Did I miss something about buying radio service software

wwhitby · #1 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 03:54 PM

Below is the response I got from Vertex Standard when I emailed them asking for contact information for dealers that sell radio service software for the HX370s. I've bought RSS before, including for Vertex VX-400 radios I used to maintain.

Did I miss some change to 47 CFR?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(names and email addresses removed)

Quote:

From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 1:16 PM
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Inquiry: General Questions

Thank you for contacting Standard Horizon Marine Electronics. We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance to you.

Due to stringent FCC regulations we as the manufacturer cannot provide these cables or software to anyone beyond government authorities and authorized marine dealers. Providing these products to a member of the public could result in serious fines and/or penalties.

I apologize for this incontinence.

If you have further inquiries, please feel free to contact us at:

Phone: (800) 767-2450
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxx
PRODUCT SUPPORT DEPARTMENT
VERTEX/STANDARD
Welcome to StandardHorizon.com

AlabamaRS · #2 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 04:18 PM

I apologize for this incontinence.

If you have further inquiries, please feel free to contact us at:

inconvenience maybe?? Lol

dwh367 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwhitby

Below is the response I got from Vertex Standard when I emailed them asking for contact information for dealers that sell radio service software for the HX370s. I've bought RSS before, including for Vertex VX-400 radios I used to maintain.

Did I miss some change to 47 CFR?

Marine radios already come pre-programmed with all the channels/features you'll ever need to operate them legally. Maybe that's why Vertex won't sell the RSS for them to the general public?

kb2vxa · #4 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 04:30 PM

"...asking for contact information for dealers that sell radio service software..."

You ask for a list of dealers and they tell you:

"...we as the manufacturer cannot provide these cables or software to anyone beyond government authorities and authorized marine dealers."

Something tells me they sent the wrong form letter response, the Google is back in your court. (;->)

wwhitby · #5 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 04:31 PM

These radios have 8 open "slots" (for the lack of a better word) that allow programming of any LMR frequency from 137-174 Mhz. I was planning on using them for MURS, since the radios are available for $100-100, are type accepted for MURS, and can operate on the bandwidth and power requirements.

zz0468 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlabamaRS

I apologize for this incontinence.

If you have further inquiries, please feel free to contact us at:

inconvenience maybe?? Lol

Isn't spell check a wonderful thing? It gives us gems like this to laugh at.

trace1 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zz0468

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlabamaRS

I apologize for this incontinence.

If you have further inquiries, please feel free to contact us at:

inconvenience maybe?? Lol

Isn't spell check a wonderful thing? It gives us gems like this to laugh at.

Guess that "DEPENDS"...

Jay911 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 10:37 PM

Spell check wouldn'a caught that as 'incontinence' is a perfectly happy, if not ugly-visual-invoking, word.

"I apologize for this incontinence" = "We don't give a ****" ?

zz0468 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-13-2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay911

Spell check wouldn'a caught that as 'incontinence' is a perfectly happy, if not ugly-visual-invoking, word.

Precisely my point. And even more insidious than that, spell checkers can auto correct to what IT thinks is the right word. I suspect a typo, and spell check made a decision...

But we digress from the original intent of the thread.

ampulman · #10 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay911

Spell check wouldn'a caught that as 'incontinence' is a perfectly happy, if not ugly-visual-invoking, word.

"I apologize for this incontinence" = "We don't give a ****" ?

Maybe they (the manufacturer) is just trying to tell you to pi$$ off.

Amp

Paulsan · #11 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 09:40 AM

Aren't they Japanese? English not their first language?

DaveNF2G · #12 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 10:30 AM

Aren't lawyers wonderful? Their corporate attorneys have probably recommended company policies based on the most stringent possible reading of the regulations, so the company supposedly takes absolutely no risk in the marketplace. Happens all the time, in all sorts of businesses.

kb2vxa · #13 (**permalink**) 03-15-2009, 01:36 AM

I've seen that error before posted on this forum but I can't remember where. Incontinence just could be the reason why they sent you that load of poo.

silverbk · #14 (**permalink**) 03-21-2009, 08:58 AM

Vertex is really weird about the distinction between marine, amateur and Land Mobile radios. They are treated as three separate divisions and never the twain shall meet.

If you are an amateur dealer you can not purchase LMR or marine and vice versa.

You can purchase RSS for LMR and amateur, but I have never seen it offered for any marine products. With the exception of the Icom M-88 (which is another radio approved for "land channels")

Every advertisement I have seen for this radio lists the LMR feature as dealer programmable.

I know that it is ridiculous but maybe Vertex made the decision to restrict marine programming stuff to dealers and of course our friends at the government.

It shouldn't be long before the cables show up on Ebay

and the RSS in "other places"

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwhitby

Below is the response I got from Vertex Standard when I emailed them asking for contact information for dealers that sell radio service software for the HX370s. I've bought RSS before, including for Vertex VX-400 radios I used to maintain.

Did I miss some change to 47 CFR?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(names and email addresses removed)

silverbk · #15 (**permalink**) 03-21-2009, 06:38 PM

A quick google search revealed multiple dealers offering the ct-111 cable and ce68 software.

My guess is this guy is talking out his arse.

jeremyphoto23 · #16 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 07:38 PM

There are dealers that offer it, I called Vertex Standard directly and they emailed me the software!

KC2OBW · #17 (**permalink**) 08-10-2009, 05:20 AM

I called or Emailed Vertex about software before, it was for a Land Mobile Radio, they old me they could not sell me the software, that I would have to call a dealer and they could..well I called a local dealer and they could not send it to me, so then I called a dealer out of state and they said they could, I forgot what the price was but it wasn't in my flavor, did alot of looking and I found it in that "other place"

silverbk · #18 (**permalink**) 08-10-2009, 10:16 AM

It's apples and oranges:

Land Mobile, Ham and Marine radios are all different divisions with different distribution sources.

As far as land mobile, any dealer should sell you a licensed copy of any software for land mobile. The territory restrictions do not apply to accessories, parts and software.

As far as Marine band goes. There is a Vertex policy that Marine band radios should be programmed by dealers. I guess they thought that only "dumb" boaters would be buying them and not tech saavy hams and land mobile people. However as I posted before there are some places that appear to offer Marine radio software to the public. So in reality if you have one of these radios you should be able to purchase what you need for it.

When you call vertex on the phone, it depends on who you get. Some techs simply want to help any user of their product, others are stricter with the Vertex rules. I have had requests go both ways depending on who you get and whether they know you are an end user. Dealers are supposed to be supporting their radios, but all dealers are not created equal. With Vertex being owned by Big M now I would expect more Draconian policies to come down from the board room in the future.