Unication Voice Pager Receivers
From The RadioReference Wiki
Welcome to the Unication voice pager wiki page. Please see the official Unication P25 Voice Pager page for models and specifications.
Unication has developed a couple models of receive only P25 capable public safety pagers. These pager/receivers are intended for public safety users and therefore have an I/Q demodulator and narrower filters for band specific needs. They work generally without any "tweaks" that may be needed for a scanner. However, these pager/receivers are lacking several basic features found in most scanners. A beta of a scanning feature is in the testing phase.
These units are capable of both Phase 1 and Phase 2.
These units are commercial grade receivers designed for public safety users, not scanners. They are designed to monitor a single trunked site at a time or a small set of conventional VHF / UHF frequencies.
Notable Limitations
The G2 thru G5 models function more similarly to a full-featured scanner than resembling the feature-limited pagers common in the fire service since the Motorola Minitor I pager's introduction in the 1970's. The G-series voice pagers are marketed toward public safety professionals and thus the feature-set was designed to lock-on to a single system and never miss an emergency alarm/page, versus the feature-set expectations of a scanner user who expects to scan a large volume of frequencies but is acceptable to miss part of a transmission on occasion. For the G-Series user, a few key limitations, as of firmware v1.31, are important to note:
- A knob position can only scan one trunked system.
- A knob position cannot scan both a trunked system and conventional frequencies.
- A knob position, scanning a single trunked system, can scan a maximum of 64 Talkgroups in that knob position. The only workaround is designating a wildcard.
- The Amplified Charger is only product that boosts the antenna strength. It has a BNC connector, and boosts both internal and external antennas1.
Contents
Comparison to a Digital Scanner
Similarities
- Excellent P25 Simulcast reception
- Two-tone paging (conventional or [some] P25)
- Color display
- Compact size/weight
- Battery lasts a long time
- Harsh environment design
Differences
- No "on the fly" programming
- Can only monitor a single control channel at a time (no multi-site or multiple system scanning)
- Cannot mix scanning of P25 control channel and conventional frequencies.
- G4 is only 700/800
- G5 adds a band but you have to choose which one (VHF, 380, 400, 450) conventional analog or P25 and/or P25 Phase 1&2 Trunking. DMR Conventional (Paid upgrade)
- Doesn't support Motorola Smartnet/SmartZone Analog, EDACS, LTR, NXDN, DMR Trunking
- Programming software (PPS) design isn't intuitive
After Market Gear (Antennas, Bluetooth, etc.)
- Antennas
- Bluetooth and Related
- Blackwell BlueTooth Audio Adapter
- Bluetooth FM Transmitter
- Klein Blu RSM Works Well on G Series Thread
- MPow M30 In Ear Bluetooth Headphones
- Noxgear 39G Bluetooth Speaker
Pager Comparison
Features | G2 | G3 | G4 | G5 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pics | ||||
Bands | Single | Dual | Single | Dual |
Models | • VHF (136-174 MHz) or • UHF-C (400-470 MHz) or • UHF-D (450-520 MHz) |
• VHF & UHF-C (400-470 MHz) or • VHF & UHF-D (450-520 MHz) |
763-776 Mhz & 851-870 Mhz | • VHF (136-174 MHz), 763-776 Mhz & 851-870 Mhz or • UHF-A (330-400 MHz), 763-776 Mhz & 851-870 Mhz or • UHF-B (380-430 MHz), 763-776 Mhz & 851-870 Mhz or • UHF-C (400-470 MHz), 763-776 Mhz & 851-870 Mhz or • UHF-D (450-520 MHz), 763-776 Mhz & 851-870 Mhz |
MSRP | $645 | $745 | $645 | $745 |
Antenna (external) | • VHF: 136-174 MHz or • UHF: 330-512 MHz |
• V+U: 330-512 MHz • U+V: 136-174 MHz |
764-870 MHz | 764-870 MHz |
Antenna (internal) | no | • V+U: 136-174 MHz • U+V: 330-512 MHz |
no | • VHF: 136-174 MHz • UHF: 330-512 MHz |
P25 | Conventional, Trunked | Conventional, Trunked | Conventional, Trunked | Conventional, Trunked |
DMR Upgradeable? | yes, $25 mail-in | yes, $25 mail-in | yes, $25 mail-in | yes, $25 mail-in |
Channel Spacing / Band Width (unique to each freq) | 12.5kHz / 25kHz / 20kHz | 12.5kHz / 25kHz / 20kHz | 12.5kHz / 25kHz / 20kHz | 12.5kHz / 25kHz / 20kHz |
Message Types (receive) | • Analog: voice, text, image via MDC or DVOA only. • Digital: voice, text, image via DMR, P25C, or P25T |
• Analog: voice, text, image via MDC or DVOA only. • Digital: voice, text, image via DMR, P25C, or P25T |
• Analog: voice, text, image via MDC or DVOA only. • Digital: voice, text, image via DMR, P25C, or P25T |
• Analog: voice, text, image via MDC or DVOA only. • Digital: voice, text, image via DMR, P25C, or P25T |
Battery Size (mAh) | 2800 mAH Lithium Ion | 2800 mAH Lithium Ion | 2800 mAH Lithium Ion | 2800 mAH Lithium Ion |
Battery Max Voltage | 4.35 Volts | 4.35 Volts | 4.35 Volts | 4.35 Volts |
Normal Voltage Supply | 3.80 Vdc | 3.80 Vdc | 3.80 Vdc | 3.80 Vdc |
Weight (including antenna, battery, belt clip) | 290 grams / 10.2 oz | 290 grams / 10.2 oz | 290 grams / 10.2 oz | 290 grams / 10.2 oz |
Weight, excluding battery & antenna | 215 grams / 7.58 oz | 224 grams / 7.9 oz | 221 grams / 7.8 oz | 223 grams / 7.87 oz |
Size (height x width x thickness) | 102 x 61 x 31.5 mm | 102 x 61 x 31.5 mm | 102 x 61 x 31.5 mm | 102 x 61 x 31.5 mm |
Operating Temp Range | -30°C to 60°C -22°F to 140°F |
-30°C to 60°C -22°F to 140°F |
-30°C to 60°C -22°F to 140°F |
-30°C to 60°C -22°F to 140°F |
Material | PPC14312 plastic & TDV rubber | PPC14312 plastic & TDV rubber | PPC14312 plastic & TDV rubber | PPC14312 plastic & TDV rubber |
Water Submersion | 3ft/30mins | 3ft/30mins | 3ft/30mins | 3ft/30mins |
Alert Types | Tone (standard or custom file), vibrate, silent, or tone+vibrate | Tone (standard or custom file), vibrate, silent, or tone+vibrate | Tone (standard or custom file), vibrate, silent, or tone+vibrate | Tone (standard or custom file), vibrate, silent, or tone+vibrate |
Customized Alerts via .wav/.mp3 files | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Minutes of Voice Storage | 100 minutes | 100 minutes | 32 minutes | 32 minutes |
Protocols (analog) | • CTCSS / CDCSS • 2 tone / 5 tone • MDC 1200 • Uni DVOA |
• CTCSS / CDCSS • 2 tone / 5 tone • MDC 1200 • Uni DVOA |
• CTCSS / CDCSS • 2 tone / 5 tone • MDC 1200 • Uni DVOA |
• CTCSS / CDCSS • 2 tone / 5 tone • MDC 1200 • Uni DVOA |
Protocols (digital) | • P25C • DMR |
• P25C • DMR |
• P25C • DMR |
• P25C • DMR |
Protocols (trunking) | • P25T Phase I • P25T Phase II |
• P25T Phase I • P25T Phase II |
• P25T Phase I • P25T Phase II |
• P25T Phase I • P25T Phase II |
2-Tone Function Modes | Selective Call, Monitor, Scan | Selective Call, Monitor, Scan | Selective Call, Monitor, Scan | Selective Call, Monitor, Scan |
Encryption key | yes, per frequency | yes, per frequency | yes, per frequency | yes, per frequency |
Encryption type | AES 256 | AES 256 | AES 256 | AES 256 |
Full Spectrum Scan | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Monitor & Alert on Multiple Talkgroups? | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Priority TGID Scan | yes | yes | yes | yes |
No. of Channels | 516 analog / 256 control | 516 analog / 256 control | 516 analog / 256 control | 516 analog / 256 control |
Talkgroup Hold feature | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Talkgroup Block/Lockout feature | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Out of Range Alert | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Display | LCD, full color | LCD, full color | LCD, full color | LCD, full color |
Display Size (inches) | 2.0 inches (30.6x40.8/mm) | 2.0 inches (30.6x40.8/mm) | 2.0 inches (30.6x40.8/mm) | 2.0 inches (30.6x40.8/mm) |
Display Size (pixels) | 320 x 240 | 320 x 240 | 320 x 240 | 320 x 240 |
Display Color Space | 65535 (uncalibrated) | 65535 (uncalibrated) | 65535 (uncalibrated) | 65535 (uncalibrated) |
Display text | 9 lines x 22 characters | 9 lines x 22 characters | 9 lines x 22 characters | 9 lines x 22 characters |
Backlight | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
Extended Warranty | Addt'l 3 years | Addt'l 3 years | Addt'l 3 years | Addt'l 3 years |
Sensitivity | -122 dBm | -122 dBm | -122 dBm | -122 dBm |
Radiated Sensitivity / 12dB SINAD / 5% BER | • VHF model: 7.98 µV/M • UHF-C model: 6.4 µV/M • UHF-D model: 4.3 µV/M |
• VHF model: 14.2 µV/M • UHF-C model: 6.4 µV/M • UHF-D model: 4.3 µV/M |
4.02 µV/M | 6 µV/M |
Image Rejection (Analog/Digital) | • VHF model: >65dB / >60dB • UHF models: >60dB / >55dB |
• VHF model: >65dB / >60dB • UHF models: >60dB / >55dB |
>65dB / >60dB | >65dB / >60dB |
Intermodulation Rejection (Analog/Digital) | • VHF model: >65dB / >60dB • UHF models: >55dB / >50dB |
• VHF model: >65dB / >60dB • UHF models: >55dB / >50dB |
>65dB / >60dB | • VHF model: >65dB / >60dB • UHF models: >55dB / >50dB |
Frequency Stability | +/- 1 ppm | +/- 1 ppm | +/- 1 ppm | +/- 1 ppm |
Adjacent Channel Selectivity | 760 dB | 760 dB | 760 dB | 760 dB |
Blocking | >80 dB | >80 dB | >80 dB | >80 dB |
Spurious | >70 dB | >70 dB | >70 dB | >70 dB |
Audio Output Linear | >300 mW | >300 mW | >300 mW | >300 mW |
Audio Distortion | <2% | <2% | <2% | <2% |
Speech SPL @ 12in | 96dB +3dB/-2dB | 96dB +3dB/-2dB | 96dB +3dB/-2dB | 96dB +3dB/-2dB |
Alert SPL @ 12in | 96dB +3dB/-2dB | 96dB +3dB/-2dB | 96dB +3dB/-2dB | 96dB +3dB/-2dB |
Ingress Protection Rating | IP67 Water/Dust | IP67 Water/Dust | IP67 Water/Dust | IP67 Water/Dust |
UL | Class I, Div. II | Class I, Div. II | Class I, Div. II | Class I, Div. II |
FCC | FCC Part 15 | FCC Part 15 | FCC Part 15 | FCC Part 15 |
MIL-STD | 810E, Proc1 for Driving Rain | 810E, Proc1 for Driving Rain | 810E, Proc1 for Driving Rain | 810E, Proc1 for Driving Rain |
Issues
- PPS Operating System Requirements Thread
- Official Latest G4 G5 Firmware and PPS Thread
- PPS Not Detecting on Windows 10 Thread
- DMR Programming Thread
- Copy Paste Questions in PPS Software Thread
- G5 Deaf Above 483 Mhz Thread
- G Series Voice Pager with Digital Trunked Scanner Feature Thread
- Unication Programming Thread
FAQ
Q: Is the G2-G5 a replacement for Motorola Minitor? A: Yes - a replacement, and then some. It has a similar form factor, can do everything a Minitor IV, V, VI, etc can do without batting an eye, and then adds significant additional capabilities, frequencies, encryption, and user-customization options.
Q: How does the range of the G2-G5 compare to a Minitor? A: Based on voluminous user feedback on RadioReference since 2015, the overwhelming consensus seems to be "yes, the range is as good and usually better by a few miles depending on geography."
Q: Do the G-Series pagers support P25 Phase I and Phase II? A: Yes. Phase II support was added in August 2018 to all G2-G5 devices running Firmware v1.1, which also included backwards compatibility for Phase I. Firmware updates remain free and user-installed with a USB cable.
Q: Can I download stored messages? A: Yes - via Unication's free software to any Windows PC, using a regular USB cable.
Third Party Software
- Universal Scanner Audio Player (Google Drive)
- Universal Scanner Audio Player Thread
- Unication files are supported via importing
Official Links
Learning Sessions
- Programming Webinar
- G4/G5 Programming Overview
- Unication YouTube videos
- Unication G5 Pager Review
- New Unication G2 / G3 Pagers
Downloads
- PPS Software & Pager Firmware Updates
- Unication G-Series Codeplug Sharing System
- G2-G6 Firmware Downloads
Documentation
Contacts
RadioReference Forum and Information
- User Guide for Importing Data from RadioReference API *Note: PDF File on Dropbox
- Unication Forum on RadioReference
Mailing Lists/Social
- Unication G4/G5 Owners
- Unication G Series Voice Pager Units
- Unication Buy Sell and Discussion
- Unication USA
Compatible Accessories
The below is a condensed summary of the thread 3rd Party Accessories Recommendations/Reviews - Unication G2/G3/G4/G5.
Chargers
Charger brand + model | Purchase link | Pics | Price | Charges? | Charge Error? | Programs/Data Transfer? | Sticks out from pager's body? | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NetDot magnetic micro-USB | amazon | pics | $18.90 | yes | no | yes | 2mm | 3 cables @ 6.6ft/ea + 2 tips per cable (USB Micro-B + USB-C). |
Kuulaa magnetic micro-USB | amazon | pics | $15.99 | yes | no | yes | 2mm | 2 cables @ 3.3ft/ea + 3 tips per cable (USB Micro-B, USB-C, Apple Lightning). |
Cafele magnetic micro-USB | amazon | pics | $13.59 | yes | no | no | 5mm | 2 cables @ 4ft/ea + 1 tip per cable (USB Micro-B). |
Terasako magnetic micro-USB | amazon | pics | $15.99 | yes | yes | no | 5mm | 4 cables (1ft + 3ft + 6ft + 6ft) + 3 tips per cable (USB Micro-B, USB-C, Apple Lightning). |
Stand/Cradle
Brand/model | Purchase link | Pics | Price | Angled or Straight | Material | Charges? | Programs? | Amplified Antenna | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
bartsscannerparts | eBay | pics | $17.99/ea | Angled | Plastic. 3D Printed. | Accommodates charge cable | Accommodates program cable | no | 4 rubber feet on bottom. Belt clip snaps into base. |
bioluminous | eBay | see purch link | $29.99 | Angled | Plastic. 3D Printed. | Accommodates charge cable | Accommodates program cable | no | Belt clip fits in base, but does not attach. |
bartsscannerparts | eBay | see purch link | $23.99 | Angled | Plastic. 3D Printed. | Accommodates charge cable | Accommodates program cable | no | Only for car's cup holder |
Replacement Parts
Accessory Type | Brand/model | Purchase link | Pics | Price | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amplified Charger Terminal Connector Block | 277-1163-ND | eBay | see purch link | $7.99 | identical to OEM part |
Amplified Charger DIN Connector | CP-1050-ND | eBay | see purch link | $7.95 | identical to OEM part |
3D Models to print your own accessories
Accessory Type | Price | Download link |
---|---|---|
Desktop cradle/stand/holder | Free | thingiverse |
Desktop or Car cradle/stand/holder (2 versions in the file) | Free | thingiverse |
Car cradle/stand/holder w/ RAM mount | Free | thingiverse |
Desktop cradle/stand/holder | Free | thingiverse |
Bluetooth earbuds/speakers
Brand | Model No. | Purchase link | Pics | Price | Ear Placement | Bluetooth | Sound | Playtime per charge | Fast Charging | Waterproof rating | Included accessories | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kurdene | S8 | Amazon | pics | $22.99 | In Ear/earbud | Bluetooth 5.2 | 8mm drivers | 8 Hours | Charge for 15 minutes, listen for 1 hour | IPX8 | Charging cable + Charging case + 6 silicone eartips with S/M/L sizes | 1.5hr to full charge |
Belt Clips
Name | Model No. | Purchase link | Pics | Price | Material | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Swivel Belt Clip | LG-G4-PW | link | pics | $15.30 | Metal |
Software Updates
Unication provides its pagers' Firmware and programming software, also called Pre-Programming Software or "PPS", free of charge. Each are updated at irregular intervals.
Firmware Updates
Version | Release Date | Changelog |
---|---|---|
V1.40 | Unreleased | Added ability to scan multiple trunked systems within a single knob position. Currently in closed-group Beta testing since 2020. |
V1.32 | Unreleased | Fixes an issue with G4's rebooting when on large systems that had a mix of VHF/UHF frequencies with 700/800 which caused issues, mainly TACN and MOSWIN systems. |
V1.31 | 12/1/2020 | • Fixed problems with conventional VHF QCII alerting • Fixed issue causing P25C QCII Stacked Paging Decode Failure • Fixed issue where TGID hold timer would only count down when the pager screen is active • Fixed issue that caused pager to crash when changing knob positions in some zones • Fixed issue where pager would not connect to PPS while screen off & would not charge until the screen turned on • Fixed issue where pager would randomly reset when programmed with a large programming file • Fixed issue in PPS that caused software to shut down when attempting to write a profile to pager • Fixed issue when a P25 TG is received, and voice transmission is over, the squelch that opened speaker kept speaker on with a hissing sound |
V1.30 | 8/14/2020 | • Added Radio Aliases/Unit IDs feature. • Added Talkgroup Hold/Remove feature. • Bluetooth improvements. |
V1.20 | 3/1/2019 | • Added mute of encrypted channels. • Added various Bluetooth fixes. |
V1.10 T06 | 7/10/2018 | |
V1.10 | 7/5/2018 | |
V1.00 | 7/2/2018 | |
V1.00-T08 | 7/1/2018 | Added Phase II support. |
V0.93-0.17K-R02 | 1/1/2018 | |
V0.93.017 - R00 | 9/11/2017 | • With R11P SW- Non-alerting TGIDs will no longer vibrate when the Selector Knob setting is set to Vibrate Mode. • With R11P SW-When pager is in deep discharge it will not charge unless the battery is removed and re-inserted. This has been fixed. • With R11P SW-When pager is off and transitions to ultra low power mode the 3 LEDS go on and eventually go off when the pager is fully charged. This has been fixed. |
R11P | 11/19/2016 | • Corrects the common tone A issue on the analog side • Corrects the issue of when the dispatch console has an SUID=0 on the P25 side • Includes a few under the hood fixes |
R11N2 | 11/4/2016 |
PPS Updates
Version | Release Date | Changelog |
---|---|---|
V3.17.10 | Unreleased | Only for V1.4 firmware beta testers. Shared 11/12/2020 to beta testers by Unication in Taiwan. |
V3.17.09 | Unreleased | Only for V1.4 firmware beta testers. Emailed 11/4/2020 to beta testers by Unication in Taiwan. |
V3.16.24 | 5/1/2021 | Fixed issue for some users logging into RadioReference |
V3.16.22 | 2/28/2021 | Fixed issue logging into RadioReference to import frequencies |
V3.16.20 | Unknown | • Added “Factory Setting” function that allows user to reset pager to original factory settings • Added new Radio Reference import process (for Radio Reference premium members) |
V3.12.6 | 7/14/2018 | • Can now 64 zones, up from prior limit of 32 zones. • Upgrades for adding DMR in future firmware release. |
V3.11.09 | 7/1/2018 | Added Phase II support |
V3.10.07 | 1/1/2018 | No notable changes. |
V3.9.02 | 9/11/2017 | • Added new paging functionality for QCII over P25 Selecitve Call and Monitor Modes • Voice Memo can be disabled in programming software. • Out of Range audible alert can be disabled (still displayed on display) in programming software. • Unread Message Alert has been added for Voice Messages that have been stored and not read. • Ability to convert G4 files to a G5 file. • Call Alert is enabled • Monitor Mode was removed in favor of using a Wildcard TGID of FFFF (HEX). • Many "under the hood" changes to provide better overall performance. |
V3.5.07 | 11/24/2016 | |
V3.05.01 | 11/1/2016 |
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