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Product Comparisons Our commercial and public safety 2-way radios are available with your choice of Analog, FDMA, TDMA, and P25 technology. Choose the one that is right for YOU! This is where we discuss the basic technology choices. Surprisingly, the purchase of communications is NOT all about cost. Fundamentally, we start on the premise that the equipment purchased will meet current and future requirements. Dime store radios (our term for cheap license free consumer type radios) are designed to sell for less than fifty dollars (FRS), one hundred dollars (GMRS), or two hundred dollars (MURS and Color Dot "Business Band" radios). We don't offer these radios to public safety users. Dime store radios mostly use analog technology since it is cheaper to build analog radios based on mature technology and high volume production.
This is not to say that all analog technology is bad - to the contrary, the majority of all public safety and industrial grade radios used today employ analog technology. ICOM builds VHF and UHF analog radios - lots of them, and they have the features that public safety users demand such as MIL-SPEC construction, a high level of dust and moisture protection (IP54 or better), high capacity memory free batteries, "smart" chargers, all available tone options including 2-tone paging, CTCSS, DCS, and MDC-1200 signaling. Our users generally require an LCD channel display, a good selection of accessories and extended warranty service for up to five years.  We designate these full featured analog radios as Professional Grade Analog or PGA (not to be confused with the golfing folks). Our PGA offerings include the F33 and F44 military grade radios similar to those used by the U.S. Military in the Middle East. These radios are ideally suited for law enforcement use. The F50V and F60V, is a pager/radio designed to combine all the function of a pager (including vibrate alert and message record/playback) as well as submersible capability, high RF power output and considerably more audio power than other radios. It probably goes without saying that this is a favorite by volunteer firefighters. Our recommended mobile is the F121/221 series and our preferred choice for base/repeater stations is the FR3000/4000. Prices on our PGA radios follow later on this page. All of our PGA radios (remember - Professional Grade Analog) are very affordable and quite suitable for many users. However, keep in mind that these radios do NOT have the capability to be upgraded to digital operation. The next step up is to consider the purchase of a radio that can be purchased as an analog radio with the capability of being upgraded to digital operation at a later time. Or, you can purchase a radio that is designed for digital operation, yet being capable of backwards compatibility with analog radios. One of the better known products in this category is a Motorola offering known as MotoTRBO. You may be wondering why we are discussing a Motorola product on a web page that features ICOM products. The reason is that the technology (2-Slot TDMA) used in the MotoTRBO family of products is totally unique in the USA. There is nothing else in North America quite like it. That's a good thing isn't it? Let's think about that for a moment. MotoTRBO radios (known as the XPR series) were designed from the ground up to be DIGITAL radios with all of the benefits associated with digital radios such as lighter weight, longer battery life, group and individual messaging (both voice and text), privacy, and optional built in GPS tracking. The price is considerably less than most P25 digital radios and comparable to the IDAS system by ICOM. There are some unique features such as a repeater station that can split a 12.5 kHz channel into two operating segments. The most common application is to use one channel for voice and the other for GPS, text messaging, or other data applications. This is a great application for school buses, taxis, and delivery services. However, there is always a dark side, and there is a dark side for the XPR series radios when considered for public safety applications. There are several major problems with MotoTRBO, in particular for fire departments since it has no provision for programming 2-tone paging codes. And, even though the portables and mobiles can communicate both on analog and digital channels, either 25 or 12.5 kHz - the repeater station cannot! The repeater station can operate in the analog mode or in the digital mode. If it is set for digital, it can't pass analog signals and vice versa. This means you can’t plan a migration from analog to digital. If you use a repeater, the MotoTRBO system can be analog or digital - but not both!
Additionally, the technology used in the MotoTRBO system is proprietary in the USA. There are no competitive alternatives. That is never a good situation. More importantly, the technology completely ignores the need for interoperability as defined by APCO, the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and SAFECOM. While we are impressed with the functionality of a dual function repeater station plus portable and mobile radios that can have built in GPS, we have to conclude that MotoTRBO is not a good alternative for public safety users. Technically, and operationally, we like MotoTRBO, but for public safety use, there are two better alternatives for those who wish to migrate to digital.  Of all the digital technologies, P25 is the best known, in particular for public safety use. P25 is the ONLY acceptable technology for agencies of the U.S. Government including the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Park Service, and the Department of the Interior among others. P25 is an evolving technology based on open standards. Any manufacturer desiring to produce P25 compatible equipment can do so by meeting just two mandatory requirements. For more info on these requirements are, go to www.info4u.us/P25_components.pdf. This common standard equates to a major benefit to users of this technology in the form of assurance that you will not be locked into a proprietary standard. In addition, you don't have to worry about changing technical standards. To the contrary, you can expect additional features, planned consideration and resolution of changing technical standards, plus lower prices as production volume and competition in a free market increases. ICOM is now into the second generation of P25 products. The original F70 and F80 series portables and F1721/2721 mobiles are available with standard P25 capability for considerably less than any known competitor. Call us at 800-489-2611 or email sales@falcondirect.com for more information. An Intrinsically safe version is optionally available. Some agencies require high level encryption that is generally of little interest for State, County, Municipal, or Volunteer public safety users. You may hear terms like AES, DES, and FIPS. ICOM offers FIPS certified P25 models for those who need such capability. If you would like to know more about FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards), please click here. FIPS is available only for P25 type radios. It is NOT available for other digital technologies. Unlike MotoTRBO, P25 is backwards compatible with legacy analog systems, both 25 and 12.5 kHz. The new ICOM digital trunking repeater coupled with second generation F9011 and F9015 portables and mobiles will be ready to serve your needs, whatever they may be. These are the most powerful portables available with 6 watts of RF power in VHF and 1 watt of audio (twice the audio power of most portables). There are a lot of reasons for considering P25, and with ICOM, P25 is affordable. Also unlike MotoTRBO, you can start with an analog version of an ICOM P25 portable or mobile radio and upgrade to digital when desired. We like this technology! As an item of interest, Motorola DOES make analog radios that can be upgraded from analog to P25 digital capability. The PR860 portable and PM1500 mobile can both be upgraded to P25. In our opinion, any public safety user prefering Motorola would be well advised to consider the PR860 and PM1500 products as a superior alternative to MotoTRBO. One word of caution - there are some manufacturers offering "enhanced" versions of P25 radios that are NOT compatible with other P25 radios. Be VERY careful in the selection of your vendor and be sure that the radios you choose have open standard capability. If you have questions, give us a call. We are here to help! There is another type of digital technology that is a semi open standard offered both by ICOM and Kenwood. This technology is the most advanced of all our offerings and is the only one offering 6.25 kHz channel spacing which will be required of all manufacturers in 2011. Even though the technology was jointly developed by ICOM and Kenwood, ICOM was first to market over a year ago and has now moved to the second generation products with significant enhancements to the original offerings. This new system is known as IDAS (ICOM Digital Advanced System). Additional information is available at www.info4u.us/dcom.pdf. We offer many brands and models of professional 2-way radios ranging from under two hundred dollars to well over two thousand dollars each. The brand and model type recommended depends on the users needs. This web page is specifically for public safety users who want the lowest total cost of operation, freedom from obsolesence, and most importantly - the ability to communicate when needed! Information on our lower priced radios for on-site use is available at www.ProRadios.com or if you prefer other models suitable for public safety use, please visit www.TopChoiceRadios.com. For now, let's review our selected choices by ICOM America!
A brief color-coded statement follows each radio description below to indicate the best application for each radio. Blue indicates that the radio is best suited for law enforcement use. Red indicates that the radio is best suited for fire and rescue use, and Green signifies that the radio is capable of operating in either analog or digital modes. A brief overview of each follows:
 The 128 channel ICOM F50V (VHF) on the left and F60V (UHF) at the left are top choices in an analog only radio. The ICOM F50/F60V is a combination pager and radio, sometimes referred to as a Talk-Back Pager. Both radios have built in 2-tone paging capability which is the most common selective signaling system used in the USA. Both radios are micro-sized, measuring just 3.8 x 2.2 x 1.4” and weighing at just 9.9 ounces, but that's not what makes the F50/60 very special. Both are MIL-SPEC 810 and submersible rated. Both radios are MDC-1200 compatible and have selectable audible or vibrate alert PLUS message record and playback! This is a firemans radio with intrinsically safe capability optionally available. The standard VHF radio with programming of your first 16 channels, rapid charger, high capacity battery, and 2 year warranty is under $500. Nothing else even comes close! Additional information is available on the web at www.falcondirect.com/F50V. A great analog pager/radio especially well suited for Fire Department use. The ICOM F3161DS is our most affordable digital capable radio with premium features including a large LCD display and the ability to operate on 25, 12.5, or 6.25 kHz channels . It operates in analog mode on up to 512 channels with priority scan, built in paging, even trunking capability! Like all of our selected radios, the F3161 is supplied with a high capacity memory free rechargeable battery and rapid desk charger but the thing that makes the F3161 totally unique is the ability to operate in either an analog or digital mode! Nobody else even comes close! The standard model is only $695. The full keypad version is only $50 more. Both models have built in 2-tone paging and MDC-1200 signalling capability. For more information go to www.info4u.us/dcom.pdf. Our most affordable radio with digital capabilities.  The IC-F70 (VHF) and IC-F80 (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, go to www.info4u.us/F70.pdf. Compare to BK Radio model GPH51002X-01. Your price for this digital upgradeable radio is $675 for the VHF model or $695 for the non-keypad models. Better yet, spend just $400 more and get the full benefits of P25 digital RIGHT NOW! A full keypad adds $50 to the price of either model. This is the preferred handheld radio for larger departments or county sheriffs.  The Icom IC-F121 (VHF) and IC-F221 (UHF) Mobiles provide up to 128 Channel (8 Memory Banks), 50/45 Watts, 10 Scanning Lists and Normal/Priority Scan Modes, 8 Character Backlit LCD Alphanumeric Display and Keys for Night Time Operation, 6 Programmable PF Keys, CTCSS, DCS, Advance 2-Tone Encode/Decode (Bell Icon Indication, Answer Back Calls, Beep Sounds, Scan Start/Stop, Auto Transmission, Stun/Kill, External Output Option (OPC-617) for Horn, 11 Transmit/11 Receive 2-Tone Codes), DTMF Encoder, DTMF Decoder with ANI (Optional), 25,30/12.5 kHz Wide/Narrow Channel Spacing on a Per Channel Basis, 4 Watt Front Mounted Speaker, Hook Scan Function & Hook Scan ON/OFF Button Assignable, Power On Password, Busy Channel Lockout, Time Out Timer, MIL-STD 810 C, D, E, F. Click here for more information. Compare to Kenwood TK-760, Motorola CM300, Relm RM3000, Vertex VX-4000. Your price is only $329 for the VHF model (Add $10 for UHF). Add just $27 for antenna and mount kit. Additional information is available at www.info4u.us/F121.pdf. This is a great choice for fire departments!  For a few dollars more, the ICOM F5061 has features normally found in mobile radios costing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more. The F5061 is available in a rear mount configuration where spaces are tight and you'll have to hear the audio to believe. The reason for the superior audio is a special audio processor used in digital radios. The F5061 is our lowest priced analog/digital selectable radio. It is compatible with all analog radios as well as the ICOM F3061 analog-digital handheld. You can start with the standard upgradable dash mount analog model for $495, or the rear mount model with 9.8" cablefor $100 more. The digital upgrade board adds just $220! More information is available at www.info4u.us/dcom.pdf. The F5061 VHF and F6061 UHF radios are ideally suited for use by commercial users and public utilities.  The IC-F1721 (VHF) and the IC-F2721 (UHF) mobiles are APCO Project 25 (P25) Phase One analog 12.5 kHz compliant. This assures interoperability with other manufacturer's P25 digital radios in the analog mode. These radios are P25 digital upgradeable! 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, please visit www.info4u.us/F1721.pdf. Compare to BK Radio GMH599-2X. Your price is only $675 for the VHF model (Add $20 for UHF). Better yet, spend just $400 more and get the full benefits of P25 digital RIGHT NOW! Add just $27 for antenna and mount kit. You can also add a full DTMF keypad for $100 more. If you are a UHF user, we have some outstanding news. While current supplies last, we can offer the full featured keypad model of the the F2821 mobile for just $695. First come - first served! The F1721/2721 radios are ideally suited for all public safety applications. Need a repeater to go with your handheld and mobile radios? Consider our new F5000, a full 50 watt VHF or the F6000 45 watts UHF repeater with built in battery backup, and multi-mode digital/analog operation. The F5000/600 can operate on 25, 12.5, or 6.25 kHz channels in both analog and digital FDMA modes. FDMA digital is the operating mode used by the digital models of the F3161 and F4161 handhelds as well as the F5061 and F6061 mobiles. Typical P25 base stations cost twenty thousand dollars or more. The F5000 is about ONE TENTH that cost at only $2,295, complete including programming. Just plug it into an AC outlet, connect an ordinary car battery for power failure backup (not supplied), and you are in business. There is nothing else like the F5000. If you are planning to purchase a repeater station, this is the one for YOU! More information is available at www.info4u.us/dcom.pdf. Obviously, we have other handheld and mobile models for virtually any need or application, but the ones presented here are our best suited for public safety users. Information on other handhelds and mobiles is available at www.ProRadios.com. If you need a P25 digital repeater station for use with these radios, please visit www.falcondirect.com/repeaters. One topic often overlooked in the radio selection process is maintenance. Sooner or later this becomes an issue that must be addressed. We prefer to review the available options BEFORE the purchase. We hate surprises - we think you may as well. To get the full story on the issues that most of our counterparts choose to ignore, please visit www.UltraCarePlus.com. Lastly, if you would like a specfic price quotation on any of our radios, just drop us an email to sales@falcondirect.com. You'll be glad you did!  | | |
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