Times are changing.......
There was once a time when a 2-way radio was just used for voice communications. All radios were analog (we hadn't heard about digital yet). APCO was an association of police radio technicians who went off to state, regional, and national conferences to renew old acquaintances and loosen up after imbibing in a few shots of legal mind altering beverages. Narrow band was a wedding band worn by those who couldn't afford a wide band. There were three major communications manufacturers - General Electric, Motorola, and RCA, all of which were made in the USA! To say that things have changed would be a mild understatement.
Today, the best radios are made in Japan with a few exceptions. The cheapest are made in China, and only a single manufacturer remains committed to US production. Of the two major Japanese manufacturers, we favor ICOM, basically because they produce high quality products, affordable pricing, good support and top of the class in innovation!
Case in point - the ICOM F70D/80D series handheld radios and F1721D/1821D mobiles. These radios are tough (MIL SPEC 810), reliable (available with a warranty of up to five years), and suitable for outdoor use (they can be immersed in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 3 feet and still work!). As important as this may be, it is just one of the things that set these radios apart from all others.
You've heard about P25. Additional information is available on P25 technology at www.info4u.us/APCO25. In a condensed way you can say that many users are converting from analog communications to digital communications, much like the cellular industry has been doing since the late 90's. There are some compelling reasons for going to digital. To be sure, for now if costs more than analog but the benefits compensate for the relatively small difference in price. You actually have a choice with ICOM. You can switch to a full digital model now, or you can purchase a similar model at lower cost that can be upgraded later.
Like it or not, APCO P25 is the benchmark for evolving digital compatibility. As our need for coordination for disaster response increases, there will be greater demand for coordinated communications between the private, local government and military sectors. One of the major suppliers of military communications equipment (Harris Corporation) is committed to support of P25 technology. The following is an excerpt of a late 2006 press release by Harris Corporation.
Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, demonstrated a new software-programmable waveform that enables its Falcon® III AN/PRC-152(C) to interoperate with the commercially available APCO P25-based radios. This waveform allows communications interoperability among military users, civil authorities, and first responders. The AN/PRC-152(C) will be the first tactical radio to use the APCO P25 waveform.
The Harris AN/PRC-152(C) radio, now deployed by the U.S. military, provides Type-1 secured SINCGARS, Havequick II, HPW, VHF/UHF, and MIL-STD-188-181B UHF SATCOM communications capabilities. It is a Software Communications Architecture (SCA)-based, Software Defined Radio (SDR) with an optional embedded GPS module. The radio is also part of the AN/VRC-110 system that is used by U.S. forces to provide vehicular communications.
The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, Inc. (APCO International) is dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications and has been working to provide interoperable communications through its APCO P25 initiative.
"The addition of the APCO P25 waveform to tactical radios enables military and agency users, including the National Guard and Reserves, the FBI, and FEMA, to communicate with first responders," said Andy Adams, vice president of Product Line Management, Harris RF Communications. "The addition of this new waveform validates the flexibility of the AN/PRC-152(C) SCA-based architecture and demonstrates the Harris commitment to continually add features to the Falcon III family."
The ICOM F70D/80D and F1721D/1821D series radios have full digital capability at reasonable cost plus they can be upgraded at any time to optional FIPS enhanced encryption capability. This is why we think these radios are your best value right now!
Both models cover the lower limits of the band (136 MHz for VHF and 400 MHz for UHF). This means these radios are capable of operating on US Government frequencies - a nice feature if you are considering Homeland Security interoperability issues.
The ability to receive text messages of up to 95 characters is a HUGE benefit. This means address information can be transmitted and displayed on the large dot matrix LCD screen. Public safety users will certainly appreciate this capability.
Is a 5 year warranty a big deal? At a cost of only $87, it is about half the cost of a single flat rate repair on comparable radios. It IS a big deal! The fact that these radios can be upgraded later to full digital capability gives them value beyond comparison. Add MIL SPEC 810 reliability and waterproof capability, and you have radios that are well worth the small cost difference above "economy" models. We could go on and on, but you should have the idea by now. These radios offer top value in comparison to anything else available. And, if you want proof, we are willing to let you try a pair. Just give us a call at 1.800.489.2611 for details.
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The IC-F70D (VHF) and IC-F80D (UHF) are 256 channel radios that can be upgraded to P25 Phase two (digital compatibility when desired. IPX7 waterproof protection, Use the BIIS capability to set up your own talk groups and quiet stand-by when others are talking. Large capacity 1600mAh Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery pack; large high contrast LCD clearly shows a variety of information with a full dot-matrix display; 256 memory channels with 32 memory zones; tactical group function; Built-in voice scrambler; Built-in audio compander; 8 DTMF autodial memories; Powerful 5W/4W (VHF/UHF) output; Normal and priority scans; 2 step power saver; Busy, repeater lockout functions; Wide and narrow (25/12.5kHz) channel spacing is programmable; Power ON password. For more information on the F70 series radios, click here. Your price for The F70D is $1,095 for either the VHF model or UHF non-keypad models. A full keypad adds $50 to the price of either model. |
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The IC-F1721D (VHF) and the IC-F2721D
(UHF) mobiles are APCO Project 25 (P25) Phase One analog 12.5 kHz
and Phase Two digital compliant. This assures interoperability with other manufacturer's
P25 digital radios in either the analog or digital mode.
Detachable front panel. Dot matrix,
multi-function LCD. Heavy-duty microphone, HM-148. Rugged
construction Use the built-in BIIS capability to set up your own
talk groups, and have your radio standby quietly when other groups
are talking. 256 memory channels, 32 zones. Tactical group function.
Built-in inversion type voice scrambler. Radio stun/kill and
Power-on password function. Microphone hanger action
programmable (Scan, monitor, priority channel), Optional OPC-617
D-SUB 9 pin connector for dimmer control, modem connection, D-SUB 25
pin connector for future PC connection, Built-in audio compander
(Analog mode only), Wide frequency coverage (136–174MHz or 400 to
470 MHz), LTR® Trunking system capability optional. , PC
programming capability, 7 group IDs, 24-status Messages, Send
8-character SDM (Short Data Message), Receive up to 95 characters of
free text. For additional information, click here.
Your price is only $1,095 for the VHF or UHF models). Add
just $27 for antenna and mount kit. You can also add a full
DTMF keypad or trunk mount kit for $100 more. |
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User information. Products sold by Falcon Direct are warranted to be technically compliant with the manufacturers specifications. No other warranty relative to use of the equipment or related service, when applicable, is expressed or implied. Falcon Direct makes no claim for suitability or fitness of users purpose or application. Falcon Direct is not responsible for claims arising from the use of equipment or services provided by or through Falcon Direct in which there are losses attributed to the use or application of equipment and/or related services. User agrees to these terms as a condition of purchase. Let's look at our selected products in
another way. This time, we will do a side by side comparison.
This will allow you to choose the model and features best suited to your
individual requirements. |
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Product Model |
F70/F80 | 1721/2721 |
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| Product type/Features | Handheld | Mobile |
| VHF Frequency Range | 136-174 MHz | 136-174 MHz |
| UHF Frequency Range | 400-470 MHz | 400-470 MHz |
| System Type | Conventional or P25 Digital | Conventional or P25 Digital |
| Dual Mode 12.5 or 25 KHz | Yes | Yes |
| CTCSS, DCS & DTMF encode ID | Yes | Yes |
| 2-Tone paging (Up to 10 Rx per CH. | Yes | Yes |
| 2-tone paging encode | Yes | Yes |
| Priority scan | Yes | Yes |
| Number of channels | 256 | 256 |
| MDC-1200 compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Alpha LCD display | Yes with icons | Yes with icons |
| Water submersible (1 ft., 30 mins.) | Yes | No |
| ANI | Yes | Yes |
| Emergency Call | Yes | Yes |
| Scrambler (Inversion) | Yes | Yes |
| LTR trunking | Optional | Optional |
| Over the air stun/kill | Yes | Yes |
| Short text messaging capability | 8 characters out - 95 in | 8 characters out - 95 in |
| Programmable keys | 5 | 5 |
| Compander for 12.5 kHz | Yes | Yes |
| Trunk/Rear mount kit available | N/A | Yes (Optional) |
| MIL-SPEC 810 | C, D, E and F | C, D, E and F |
| Condensed specifications | F70/F80 Full Specs. | F1721/2721 Full Specs. |
| Size | 2.31 x 5.98 x 1.5" | 6.89 x 1.77 x 6.69" |
| Weight | 14.1 Oz. | 3.3 lbs. |
| Power output | 5/4 watts | 50/45 watts |
| Audio output | 500 mW | 4 watts |
| Battery capacity/chemistry | 1600 mAh Li-Ion | Not applicable |
| Charger type | Desk rapid | Not applicable |
| Pricing Information | F70D/F80D | 1721D/2721D |
| Basic Price | $1,095 VHF or UHF | $1,095 VH or UHF |
| Add full keypad | $50 | $100 |
| Add rear mount kit | Not applicable | $100 |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| Extend warranty to 5 years (Analog) | $87 | $87 |
| Add speaker-microphone | $69 | N/A |
| Add carrying case | $44 | N/A |
| Spare battery, 1600 mAh Lithium-Ion | $89 | Not applicable |
| Spare battery, 2400 mAh Lithium-Ion | $99 | Not applicable |
| Add programming kit | $99 | $99 |
| Mobile antenna/mount | N/A | $27 |
Want to try a couple? Just give us a call
or drop us an email. If
you wish, we will be glad to provide a
quote on the full digital
model. Our toll free number is 1.800.489.2611.
| Thanks for visiting
with us! We look forward to serving you!
If you would like to receive a notification by email when a new
eNewsletter is available, just drop us an email to sales@falcondirect.com. The Falcon Team |
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Copyright 2008 - Falcon Direct, Inc.
This page was last updated on 07/13/2008