So I have a fleet of 20 Motorola XU2600 radios. 10 of them are placed in vehicles along with a Motorola PTT handheld mic. The other 10 are just carried around at the job site. The original antennas are dry-rotting, and they are all breaking and falling off, exposing the copper inside. My question is can I replace the original antennas with new ones? And for the ones in the trucks, is there a way to use a rooftop antenna with them? Also, what kind of range will a rooftop antenna provide?
Hi, the antenna on the XU2600 is not removable, so repairing the antenna is really not feasible. Although we did carry them, the XTN Series was discontinued over seven years ago, so even if they could be repaired, the likelihood of obtaining OEM replacement parts from Motorola is extremely low.
These radios were not designed to use mobile or other external antennas, so there is no option to properly connect one.
A properly installed external antenna may increase range significantly. Of course, a lot also depends on the structures and terrain around it, however connecting a handheld radio to an antenna on the rooftop of a vehicle much more efficient than using it with the attached antenna from inside the cab, simply because it will be situated at a higher point and the signal won’t be slowed by the glass and steel surrounding the interior.
Thank you very much!