Proud Owner of a Motorola XTS5000

[Danny37]

I recently picked up a XTS5000 Model 3 UHF Split 450-512 Radio on eBay in a bidding war. The lister who listed it didn't tag the sale as most people would with the model number and split, he just put xts5000 in the listing. To my advantage there was only 2 biders including myself, I won the bid at 400!

This is the first Motorola radio I personally owned. I was always stuck to vertex and kenwood because I like to be able to program my own radios. However as a new owner I have a few questions.

After looking over the tags, this radio was a model 2 converted to a model 3. I'm not complaining but it looks like it had more than 1 owner in the past.

The charger and battery were not impres so I had to buy the impres charger and battery because I'm always a sucker for accessories. Oh yeah, I also bought the Bluetooth adapter so I can wirelessly monitor. Works pretty good.

So I have several questions that I couldn't find

1. Can I charge a non-impres battery in a impres charger?

2. I should've waited to program the radio with over 200 channels but I want to get it flashed for FPP, a dealer told me it would wipe out my current programming and I would have to start fresh. Is that true?

3. I'm interested in getting a housing kit, the current housing is bit dinged up and scratched up. Is it fairly easy to replace the housing yourself? I know you need to buy that plastic tool and watched a video from snarlingbiddog, looks pretty easy but his camera angles make it hard to see. Ultimately how hard is it to screw up?

4. Does the impres battery recondition on every charge or on only the first charge? (It took about 12 hours on the first charge) second charge it didn't recondition at all.

5. Anybody use the official Motorola leather case with swivel that isn't cutout? Does that cover the numeric keypad or the entire keypad? (Can I still use the soft keys and the left, right, up, down keys without taking off the case?)


I don't think I ever fell in love with a radio before, I know it weird but I feel like I'm holding a work of art. The audio is so damn clear, the recieve is amazing! Like my vertex and kenwood struggled to pick up distant stations. I was able to get it down to the 440 band with no problem, so I have a 70cm rig if I ever pull the plug on getting my ham ticket (I'm a terrible procrastinator)

Sorry for the long post, but thanks in advance for those of you who chime in.

 

[masstech]

This is the first Motorola radio I personally owned. I was always stuck to vertex and kenwood because I like to be able to program my own radios. However as a new owner I have a few questions.

Is there a problem with the Astro 25 CPS you were having before?

The charger and battery were not impres so I had to buy the impres charger and battery because I'm always a sucker for accessories. Oh yeah, I also bought the Bluetooth adapter so I can wirelessly monitor. Works pretty good.

Buy the newest IMPRES 2 XTS charger.

1. Can I charge a non-impres battery in a impres charger?

Yes.

2. I should've waited to program the radio with over 200 channels but I want to get it flashed for FPP, a dealer told me it would wipe out my current programming and I would have to start fresh. Is that true?

Export and Import in the CPS.

4. Does the impres battery recondition on every charge or on only the first charge? (It took about 12 hours on the first charge) second charge it didn't recondition at all.

It will recondition when it feels like the battery needs it. If you need the battery rapid charged, pull the battery out and back into the charger again (within 5 seconds) to tell the charger to skip reconditioning.

IMPRES 2 chargers have a switch on the bottom to make it rapid charge only.

 

[62Truck]

The 5000 is a great radio. With a little modification to the CPS you can even get that split radio to work down into the ham band if you're a ham.

 

[Danny37]

Is there a problem with the Astro 25 CPS you were having before?

It used to be hard to obtain the software from Motorola, they seem to be more open these days about it.

Export and Import in the CPS.

So after i send it to be flashed all i have to do import my old codeplug and it will accept that?

It will recondition when it feels like the battery needs it. If you need the battery rapid charged, pull the battery out and back into the charger again (within 5 seconds) to tell the charger to skip reconditioning.

Thanks, I didn't know that. Good to know.

 

[Danny37]

The 5000 is a great radio. With a little modification to the CPS you can even get that split radio to work down into the ham band if you're a ham.

I'm not a ham yet, but I did get it down to the 440 band. It's nice to listen to nets. I love the crap out of this radio haha.

 

[N1GTL]

2. I should've waited to program the radio with over 200 channels but I want to get it flashed for FPP, a dealer told me it would wipe out my current programming and I would have to start fresh. Is that true?

I'll start out with I have no experience with FPP but if you save the code plug and the feature set changes, you may not be able to simply rewrite the code plug. You can export all the channels into a PICK LIST and save them, making it easier to import. You can also do a top-node drag and drop with two sessions of CPS running.

Search on those two terms for more info as they have been repeatedly discussed here.

 

[Danny37]

I'll start out with I have no experience with FPP but if you save the code plug and the feature set changes, you may not be able to simply rewrite the code plug. You can export all the channels into a PICK LIST and save them, making it easier to import. You can also do a top-node drag and drop with two sessions of CPS running.

Search on those two terms for more info as they have been repeatedly discussed here.

Thank you, I'll look into it.

 

[I_am_Alpha1]

"3. I'm interested in getting a housing kit, the current housing is bit dinged up and scratched up. Is it fairly easy to replace the housing yourself? I know you need to buy that plastic tool and watched a video from snarlingbiddog, looks pretty easy but his camera angles make it hard to see. Ultimately how hard is it to screw up? "

It's not too difficult unless you are mechanically challenged--then only slightly challenging. You don't necessarily need the special tool if you are really careful--I've done it without three times and not messed up anything--use two flat screwdrivers and carefully release the hooks on the bottom. The tool makes it much easier though. New housings are scarce and expensive...but you may get lucky on e-bay. Be careful with the guts--there are a few parts that don't like to be messed with and may break. The rubber seal can be a *****...suggest you use a new one since yours is probably very old anyway.

Get a ribless programming cable and the latest CPS--they are getting harder to get and more expensive. You may need them next year.

I to love the XTS5000. I own two 800mhz model IIs and they are the best scanners I've ever owned. The price has more than doubled on these over the past year. I'd love to have a UHF and VHF model II...should have bought them when they were $200 ea--now they're $400.

 

[cmdrwill]

I

So after i send it to be flashed all i have to do import my old codeplug and it will accept that? .

Do NOT jam in the old 'codeplug'.

When you get radio back from flashing Read the radio FIRST and save that 'codeplug' in a safe archive. Then you have something to go back to in case of trouble.

Read your radio then make changes to that 'codeplug'. You can import the 'data' from the old 'codeplug'. to the one you read from the radio.

 

[Danny37]

"3. I'm interested in getting a housing kit, the current housing is bit dinged up and scratched up. Is it fairly easy to replace the housing yourself? I know you need to buy that plastic tool and watched a video from snarlingbiddog, looks pretty easy but his camera angles make it hard to see. Ultimately how hard is it to screw up? "

It's not too difficult unless you are mechanically challenged--then only slightly challenging. You don't necessarily need the special tool if you are really careful--I've done it without three times and not messed up anything--use two flat screwdrivers and carefully release the hooks on the bottom. The tool makes it much easier though. New housings are scarce and expensive...but you may get lucky on e-bay. Be careful with the guts--there are a few parts that don't like to be messed with and may break. The rubber seal can be a *****...suggest you use a new one since yours is probably very old anyway.

Get a ribless programming cable and the latest CPS--they are getting harder to get and more expensive. You may need them next year.

I to love the XTS5000. I own two 800mhz model IIs and they are the best scanners I've ever owned. The price has more than doubled on these over the past year. I'd love to have a UHF and VHF model II...should have bought them when they were $200 ea--now they're $400.

I bought the plastic tool on eBay and the radio slipped in and out fairly easy. I'm assuming it was easy cause the radio has been upgraded to a model 3 from a model 2. I get my new housing today, was able to pick one up for a $120 on eBay. There's no way I was paying $400 for it.

 

[Danny37]

Do NOT jam in the old 'codeplug'.

When you get radio back from flashing Read the radio FIRST and save that 'codeplug' in a safe archive. Then you have something to go back to in case of trouble.

Read your radio then make changes to that 'codeplug'. You can import the 'data' from the old 'codeplug'. to the one you read from the radio.

I always do that for all my radios, save the default code plug in case something screws up.