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HT1250 Programming Questions

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mountedmedic

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Hello,

My FD has HT1250's. Currently we are not using them in the narrow band configuration, but since we signed a mutual aid agreement with a dept that uses narrowband we now have a need. The department is small and budget conscious. The person who had the radios initially programmed called our Motorola shop, who told him they wouldnt program one radio so we could buy a cloning cable and save a few hundred bucks. The dealer said the radios CPS is locked so that only they can program the radios. Is this possible? Is there any way around it? They also said Motorola would not sell us the programming software, which I also beleive is not true.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!
 

bezking

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None of what your dealer told you is true. It really makes me sad that some folks are giving Motorola dealers a bad name by misleading public servants like that.

Absolutely you can get the CPS for yourself and do all the programming you want. You will want to buy H5177R, which includes, among other things, HVN9025 (software to program HT1250/750/1550 and CDM750/1250/1550), and a RIB to Radio cable. Cost is $300. If you create an account at Motorola OnLine (http://businessonline.motorola.com), you can call in and they will let you download it immediately. Note that this package is actually $17 LESS than buying HVN9025 by itself. This includes all updates for 3 years, including firmware.

Now this can be a point of contention among some folks. The above package comes with the cable that connects the portables to the RIB, which is supposed to sit between the radio and the computer. You need one if you want to use the included cable. To buy one from Motorola, it costs an additional $200.

Honestly, though, I have heard that Polaris Industries makes a great aftermarket RIB that you will be able to use. Here is a link. It is on sale right now for $60. Other folks will tell you only to use motorola equipment. I find this unnecessary.

Then there are folks that will tell you that the $20 cables on eBay that connect straight from the radio to the computer will work fine. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, and if you are a small FD on a budget I wouldn't risk using an el-cheapo cable and destroying an expensive radio. The Polaris RIB and Motorola RIB have a warranty so you will have some recourse if something happens.

HTH!
 
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sfd119

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I have had enormous success with KAWAMall. Both ribless cables, and now I bought a RIB box.
 

bezking

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Yeah, I have a KAWA cable and it works, but I have heard others say they brick radios sometimes so I didn't want to make that suggestion and take a risk...

Just on the side if you buy that Polaris box you will want this cable to connect the box to the PC.
 
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mountedmedic

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Thank you so much!

The one unanswered question. How do I unlock the radios the Motorola shop locked with the programming software?
 

bezking

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They didn't lock them. It's not possible. On SOME models of Motorola radios you can set a password to read the data out of the radio. I am pretty sure this isn't possible on the HT/CDM Series. I've never seen documentation of any Waris-series radio (HT/CDM) with that issue.
 

fineshot1

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They sure could have locked the CDM radios. I just got in an HT1250 and a CDM1250
and put a cps password on the CDM1250 but the HT1250 the cps password enable
check box was greyed out so I could not accomplish that on the HT1250.

Its in the professional series cps in the "radio configuration" under the password tab.
 

K8TEK

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They didn't lock them. It's not possible. On SOME models of Motorola radios you can set a password to read the data out of the radio. I am pretty sure this isn't possible on the HT/CDM Series. I've never seen documentation of any Waris-series radio (HT/CDM) with that issue.
Yep, CPS lock is possible.

If they are your radios, I would demand the dealer tell you the password.
 

bezking

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OK. I just opened up an HT1250 codeplug, the password box was indeed greyed out, but not so on a CDM codeplug.

From the CPS Help file (emphasis mine):
Enable CPS Password

(Radio Configuration)

DEFINITION:

Causes the current codeplug to be CPS Password protected.

1. When reading or writing radio, CPS will validate the password if the checkbox is set.

2. When opening archive file, CPS will validate the password if the checkbox is set.

Enabled: When the radio is a portable multi-line display model (i.e. HT1550XLS) , or when the radio is a mobile model.
 

Luis_R

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Feb 8, 2010
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Honestly, though, I have heard that Polaris Industries makes a great aftermarket RIB that you will be able to use. Here is a link. It is on sale right now for $60. Other folks will tell you only to use motorola equipment. I find this unnecessary.

I have a couple of these and they do work great. A lot better than the ribless cables, All though the portable/battery operated polaris rib has burnt up 2 MCS2000 control heads. You can also get programming cables from polaris for less than half what Moto sells them for.
 

w9wy

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Programming Multiple HT1250s

I have a Motorola HT1250 that is programmed just the way I want it. Is there someway, without buying any more cables, that I can read the programmed radio into the computer, then write that file to other HT1250s?

Thanks in advance. I would hope one would not have to type all the info in for all the radios!!!1
 

chrismol1

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Save the codeplug to disk and then write that codeplug to 2nd radio. just like a word document
 

Mpanella

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May 12, 2012
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What do you need to do specifically in the CPS to go to narrow band?

Just switch the bandwidth on both TX and RX channels to 12.5? Is that all?

Also I have a friend operating on the same system who has upgraded early to narrow banding 12.5 and I'm hearing him just fine on the 25 bandwidth. Could this be possible or is it because he's going through our local repeater?
 

radionerd13669

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Wide band can talk to Narrow and narrow to wide band on simplex. Narrow band radios can also talk on a wide band repeater.

You need to put each channel to 12.5

that is it
 

Mpanella

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Thanks for the reply. Very helpful.

So I don't have to necessarily wait for all my mutual aid areas to switch their repeaters over. (Which I'm sure they are doing in steps).

I only ask because I have my own portable as I am on a couple local departments and some of the chief officers have switched early to narrow band while others are waiting to closer to the switch date.

Want to make sure I can work with everybody.
 

cabletech

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The only thing differant between narrow band and wide band when listening on two differant radios, is the audio.

The audio from the narrown band radio will sound a little softer (quiteer) and on the narrow band radio, the audio will sound a little louder.

THATS IT THAT ALL
 

alkassell

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Chesterfield, Ma
I am going to try to reprogram some HT1250's and HT750's for my fire department, and I'm having trouble finding the software ( and I mean legitimate, licensed software from Motorola - don't want to be misinterpreted ) and hardware. The information from bezking above seemed great, but the link (http://businessonline.motorola.com/) is dead, and searching Motorola's site for any of the referenced part numbers yielded nothing useful. Does anyone know where to find the software / hardware to purchase? I sent an email to Motorola, but I'm not holding my breath....

Any help would be appreciated
 

alkassell

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That link (https://businessonline.motorolasolutions.com/default.asp) got me to a page to create an account - if that doesn't work, I'll try calling ( hate the endless phone systems, so trying to go through the web first ). Thanks for the info! Boy, they make it hard to give them money for overpriced software - I started at motorola.com, and you'd think they only sell phones and baby monitors - no link for radios, etc. If they want users to use legitimate, licensed software, you'd think they'd make it easier to find....
 
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