A little help for an astro n00b

[n3wrx]

So I just "won" an XTS2500 from the Bay of Greed:

Host 9.00.13
DSP 12.00.4

Secure ver
Secure ADP

Flashcode: 560018-00178C-4
Q806 ASTRO Digital Operation
H14 Enhanced Digital ID Display
Q52 Federal Government FPP
H869 Hardware Multikey Encryption
Q883 3600/9600 Interoperability
H38 SMARTZONE Systems Operation
Q947 APCO Packet Data Interface
Q53 FCC FPP And Radio Cloning
Q387 Conventional Voting Scan
Q173 SMARTZONE OMNILINK Multizone Operation
Q361 ASTRO 25 9600 Baud Trunking
Q667 ADP Encryption Software DSP Based Only
Q574 9600 Baud Trunking

Trying to untangle what I need to program this.

I have CPS R11 - but the radio has host v. 9. I've read that they should match, and that I should upgrade the host - except that apparently I can't, because you can't go beyond 9 with 4MB.

Also, using an integrated RIB *serial* cable known to work with Jedi radios, on the same computer that I use to program them. Have read conflicting information about this - some pages say that Jedi cables should work - the guys on the boards say "get an official cable you cheap bastard". Who is right?

Only "astro" versioned 9 I've laid eyes on is for DOS, clearly a Saber/Spectra program. Is/was there a release 9? Must that be used? Am I an idiot? Yes, an astro idiot, at the least, but you gotta admit, this is a lot more freakin' complicated than the good ol' MT1000 days.

Thanks for any help folks.

[motorola_otaku]

Being that your radio has both trunking and FPP, you'll probably not want to touch it with anything newer than Astro25 CPS R09.xx or you run the risk of losing FPP capability. Now, in the past this was applicable to radios with trunking and only Q52. Honestly, yours is the first I've seen to have Q52, Q53, and trunking. A part of me is saying that shouldn't even work. @_@ But regardless, sticking with CPS R09 is the proven safe path.

Astro25 portables -your XTS5000s, 2500s, 1500s, and others of their family but NOT the XTS3000 or 3500- use their own no-RIB-required cable. And yes, you are better off spending the $$$ for an OEM cable, because if you brick it using a knockoff cable the tools needed to bring it back to life aren't "out there" like they are for the older Astro Portable line.

[motorola_otaku]

~fake edit~

Astro Portable Line:
Astro Saber
XTS3000
XTS3500
Use Astro Portable RSS (9.05.00 was the last version produced) or Astro Portable CPS (05.02.00 is the most recent iirc) for the Astro Saber and XTS3000. XTS3500 has its own RSS package and no Windows CPS.

Astro25 Portable Line:
XTS5000
XTS2500
XTS1500
MT1500
Use Astro25 Portable CPS. There are no DOS RSS packages for this line. R13.00.01 is the most current iirc, but if you have a "whoreflash" radio with both trunking and FPP options you don't want to use anything newer than CPS R09.xx.xx

[escomm]

Host 9.00.13
DSP 12.00.4

FPP or trunking has already been nuked

[n3wrx]

Host 9.00.13
DSP 12.00.4

FPP or trunking has already been nuked

Are you sure about this? If true, I will demand a return in spite of his "no return" policy - that would make his listing materially inaccurate.

[n0nxj]

Ive been using the newest 25 portable software on my
Model : H46SDH9PW7BN
HOST : R 12.00.00
DSP : R 12.00.00
FlashCode : 5A1018-10178C-5
Vocon 8M

with no Ill effects or loss of FPP. but then again I didnt know it was a gamble.

[escomm]

yes but do you use it for trunking? you get one or the other IIRC

[n3wrx]

yes but do you use it for trunking? you get one or the other IIRC

Haven't used it at all, haven't been able to read the codeplug yet - looks like it has an empty one - all it does is emit a long tone (no error msg) after a short period of time.

I doubt I'll bother with trunking while I own it, but if he advertises both, then it should have both. If I had to choose between FPP and trunking, I would of course choose FPP.

I'm willing (though reluctant) to pay for a subscription but only if I'm damned sure my $375 is going to result in a functional, programmed radio that can at least do FPP and astro25.

Is that safe, or will they try to blank the flash or some crap thing like that ("non-transferable software")?

[n3wrx]

Being that your radio has both trunking and FPP, you'll probably not want to touch it with anything newer than Astro25 CPS R09.xx or you run the risk of losing FPP capability. Now, in the past this was applicable to radios with trunking and only Q52. Honestly, yours is the first I've seen to have Q52, Q53, and trunking. A part of me is saying that shouldn't even work. @_@ But regardless, sticking with CPS R09 is the proven safe path.

Astro25 portables -your XTS5000s, 2500s, 1500s, and others of their family but NOT the XTS3000 or 3500- use their own no-RIB-required cable. And yes, you are better off spending the $$$ for an OEM cable, because if you brick it using a knockoff cable the tools needed to bring it back to life aren't "out there" like they are for the older Astro Portable line.

BTW, thanks a lot for the help guys, really appreciated.

Can you still get CPS R09.xx on MOL? I all I can find when I search for rvn4186 is

Code: Select all

13.  Item Number. RVN4181GR  * The item RVN4181GR has been replaced with RVN4181NR. Selecting this item will add RVN4181NR to your cart.
RVN4181NR: Item has been cancelled 

UPGRADE R02.01.00 ASTRO XTS2500/5000
Unit of Measure: 1  EA       

[ka8ypy]

Being that your radio has both trunking and FPP, you'll probably not want to touch it with anything newer than Astro25 CPS R09.xx or you run the risk of losing FPP capability. Now, in the past this was applicable to radios with trunking and only Q52. Honestly, yours is the first I've seen to have Q52, Q53, and trunking. A part of me is saying that shouldn't even work. @_@ But regardless, sticking with CPS R09 is the proven safe path.

Astro25 portables -your XTS5000s, 2500s, 1500s, and others of their family but NOT the XTS3000 or 3500- use their own no-RIB-required cable. And yes, you are better off spending the $$$ for an OEM cable, because if you brick it using a knockoff cable the tools needed to bring it back to life aren't "out there" like they are for the older Astro Portable line.

BTW, thanks a lot for the help guys, really appreciated.

Can you still get CPS R09.xx on MOL? I all I can find when I search for rvn4186 is

Code: Select all

13.  Item Number. RVN4181GR  * The item RVN4181GR has been replaced with RVN4181NR. Selecting this item will add RVN4181NR to your cart.
RVN4181NR: Item has been cancelled 

UPGRADE R02.01.00 ASTRO XTS2500/5000
Unit of Measure: 1  EA       

MOL, will send you the latest and greatest that is available, they have no mechanism to provide "out of date software".

[Mong]

MOL, will send you the latest and greatest that is available, they have no mechanism to provide "out of date software".

We had a /\/\ sales dude come by yesterday. He looked at my Saber II on my desk and said something about not supporting them anymore.



I wanted to say "no shit" nice and loud but I was good

[motorola_otaku]

We had a /\/\ sales dude come by yesterday. He looked at my Saber II on my desk and said something about not supporting them anymore.



I wanted to say "no shit" nice and loud but I was good

Heh, was he touting the TRBO boat? I guess if that was the case he also conveniently forgot to mention that nothing being made for the TRBO line is being made for 900 MHz. BUT.. you can get an XTS2500!

[VE9MP]

Although a little off topic, I am very pleased to see Trbo released now in 800/900 MHz models supporting Type II, even Smartzone....

[n3wrx]

I've since been in contact with the seller, who emphatically confirms that the combination with host 9 and DSP 12 is in fact possible - he says he routinely programs radios that way so that they can do both.

So far, I've been able to successfully use FPP for the "B" and "C" positions on the dial - possibly, "A" is a [blank] trunked system, which would explain why the "FPP" button disappears when it is selected. I'm waiting for delivery of the correct software version - will let you know how it turns out. If it does work maybe I'll post a brief video demonstrating it.

One thing I've noticed is that the radio is very battery hungry - the battery tone (and icon) emits every time I key up, where the Waris radios I have do not beep during TX (even on high power) and show 3-4 bars. Most are older batteries, so I hope that this is not a host/firmware bug or an issue with the radio.

[mancow]

I can't vouch for its effect on trunking since it's Vhf but I have a host 9 dsp 12 5k and it works fine.

[alex]

The Host 9/Dsp 12 in an XTS2500 indicates it is a 4MB "A" revision XTS2500. There are a few limits mainly lack of support for hardware encryption, total channel count probably will not go above the 512 mark (I believe this was only extended to 850-870 channels in R10 8mb models).

The battery for it probably sucks... Most 2500's I've used with new batteries will last a good day if not longer.

-Alex

I've since been in contact with the seller, who emphatically confirms that the combination with host 9 and DSP 12 is in fact possible - he says he routinely programs radios that way so that they can do both.

So far, I've been able to successfully use FPP for the "B" and "C" positions on the dial - possibly, "A" is a [blank] trunked system, which would explain why the "FPP" button disappears when it is selected. I'm waiting for delivery of the correct software version - will let you know how it turns out. If it does work maybe I'll post a brief video demonstrating it.

One thing I've noticed is that the radio is very battery hungry - the battery tone (and icon) emits every time I key up, where the Waris radios I have do not beep during TX (even on high power) and show 3-4 bars. Most are older batteries, so I hope that this is not a host/firmware bug or an issue with the radio.