl1500? I ask because some of a fellow friends radios are pm 1500 brand new basically from /\/\ and they are analog only. His comment was he can upgrade them. Would think just to outright buy a digital capable unit in first place knowing it will be needed with the vol agency sooner then later coming up. But was curious about the difference between the two and if one is more capable then other. Thanks.

 

[JMR061]

An xtl1500 is a mid power dash mount radio and the pm1500 is a high power remote mount radio. They are both astro25 radios and "low" tier for the astro25 series.

 

[ptolemy9200]

Gotcha I could a swore the one he had looked like a mid power unit no remote head but he may have changed it up. Not sure.

 

[SteveC7010]

All of the Motorola sales literature states that the PM1500 is software upgradeable to P25. When I looked it up a few months ago, the upgrade was $83. I just went through their current Commercial and Professional prices list and find no mention of this upgrade. Doesn't mean it no longer exists, but simply that I did not find it on the price list.

If the upgrade is available at that price, then it makes sense to buy the analog only now and wait to see what digital format the local system jumps to somewhere down the road. My county is in exactly that predicament right now. We're 100% VHF analog for the moment and for the forseeable future. However, all it takes is one Homeland Security grant to force us to P25. Only one agency has PM1500's at the moment. All the rest are Waris. It's not going to be pretty when we have to switch to P25 or something.

 

[ptolemy9200]

After the pm is upgraded is it comparable to the xtl1500? I've seen the xtl also in 110 watt trunk remote mounts so why I was confused unless someone put a pm 1500 head on a xtl or vice versa.

 

[JMR061]

Xtl2500 and 5000 are available in high power an xtl1500 is not and you can't remote one either. Basically motorola made the low tier in different model names for mid and high power and gave them a little different looking heads but otherwise they are basically the same feature wise.

At that is my understanding of the low tier stuff.

 

[ptolemy9200]

Cool thanks

 

[p47r4ck]

Something else worth noting : The XTL1500 is capable of trunking, while the PM1500 is a conventional-only radio.

Also, based on the information I've read in the past on the PM1500, it's only available in K (136MHz - 174MHz) and Q (380MHz - 470MHz) splits.

The XTL1500 has a T-Band offering (a.k.a. "S-Split"), in addition to 7/800MHz and 900MHz offerings as well.