Motorola EVX-S24

The EVX-S24 is Motorola's compact digital radio, and its two headline numbers pull in opposite directions: it weighs about 215 g with battery, antenna and belt clip, and it is rated IP67 - sealed against dust and protected against immersion, not merely splashing.

It runs both digital and analog channels, which is what makes it a migration radio rather than a replacement one. A site can put digital radios in alongside an existing analog fleet and move across at its own pace instead of changing everything in a weekend.

Capacity is 256 channels across 16 groups on UHF 403 to 480 MHz, with four programmable buttons, three on the front and one on the side. Motorola's published battery life at a 5-5-90 duty cycle with battery saver on is 12 hours on digital at 3 W and 11 hours on analog at 2 W. Busy channel lock out stops a user transmitting over someone else, and the radio carries a low battery alert, a battery saver and auto power off.

It takes a range of Motorola antennas including stubby and super stubby options as short as 50.8 mm, which matters on a radio chosen for being discreet in the first place.

Also written without hyphens: EVXS24

Who it is for

The EVX-S24 is Motorola's compact, discreet digital portable: worn on a belt, in a pocket or clipped to a lapel, sealed to IP67, and running analog and digital channels in one radio so a mixed fleet can move to digital at its own pace. In digital mode it uses the AMBE+2 vocoder with noise cancellation and carries text messaging, transmit interrupt, all, group and private calls, basic and enhanced privacy and radio enable and disable; in analog mode it carries MDC-1200, FleetSync, 2-tone, 5-tone and DTMF signalling. Safety features are lone worker and emergency alerts, and a whisper mode. CMI lists it for security, warehouse, logistics and operations teams. Read analog vs digital two-way radios if digital radio is new to the site.

Size, weight and battery

• Size: 91 x 55 x 31 mm (3.6 x 2.2 x 1.2 in).
• Weight: approximately 215 g (7.6 oz) with the PMNN4468 2300 mAh Li-Ion battery, ATU-20 antenna and belt clip.
• Battery life: Motorola rates 12 hours in digital at 3 W and 11 hours in analog at 2 W, on a 5-5-90 duty cycle with the battery saver on.
• Power and band: UHF 403 to 480 MHz; digital 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 W and analog 0.5, 1 or 2 W; 12.5 kHz digital channel spacing, 12.5, 20 or 25 kHz analog; 256 channels in 16 groups; 4 programmable buttons (3 front, 1 side); 8-character alphanumeric display; frequency stability plus or minus 1.5 ppm; 3.7 V DC nominal.
• Audio: 500 mW into 4 ohms; AMBE+2 digital vocoder; ETSI DMR protocol (TS 102 361-1, -2, -3).
• Protection: IP67 water submersible and dust proof; tested to MIL-STD 810 C through G; operating temperature -22 F to 140 F (-30 C to +60 C).

Licence

This radio operates on licensed business frequencies. An FCC business radio licence (Part 90) is required to transmit; CMI can point you at the process when you order.

Accessories that fit

CMI connector code: Y6. Motorola's EVX-S24 sheet names the PMNN4468 2300 mAh battery, the ATU-20 stubby and ATU-21 super stubby antennas (50.8 mm), the CD-65 and CD-66 single-unit charging cradles, the MH-89A4B earpiece microphone, the MH-90A4B compact speaker microphone and the MH-66F4B submersible speaker microphone. CMI lists the AAM19X501 CD-65 single-unit charging cradle, the AAM21X501 MH-89A4B earpiece with in-line PTT and microphone, the AAM24X501 MH-90A4B remote speaker microphone and its own six-unit multi charger for EVX-S24 radios (that last one listed by CMI's own title; the sheet names the VAC6066 multi-unit charger). Ask CMI for other earpieces and headsets by connector code Y6.

Part number

CMI part number: EVX-S24; Motorola lists it in black and in yellow. For the analog-only radio from the same family see the Motorola VX-261; see CMI's Motorola collection, commercial radio collection and warehouse and logistics radios.