I just purchased a radio to use with my local volunteer fire department. In order for them to be programmed it has to be taken to our local com center. Well, I was told today that it will not work because it doesn't have 9600 baud which is a huge bummer. Everything else was right the mhz p25 etc. Is there anyway to add that to the radio or is it a lost cause?
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XTL/XTS5000 9600 Baud?
- Thread starter TBMAnimal
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MSI hasn't supported FLASH upgrades for the ASTRO 25 series subscribers in quite some time. Other methods of adding features are not discussed around here. Officially, it's a lost cause.
*waits for the usual suspects to chime in*
*waits for the usual suspects to chime in*
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Get the right radio.
Understanding flashcodes before buying radios is important. Purchasing radios off e-Bay for use on public safety systems like this should not be undertaken by those not familiar with the systems. If it helps, you are not the first, and you won't be the last.
Sell the radio and see if you can get your money back.
Public safety radios should not be purchased off e-Bay. You have no idea what you are going to get and what sort of internal condition the radio is in. No ones life (yours or the public) should depend on a used radio with a questionable background. If you are going to do that, the first thing that needs to happen is:
- Take the radio to a reputable radio shop. Have them check it out and do a full alignment on it to make sure it is working to spec.
- Replace the battery and antenna. Those are expendables and it should be assumed they are bad unless you purchased them new.
- Then get the radio properly added to the agency radio system by their system administrators.
- Make 100% sure you have something in writing from your chief specifically saying it is OK for you to have a privately owned radio on their radio system.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
There are people selling "services" on ebay that can add to the radio that which you will need. Take that route and you'll get to where you want to be. Just don't ask how it's done.
No I have nothing to do with it.
No I have nothing to do with it.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
^^^ probably what I'd do if this wasn't a radio that would get used on the front lines. But, compare prices, there's a lot of XTS radios on the used market.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
I'd argue that a volunteer firefighter bringing his own radio doesn't quite qualify for "front line" status, and to be quite honest about it I have YET to hear of any XTS with features added outside of "the normal channels" causing any problems that ever made the news. I would honestly not worry about that as a possible issue.
N4KVE
Member
Many E-Bay sellers know nothing about radios. They came in a storage unit, & that’s all they know. With the various Facebook radio forums, it’s easy to differentiate the scammers from those who know what they’re doing. A month ago I needed 2 XTS2500’s. I told the seller the FC I needed, & that’s what I got. And the radio shows born with CPS, & a date that matches the serial number. Newest FW, & Aeroflex tuned too. $100 each. You can’t expect a volunteer firefighter to spring for an APX.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
I'd agree, however it's a total unknown when buying something off e-bay. I wouldn't want to be relying on someone who bought a random radio off e-bay if my life was in risk.
That's not what I was concerned about, there's no reason why the feature would be any different that would Motorola would add. What I was suggesting was that a radio that old that hasn't had a visit to a bench/service monitor in 10+ years probably needs to be looked at before it's relied upon.
Why not just use the radios that your department supplies you?
Believe it or not, in some parts of the country funding for public safety is so pitiful that it's pretty common for volunteer fire departments to have to resort to using secondhand equipment, and the volunteers themselves often buy their own equipment. Not everyone is getting $1 million grants to buy a pallet's worth of loaded APX 8000s.
I totally understand that, I've been a part of a department like that. However, it's one thing if a department uses analog or conventional digital and another if they use trunking. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I speak for a lot of guys here when I say that a questionable eBay radio certainly won't be let onto a trunking system because of "funding issues". If it's purchased as a legitimate radio from a dealer it's different than an eBay teknishun special. OP also never mentioned anything about it being lack of funds. Simply just stated that he purchased a radio and wanted to use it on the system.
Back to the topic at hand. Depending on the band, you should be able to find an XTS with 9600 for a relatively reasonable price on eBay.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
Totally agree, there are multiple sources for a radio with the right features, but you want to buy from one that can fully test and align the radios and provide documentation of that process. You don't want a radio that is out of alignment and won't work properly or, worse, ends up causing problems on the system from being badly off frequency or well off deviation specs.
On the idea of used radios being allowed....I have sold well maintained used radios to some departments myself, recently. Fully upgraded, via legitimate channels, to P25 Phase II standards, they are fully compliant with the department's requirements. And at a cost savings that lets them get four slightly used radios for the price of one new one from their prime vendor. Yes, some departments will allow this. If I make that kind of a deal, the equipment provided is first rate and ships as a complete installation ready kit. All accessories are new or as new, all power cables are new, never used, spliced, or cut. All required brackets are included. What they receive are radio kits that are above criticism. I make the extra effort to deliver the quality that ensures that they'll come back to me should they need more radios.
On the idea of used radios being allowed....I have sold well maintained used radios to some departments myself, recently. Fully upgraded, via legitimate channels, to P25 Phase II standards, they are fully compliant with the department's requirements. And at a cost savings that lets them get four slightly used radios for the price of one new one from their prime vendor. Yes, some departments will allow this. If I make that kind of a deal, the equipment provided is first rate and ships as a complete installation ready kit. All accessories are new or as new, all power cables are new, never used, spliced, or cut. All required brackets are included. What they receive are radio kits that are above criticism. I make the extra effort to deliver the quality that ensures that they'll come back to me should they need more radios.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
The bigger concern about used radios used for IDLH applications isn't just proper options, it's proper vetting and documentation. Any radio used for life safety needs a proper PM from a qualified technician at a real shop, with a real service monitor, and real documentation of the work done.
No one dies if someone's "NAS XTS5000" doesn't work or GMRS/ham guy can't gas bag for an hour about nothing on a repeater. Radios used to support life safety comms need to be properly vetted. Don't count on the county radio guy who slams a cable and CPS to do this either. When it comes to breathing apparatus, one has it properly checked out. Same with turnout gear. For some reason, when it comes to radios, lots of volly's and small agencies go to Fraudbay and buy the cheapest crap possible. It's all good, until it isn't.
No one dies if someone's "NAS XTS5000" doesn't work or GMRS/ham guy can't gas bag for an hour about nothing on a repeater. Radios used to support life safety comms need to be properly vetted. Don't count on the county radio guy who slams a cable and CPS to do this either. When it comes to breathing apparatus, one has it properly checked out. Same with turnout gear. For some reason, when it comes to radios, lots of volly's and small agencies go to Fraudbay and buy the cheapest crap possible. It's all good, until it isn't.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
Of course that's correct. When I do occasionally sell a radio to any public safety agency, I do it with a clear disclaimer that it is their responsibility to have their own contracted maintainenance organization give the equipment a complete checkout in addition to programming it to their needs. I will replace any equipment that does not meet standards after alignment. So far that's never been needed.
chrismol1
P25 TruCking!
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2008
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- 1,322
See who is your trunked system radio shop vendor and ask and see if they have a used radio to sell. Around here departments may purchase radios from their own funds for use on the county trunked system and then is the radio sent to the contracted radio vendor for full workup to be used on the system and programmed with applicable agency template. That way you will have a properly vetted radio
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