Spectra vs Syntor X 9000
Moderator: Queue Moderator
Spectra vs Syntor X 9000
Is there any significant difference between the two trunk mounted, 100 watt models? I know the number of frequencies is different, but is the functioning of the radio as far as receiver sensitivity and functioning worth the difference in price?
Scanning and signalling
The Spectra will only scan 16 channels, while the Syntor X9000 will scan as many as you want.
I have had both radios, both Systems 9000, and I like the Syntor better. If you need things like MDC1200, then go with the Spectra. It's standard in those radios.
Josh
I have had both radios, both Systems 9000, and I like the Syntor better. If you need things like MDC1200, then go with the Spectra. It's standard in those radios.
Josh
The zone enabled conventional Spectra is a step up from the Syntor X 9000. Its true the Spectra will only scan 16 modes at one time, but the zone enabled model has up to 25 different zones and each zone has its own separate operator selectable scan list with up to 16 scan modes per zone (only 1 zone at a time can be active). The Syntor X 9000 can scan up to 128 modes, but it only has a single operator selectable scan list.
The usefulness of zone operation depends on how you use your radio. If you mobile in the same area and do not need to change scan modes (as can be common in flat terrain) or if you need lots of scan modes, then the Syntor X 9000 works the best. If you mobile in a wider area or have geography that prevents line of sight to different repeaters, the zone Spectra works best, unless you just need lots of scan modes.
I lived in a large North-South valley with a coast range on one side and the Cascade range on the other side. There were also assorted hills and a major city about an hour drive to the North and another to the South. Several repeaters in these other cities were only just strong enough to barely open the squelch and make unintelligible noise at home. It was irritating. With a Syntor X 9000 I had to leave them out of the scan at home and manually add them back to the scan list when traveling to the other city. With a zone enabled Spectra I created zones for both cities, the North coast, the South coast, one just for simplex frequencies and another for repeaters. When I traveled, all I had to do is change zones and my scan list, although limited to 16 modes, was correct for where I was.
The other thing the Spectra can do that the Syntor X 9000 can not is called scan off HUB. The Spectra can stop scanning when the microphone is removed from the Hang-Up Box (HUB) clip. It has to be programmed and it allows you to answer calls you hear while scanning. The Syntor X 9000 can only do Talkback scan, where the scan will resume if there is too long a delay with no activity on the scan mode. There is a way of helping to compensate for this:
http://www.open.org/~blenderm/syntorx9k ... l#pgq_shub
The Syntor X 9000 can have up to 255 modes and up to 32 operator selectable multiple PL tones (MPL) depending on the RSS used to program the radio and the radio memory options. The Spectra only has up to 16 MPL tones. If you travel really long distances, the extra MPL tones can be a big help getting into HAM repeaters far away from home.
I think the Syntor X 9000 has a better heat sink for high duty cycle Tx operation. They are both from the Motorola old and now defunct times of quality requirements totally prevailing over production cost concerns.
They are both great radios and I would really not be unhappy with either one of them. Currently I use a VHF zone enabled Spectra and a UHF Syntor X 9000. The VHF is more of a travel radio than the UHF for my purposes. Depending on the Rx preamp options (comparing oranges to oranges, etc.), the radios are about the same Rx wise. Depending on the power level the Tx side is about the same as well.
Some people also like the dash mount option or the DIN form factor size A4 or A7 (8 character display) style remote mount control head which are only available with the Spectra. The Syntor X 9000 control head and the Spectra A9 head are not DIN sized, which only seems to bother some people (these heads are the only ones with 11 character displays).
The usefulness of zone operation depends on how you use your radio. If you mobile in the same area and do not need to change scan modes (as can be common in flat terrain) or if you need lots of scan modes, then the Syntor X 9000 works the best. If you mobile in a wider area or have geography that prevents line of sight to different repeaters, the zone Spectra works best, unless you just need lots of scan modes.
I lived in a large North-South valley with a coast range on one side and the Cascade range on the other side. There were also assorted hills and a major city about an hour drive to the North and another to the South. Several repeaters in these other cities were only just strong enough to barely open the squelch and make unintelligible noise at home. It was irritating. With a Syntor X 9000 I had to leave them out of the scan at home and manually add them back to the scan list when traveling to the other city. With a zone enabled Spectra I created zones for both cities, the North coast, the South coast, one just for simplex frequencies and another for repeaters. When I traveled, all I had to do is change zones and my scan list, although limited to 16 modes, was correct for where I was.
The other thing the Spectra can do that the Syntor X 9000 can not is called scan off HUB. The Spectra can stop scanning when the microphone is removed from the Hang-Up Box (HUB) clip. It has to be programmed and it allows you to answer calls you hear while scanning. The Syntor X 9000 can only do Talkback scan, where the scan will resume if there is too long a delay with no activity on the scan mode. There is a way of helping to compensate for this:
http://www.open.org/~blenderm/syntorx9k ... l#pgq_shub
The Syntor X 9000 can have up to 255 modes and up to 32 operator selectable multiple PL tones (MPL) depending on the RSS used to program the radio and the radio memory options. The Spectra only has up to 16 MPL tones. If you travel really long distances, the extra MPL tones can be a big help getting into HAM repeaters far away from home.
I think the Syntor X 9000 has a better heat sink for high duty cycle Tx operation. They are both from the Motorola old and now defunct times of quality requirements totally prevailing over production cost concerns.
They are both great radios and I would really not be unhappy with either one of them. Currently I use a VHF zone enabled Spectra and a UHF Syntor X 9000. The VHF is more of a travel radio than the UHF for my purposes. Depending on the Rx preamp options (comparing oranges to oranges, etc.), the radios are about the same Rx wise. Depending on the power level the Tx side is about the same as well.
Some people also like the dash mount option or the DIN form factor size A4 or A7 (8 character display) style remote mount control head which are only available with the Spectra. The Syntor X 9000 control head and the Spectra A9 head are not DIN sized, which only seems to bother some people (these heads are the only ones with 11 character displays).