P7100ip FEAT ERROR 0551 / LOST FEATURES AFTER DOWNGRADE

[jrothwell]

Hello,

i just downgraded my radio from RPM to ProGrammer. I have done this in the past without issue. This time everything seemed to go just fine except when I turn the radio on, it flashes FEAT ERR 0551. If I try to program any other system, I get a SYS ERR. I checked the FEATURES and the feature string is correct but it shows SYSGRP 0 TRKSYS 0 and CNVCHN 0, also doesn't list any 2-digit feature codes like it should. These all showed the correct values before the downgrade. I know for a fact, the feature code is correct because I took pictures of it from before the downgrade, I didn’t just write it down, so nothing got transposed or anything. Any ideas?

Using ProGrammer R20C / J2R11C02 / F8R06N05

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Thunderknight]

Just a guess...but maybe the string had new features that were not valid in older versions of code. So the older code saw that string as invalid? (by new, I mean something that was added to the list of possible features by Harris at some point)
Again, just a guess.

 

[radioman2001]

Or a Feature Code is supported in RPM but not in Programmer, or firmware version has be lowered too. Did you have to reload the Feature String? I would look at your firmware version and see what it supports.
I tried a few times to do the same to some 2013 year radios and never got them to work with programmer. They were last touched with RPM.

 

[jrothwell]

Or a Feature Code is supported in RPM but not in Programmer, or firmware version has be lowered too. Did you have to reload the Feature String? I would look at your firmware version and see what it supports.
I tried a few times to do the same to some 2013 year radios and never got them to work with programmer. They were last touched with RPM.

Thanks. I’m using Radio Maint from ProGrammer R18 and actual ProGrammer version R20C. Yes, I manually re-entered the feature string without any errors. I lowered the firmware to J2R11C02. It does have P25 trunking in the feature code.

Jason

 

[radioman2001]

Maybe there is some other option that is not compatable with that version of programmer. The problem sounds familiar to the problems I had, it was easier to just get a MOT radio.

 

[jrothwell]

Maybe there is some other option that is not compatable with that version of programmer. The problem sounds familiar to the problems I had, it was easier to just get a MOT radio.

Does anyone know if any of the following features would not be compatible with ProGrammer R20C? I am using Radio Maint R18 to do the downgrade and put the feature file back into the radio but then using ProGrammer R20C to program because of the P25 trunking support.

01 - Conventional Priority Scan
04 - Group scan
05 - Priority system scan
06 - Wide area system scan
07 - Dynamic regroup
08 - EDACS emergency operation
09 - T99
10 - Conventional emergency operation
12 - AEGIS/VG TX and RX operation
14 - DES encrypted calls
16 - Data TX and RX calls
17 - Status/Message TX calls
21 - EDACS Security Key
22 - Profile Operation
23 - Narrow Band Operation
29 - IMBE vocoder operation (EDACS ProVoice)
33 - P25 CAI support (APCO-25 Conventional Only)
34 - Direct frequency entry on system models
38 - TextLink
39 - P25 Trunking

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Syncopations]

I could be wrong, but I don't think any version of ProGrammer supports P25 trunking.

 

[jrothwell]

I could be wrong, but I don't think any version of ProGrammer supports P25 trunking.

R20 does

 

[BigLebowski]

FWIW... I have seen this error before when the ESN does not match the feature encryption string, usually after doing a hardware ESN chip swap when either A) the chip is not present/not installed correctly and/or B) the feature encryption string is not exactly right. Results in the exact behavior you have.

Doesn't sound like you did a chip swap, but just throwing that out there. Your ESN doesn't match your feature string for one reason or another.

 

[jrothwell]

FWIW... I have seen this error before when the ESN does not match the feature encryption string, usually after doing a hardware ESN chip swap when either A) the chip is not present/not installed correctly and/or B) the feature encryption string is not exactly right. Results in the exact behavior you have.

Doesn't sound like you did a chip swap, but just throwing that out there. Your ESN doesn't match your feature string for one reason or another.

Thanks for the reply. Valid point, but before the downgrade the radio behaved perfectly normal. I took pictures of the feature string in the radio via the features menu option before the downgrade and triple checked it with how it’s in the radio now and it matches exactly; after the issue I had a second person compare it too just to make sure, so I don’t see how there could be any errors in the string and if the chip was swapped, since the radio was working before, the feature string must have matched the current chip’s esn to be working properly.

Jason

 

[BigLebowski]

You didn't include the trailing zeroes did you? All upper case when entering into RadioMaint?

 

[jrothwell]

You didn't include the trailing zeroes did you? All upper case when entering into RadioMaint?

Hmmm, yes I did include them. Is that the issue?

 

[BigLebowski]

It very well could be.. they are not part of the string (which ends with the 4). Try it without them.

 

[ElroyJetson]

It's been a while since I've messed around with that. I honestly can't imagine any reason why I would ever downgrade from RPM back to ProGrammer but that's your choice, not mine.

I do seem to remember that at a certain firmware revision the feature string length changes.

However that's all I can dredge up out of my memory at the moment. Just a clue, not an answer.

I suggest you re-upgrade to RPM compatible firmware and go with it. I'm assuming you have RPM. If you don't, find a way to get it.

 

[radioman2001]

Quote"
I honestly can't imagine any reason why I would ever downgrade from RPM back to ProGrammer

When you don't have it or access to it through your company or agency, RPM is a PIA with it's authentication nonsense,(do you know a way around that?) ProGrammer works just fine and you don't have to pay 10k for the trunked version of it. To me one of the reasons Harris radios are worthless on the used market, and unless I pay dirt for them I avoid them. Mot is much easier.

 

[BigLebowski]

^^^ This ^^^

It's a shame because Harris stuff is pretty nice once you get it working. I have a whole fleet of low band Orions and some newer stuff as well. RPM is a pain though... I'm thinking that AAC for trunking came around after RPM 10B though so I would look for that.

My bet here though is the trailing zeroes in the feature encryption string being the issue.

 

[ElroyJetson]

I'm remembering a bit more now. Yes, I actually had an issue where I purchased a feature upgrade on an M5300 and that upgrade changed the feature string LENGTH. In that particular scenario it turns out that if you purchase any feature that is above number 40 then you now have a string that is designed to work within a theoretical maximum of 80 features. So there are "40 feature capable" radios and there are "80 feature capable radios (not all of which will be compatible with a given radio) and it's the presence of any feature above no. 40 that causes the string length to jump to the next stage.

But that's not your scenario. There's no way that you're adding a feature in the 41 to 80 range into an M/P7100.

I do recall that there was another jump in feature length between the legacy "32 feature" radios and the more modern "40 feature" radios, such as the Orion to the M7100. Or the Jaguar 700P to the P7100.

Digging deeper into this garbage can of a brain of mine, I do seem to remember that in fact there is a feature string change that is associated with a transition between certain firmware revisions.

I would normally not suggest you waste your time calling the TAC because they have NOT earned a reputation for being particularly friendly or helpful toward individuals but in this case I'd make an exception. If your string was valid before, there has to be a valid string for your radio regardless of the firmware revision you're currently at. So give them a call, give them your old data and also your new data, and ask them to give you a corrected string. Be sure to include your firmware revisions.

The worst that can happen is they might say no.

 

[jrothwell]

Thanks everyone for replying. I was able to get my hands on RPM and resolve the issue with the right combination of firmware, dsp, and RPM. What ended up working was RPM R10b07, FLASH VER J2R17C04, and DSP VER F8R06N05.

 

[TDR-94]

Isn't DSP F8R06N05 supposed to be used with Flash J2R18H09?

 

[jrothwell]

Isn't DSP F8R06N05 supposed to be used with Flash J2R18H09?

Where can I find this information? What flash goes with what DSP and what each supports? I actually put flash version j2r18f04 with dsp f8r06n05 and all seemed well, but now having issues receiving an edacs ip provoice system. I’ll try to find j2r18h09 and give that a try. Thank you.