Flashing Waris series radios

[N0BDW]

Flashing Waris/Pro series radios

I'm looking at purchasing the following:

AAHLN9742D - Flash adapter
AARKN4074A - Waris Portable to RIB cable
AARKN4083A - Pro Series Mobile (16 pin) to RIB cable
MRIB - Aftermarket RIB from Wiscomm

All in an effort to be able to flash Waris series radios to the latest firmware.

I already have an RKN4081C but am told radios with the heads remoted should not be flashed through the mic connector. I also already have aftermarket ribless cables for these radios. But I guess this would also give me a more reliable way to program (though other than some OS compatibility problems with the aftermarket cables I've never had a problem).

So, a few questions:
1) Does the above list of parts give me everything I'll need to flash these radios (plus the actual flashing software of course which I've already downloaded from MOL)
2) What do I gain by getting all of the radios in the fleet up to the latest firmware? They are all different ages, so I assume the current firmware versions are all over the place. What sort of things have been fixed/added since the initial release? The only release notes I can find are for the latest version... Nothing comprehensive or even for individual prior releases. The total layout here is over $230 on top of the few hundred $ I've spent to be able to program these radios so I want to see what I'm actually gaining (beyond peace of mind) by getting everything up to the latest version.

Thanks as always for the help and guidance provided on these forums.

As a side note -- I just noticed in MOL it says AARKN4074A will no longer be available after they run out of current stock... So even if I decide not to proceed with flashing everything to the latest version it may be worth picking one of those up before it is no longer possible.

 

[SteveC0625]

Ben,

Our county is 100% CDM1250's & HT1250's for the fire service, plus my ambulance squad has 4 of them. I also have a couple in my truck and a few more out in other EMS POV's. I've never had any of ours flashed, and I am certain that none of the rest have been either.

Unlike other radio series, the Waris firmware updates have been few and far between for the mobiles. One corrected a minor problem in 220 MHz units and another fixed an ARTS problem. Neither would affect your use of older CDM's at all. The last one was released in 2013.

I don't have any of the flashing cables and have never felt the need for them. If I have a unit that acts up, I just send it to the shop for a checkup. The only bad one I've had so far had a blown transistor in the alarm circuit.

On another note, I routinely program remote mount models through the mic connector with no problems as do any others. If I were to run into one that was stubborn, I'd just toss a head on the chassis and program it and put it back in the vehicle.

Given the age of the Waris series, the minimal effect that previous firmware releases would have on your fleet, and the fact that they are now routinely available on the used market for less than $200 each in very good condition, I'd be inclined to skip over the flashing all together. Others may have different opinions, and I'm certainly willing to listen.

There's been a lot of discussion about EOL of the Waris mobiles. One guy has been promised imminent EOL many times over the last 4 years and they're still here. Another was told by a supposedly reliable source within Motorola that the series would remain on the market through the end of the decade. I'm not sure what is the actual picture here, but for the moment, they seem stable.

 

[N0BDW]

Ben,

Our county is 100% CDM1250's & HT1250's for the fire service, plus my ambulance squad has 4 of them. I also have a couple in my truck and a few more out in other EMS POV's. I've never had any of ours flashed, and I am certain that none of the rest have been either.

Unlike other radio series, the Waris firmware updates have been few and far between for the mobiles. One corrected a minor problem in 220 MHz units and another fixed an ARTS problem. Neither would affect your use of older CDM's at all. The last one was released in 2013.

I don't have any of the flashing cables and have never felt the need for them. If I have a unit that acts up, I just send it to the shop for a checkup. The only bad one I've had so far had a blown transistor in the alarm circuit.

On another note, I routinely program remote mount models through the mic connector with no problems as do any others. If I were to run into one that was stubborn, I'd just toss a head on the chassis and program it and put it back in the vehicle.

Given the age of the Waris series, the minimal effect that previous firmware releases would have on your fleet, and the fact that they are now routinely available on the used market for less than $200 each in very good condition, I'd be inclined to skip over the flashing all together. Others may have different opinions, and I'm certainly willing to listen.

There's been a lot of discussion about EOL of the Waris mobiles. One guy has been promised imminent EOL many times over the last 4 years and they're still here. Another was told by a supposedly reliable source within Motorola that the series would remain on the market through the end of the decade. I'm not sure what is the actual picture here, but for the moment, they seem stable.

Thanks very much for your insight, Steve. As always, much appreciated. I think we'll skip the whole idea for now then.