Motorola XTS 2500 Re-Case

Giving a couple of worn Motorola XTS 2500 handhelds a new case, keypad and knobs, without removing a single screw.

A Motorola XTS 2500 radio taken apart on a cutting mat: the old black front housing, the circuit board with its shield, the LCD, keypad parts, speaker and flex cable, and a new housing, keypad and knobs on the right — The radio taken apart: the old housing on the left, and the new housing, keypad and knobs on the right

These are Motorola XTS 2500 handheld radios. Mine work on the 900 MHz ham band, and they are programmed with the local 900 MHz amateur radio repeaters and some simplex frequencies.

The cases were worn, and so were the keypads and knobs. The numbering on the keypad had faded. I bought replacement housings, keypads and knobs on eBay and re-cased a couple of them.

Before

A worn Motorola XTS 2500 with a faded keypad on the left, beside a new black housing, a new white keypad and a bag of new knobs on a cutting mat — The worn radio with its faded keypad, and the new housing, keypad and knobs waiting beside it

Taking it apart

It's surprising: not a single screw had to be removed to take it apart. The precise tolerances and retaining friction clips used in the assembly are incredible, considering how rugged Motorola radios are. Once it's open, the circuit board, the display, the keypad, the speaker and the flex cable all come out as separate pieces, as in the photo at the top.

After

The board and its parts go into the new housing with the fresh keypad and knobs, and the radio snaps back together.

Two Motorola XTS 2500 radios on a cutting mat: the old housing and keypad on the left, and the newly assembled radio on the right with a bright new keypad, knobs and a lit display — The newly assembled radio on the right, with the old housing and keypad on the left

A Motorola XTS 2500 with its new knobs and orange emergency button standing next to an old housing, with other radios in the background — The new knobs, and the old housing beside it

Parts

Replacement housing (front case) for the XTS 2500
New keypad
New knobs
All from eBay

Links

My ham shack