(Reprinted from a post by WB4KXS on the Richmond 900 yahoogroup)
Richmond’s first P25 digital repeater is… the same Richmond 900 MHz repeater that you are already using (927.050 MHz, WA4FC/R).
If you transmit into the repeater with an analog signal, the repeater transmits an analog signal. If you transmit using P25 digital, the repeater transmits P25 digital. This is known as “mixed mode” operation, and it works great!
When you use analog voice on our repeater, you must use 100.0 Hz PL just as you always have. Digital signals do not use PL, so digital signals will not be heard on analog radios unless you turn off the PL on your receiver. Therefore all the TK-981, TK-481, GTX, MTX, and any other radios you have been using will continue to work exactly as they always have.
When you operate in digital mode you will notice that you no longer hear the “ticks”, or the “horse galloping” background sound produced by the (very) nearby Motorola Canopy system. Also, the “swishing” noise on mobile and portable signals is gone.
EF Johnson 5100 portables are available on eBay right now for less that $100. The 5100 can operate in P25 digital mode, and it can also operate in analog mode.
The 5100 is, for the most part, a Motorola XTS-5000 re-branded and re-cased by EF Johnson. It uses the same accessories as the XTS-5000. Please don’t wait too long, since most of these radios have already been sold.
