P-25 Emerg Problem

[pforbes]

Trying to get a Moto P-25 to Xmit Emerge to a Harris/Tyco/MAcom/GE SitePro controller. Seems to REQUIRE a PTT to fulfill. Any ideas folks?

 

[fineshot1]

Trying to get a Moto P-25 to Xmit Emerge to a Harris/Tyco/MAcom/GE SitePro controller. Seems to REQUIRE a PTT to fulfill. Any ideas folks?

More detail please.

Are you saying that after pushing the emergency button on a motorola p25 radio
that you must push the ptt button in order for the emergency to be transmitted?

Also - which model motorola are you referring to and are you sure the emergency
button is properly setup in the cps software programing?

 

[pforbes]

Cryptic posting was result of weeks of frustration with no joy. The item in question is the latest & greatest XTS5k that performs marvelously in Type II, Conventional, P25 Conventional and, after great effort, finally in P25 Trunked mode.
However, the last sticking point is the fact that only in P25 Trunked mode and only in the XTS5k, a PTT is required after the Emerg button is pressed to properly complete the Emerg Transmission and wake up the Harris/Tyco/MaCom/GE Console. Without the PTT, the Tx led blinks 1/second for about 15-20 seconds while the display cycles 'Emergncy' and then gives up. As well, properly programmed XTS5k's do not recognize the Emerg at all, despite being programmed to do so.
An IFR and an R2670 show no reaction other than the 2670 Sq led follows the Tx led blinks and the IFR displays "AFF REC". IFR has very slow screen refresh rate, I might add.
This is exhausting me.

 

[N_Jay]

Have you talked to Motorola?

 

[pforbes]

I tried. They're lost. They never did figure out why the XTS5k refused to P25 Trunk. Still waiting their reply on that front. A Lynchburgh Engineer gave me the trick that worked. Moto is still trying to figure out the Emerg thing. I suspect something in the Firmware?

 

[N_Jay]

Then try again.
My guess is you are not getting to the right people.
If you bought the radio from Motorola, it is their responsibility to make it work.

The only thing "exhausting" you should have to do is not paying the invoice till it works.

If they are having problems, tell then to escalate the problem up the chain.

 

[fineshot1]

N_Jay is correct - keep hammering moto until they get an idea of what the problem is so they can correct it. Also - is this a true P25 trunk system(9600 baud control channel) or a mixed mode 3600 baud trunk system?

EDIT: Also - what is the flash code and firmware level on the XTS5000? Is this a 5000 that is a P25(9600 baud) on a 3600 baud system?

 

[N_Jay]

Since it appears to be a M/A-COM system it must be 9600 C4FM.

M/A-COM never did the 1/2 step EDACS with CAI voice.

 

[tbiggums]

Not sure about P25 trunking, but for P25 conventional you must have the "Alarm and Call" Emergency Type option set under the appropriate Astro system. If you just have "Alarm Only" selected, and press the emergency button, the radio only sends a quick data packet intended for the console. Selecting "Alarm and Call" sends the packet message and also sets the emergency bit in the voice frames for all transmissions following an emergency button press.

You might try checking the "Emergency Call" box on the Emergency tab of the appropriate trunking personality. The help file kind of indicates this performs a similar function...

It sounds like your service monitors are at least seeing the data packet, but I'm guessing the SitePro is wanting to see the voice frame emergency bit set.

 

[pforbes]

Exhausting because I'm doing what Moto can't seem to do despite us being one of their largest clients (for now, that is), yet it needs doing. Welcome to my world.
The issue began as Harris here wants to do a proposal and get it's ducks in a row. I was asked to be 'Point Person'. Yeah, thanks a lot. Like I don't have anything else to to do.
Yes, the XTS5k is properly optioned and the Harris System is 9600, C4FM and the XTS is set to it.
P25 Trunking operation (now, thanks to a Harris Engineer's help), Private Calling and Page Alerts across TalkGroups as well as P25 Conventional is fully functional to/from Harris SU's, to boot.
Every possible combination of Emerg programming options were tried and still no joy.

I now need a wider audience in this investigative effort. I need someone with an operational Harris P25 Trunked System with Consoles using Moto XTS5k SU's setup with Emerg functionality to tell me how they did it.

 

[N_Jay]

No!

You need to escalate this within the two companies.

 

[pforbes]

Problem is Harris has the P25 System and SU's and Moto has the problem SU. Ball was put in Moto's court a while back. Still no joy.
I can't wait till another wannabe P25 Sys Provider shows up for a demo. Oh joy!

 

[DaveNF2G]

Someone sold you radios that don't work properly with your system. It is their problem to solve. Does your agency have a lawyer? You have a contract issue.

 

[pforbes]

I've filed my report. My Chain of Command is now aware of the stumbling block. Moto has two open and unresolved 'Cases' on it's hands. One was actually solved by a Harris Engineer, but Moto doesn't know yet.
How am I the first to flag this, anyway? So far, the Net is unusually quiet about this. This cannot be the first XTS5k put on a Harris Trunked P25 System? Or can it?

 

[N_Jay]

Problem is Harris has the P25 System and SU's and Moto has the problem SU. Ball was put in Moto's court a while back. Still no joy.
I can't wait till another wannabe P25 Sys Provider shows up for a demo. Oh joy!

It is just me, or do some techs seem to like to wallow in their problems?

Just put a call into Schaumburg and tell them, "make it work, or we are not paying!"

 

[N0YFE]

I am guessing the problem is in the contract for the specfic type of P25 system wasn't specific. You are trying to program a Motrola P25 radio to work like a Harris P25 radio. The basic Motorola P25 system is different from a Harris P25 and your trying to get two different pieces of equipment to work together.

As others have suggested this needs to be bounced back to the contract manager to get Harris and Motorola to work together on building the code plug for the radio and changing the P25 system settings for both to work together.

 

[N_Jay]

Both systems are (today) P25 standard and should work fine , Both companies have successfully passed Interoperability testing with each others equipment.

Both also have settings to support legacy systems that were implemented previously, and these can need to be sorted out.

Call a meeting with the highest person you can get from each company and ask how to resolve this or who it needs to be escalated to.

 

[IowaBrian]

Can I ask how many of these radios do you have right now? Just the test radio or everyone in the department?

 

[pforbes]

I was simply tasked by my Chief with providing 5 of our current stock of XTS5k's, of which we now have several hundred, to a P25 Trunked System Provider for testing. The XTL/S5k's were purchased with the required P25 options to facilitate future migration.
What I found is that it may not be possible and my CoC is now aware and will deal with the political issues. Mine are technical, only.
I'm just trying to get the d***** things to work as promised. Still no joy. Moto is silent so far, but that is not unexpected. I used to work there and they know it.

 

[pforbes]

P25 standard

Both systems are (today) P25 standard and should work fine , Both companies have successfully passed Interoperability testing with each others equipment.

Both also have settings to support legacy systems that were implemented previously, and these can need to be sorted out.

Call a meeting with the highest person you can get from each company and ask how to resolve this or who it needs to be escalated to.

Well, not quite. Only the CAI is signed off by the P25 gods, not the Trunked protocol nor Console interface nor Logging interfaces.

The tests passed and approved are ONLY for the CAI in P25 Conventional.

Fine print.