Unity XG-100P questions

[W4KRR]

Question 1: What type of antenna connector is on the XG-100P?

Question 2: Does the XG-100P use the same battery as the M/A-COM Harris P7100 portable? I believe it may, as if you purchase an aftermarket battery for either of these radios, they are the same part number. I just want to confirm.

 

[prcguy]

Antenna is SMA female but other antennas may not fit due to the shroud. Same battery as the P7100 and others.

Question 1: What type of antenna connector is on the XG-100P?

Question 2: Does the XG-100P use the same battery as the M/A-COM Harris P7100 portable? I believe it may, as if you purchase an aftermarket battery for either of these radios, they are the same part number. I just want to confirm.

 

[W4KRR]

Antenna is SMA female but other antennas may not fit due to the shroud. Same battery as the P7100 and others.

Thanks. That's what I was hoping with regard to the batteries. The antennas for the XG-100 seem kind of hard to find, and when you do, they seem very expensive.

 

[prcguy]

I bought a stock long one from I think New London Technology and it was in the high $60 range. They go for more used on Ebay.

Thanks. That's what I was hoping with regard to the batteries. The antennas for the XG-100 seem kind of hard to find, and when you do, they seem very expensive.

 

[W4KRR]

Another question:
Here is the FW and SW version that supposedly in this radio (have not received it yet).

Software: 12082-8900 XLPRO4A24

RF HW: 12082-2010-07 R09

DIGITAL HW: 12082-4100-06 R11

Based on this, can I or should I upgrade the firmware? What version of RPM will I need to program?

This radio will be used for passive scanning of P25 trunking, plus some analog conventional channel monitoring.

 

[TDR-94]

That will require RPM14,but can be programmed with RPM10 with a firmware change.RPM14 is sold as a package with RPM2.Whether the radio will support trunking depends on the features that are currently enabled in it.

Harris Programming Software, RPM/RPM2 With Master DONGLE

Harris Programming Software SS-SW1D includes RPM and RPM2 with Master Dongle and annual updates.

www.49ercommunications.com

 

[W4KRR]

That will require RPM14,but can be programmed with RPM10 with a firmware change.RPM14 is sold as a package with RPM2.Whether the radio will support trunking depends on the features that are currently enabled in it.

Harris Programming Software, RPM/RPM2 With Master DONGLE

Harris Programming Software SS-SW1D includes RPM and RPM2 with Master Dongle and annual updates.

www.49ercommunications.com

Thanks! Is the firmware I listed above considered old? Is there newer? Is there any benefit or downside to updating?

 

[Cavscout]

If you buy RPM14 be prepared for sticker shock. I bought it last year... I think it was around $750 maybe a touch less. The upside is it programs most of the Harris radios so you don't have to buy several programs.

 

[TDR-94]

Thanks! Is the firmware I listed above considered old? Is there newer? Is there any benefit or downside to updating?

You should be fine with what's already installed.There is no new feature support after XLPR03A for XG-100P and what's In the radio is already a later version than that.

Unless there are some known bug fixes for the XG-100P, in the latest version of XLP firmware,then no real need to update.

 

[W4KRR]

Thanks TDR!
How many alphanumeric characters per line are allowed on the front display?

 

[TDR-94]

Sixteen for the front display.

 

[Thunderknight]

Just be careful with the battery *chargers* as you mix radios and batteries. In my experience, older P7100 chargers were for the NiCd/NiMH batteries, not the Li Ion you see with the newer radios.

 

[W4KRR]

Just be careful with the battery *chargers* as you mix radios and batteries. In my experience, older P7100 chargers were for the NiCd/NiMH batteries, not the Li Ion you see with the newer radios.

Yes, the XG came with a lithium polymer battery, which although it looks the same, it doesn't fit in the p7100 charger.

Also: how do I access channels above 16 when I have more than 16 in a zone? I know there is a "Programmable Shortcut Menu" that has options for this function, but entering a channel number after selecting this option does nothing. On the p7100 you press the "5" and "0" keys to move up and down through the channels.

 

[TDR-94]

The only two options for selecting channels or banks in the shortcut menu are select channel bank and select bank channel number. Other than that,all channel/group selection is tied to the selector knob and A/B/C switch. There is no arrow keying up or down through channels/groups with the XG-100P,like the P7100.

 

[W4KRR]

Thanks TDR; I found it. "Select Channel/Group Number" has to be selected in the shortcut menu.

 

[wa8pyr]

The only two options for selecting channels or banks in the shortcut menu are select channel bank and select bank channel number. Other than that,all channel/group selection is tied to the selector knob and A/B/C switch. There is no arrow keying up or down through channels/groups with the XG-100P,like the P7100.

Actually you can set up zones in the radio (at least you can with the one I have). I'm using the A/B/C switch to select the three zones I use most often, but I have the middle and bottom side buttons set up for zone up wrap/zone down wrap so I can scroll through all the zones.

Channel selection is still done with the knob and using more than 16 channels to a zone you need to use channel banks as you noted, but with channel banks you're limited to six banks of sixteen channels. I prefer using zones which gives considerably more capacity than channel banks alone; I've got 46 zones programmed and haven't maxed out yet, but I suspect it's limited to 50 zones of 16 like it's younger brother the XL200P.

I just wish you could do something with the emergency button other than emergency or nothing; on other radios I typically use that to activate RSSI or site display.

 

[W4KRR]

Tom, I agree, I wish the emergency button could be programmed for something other than emergency.

Can you scan conventional frequencies along with trunked talkgroups at the same time? I haven't tried that yet. But I see you can't scan talkgroups from different trunked systems at the same time.

 

[wa8pyr]

Tom, I agree, I wish the emergency button could be programmed for something other than emergency.

For some reason they carried that nonsense down to the XL series (XL200, XL185, etc) as well. I've made few choice comments to Harris TAC about that, but so far no joy in getting additional capabilities added to that button; wouldn't help the XG100P anyway.

Can you scan conventional frequencies along with trunked talkgroups at the same time? I haven't tried that yet. But I see you can't scan talkgroups from different trunked systems at the same time.

I haven't really tried scanning conventional and trunked with custom scan too much, but it does work. Problem is that the radio spends so much time checking control channels during custom scan that it's easy for it to miss conventional traffic.

I have not tried scanning talkgroups from different trunked systems at the same time, but with custom scan it should work.

 

[TDR-94]

You can't scan across" different" trunked systems. You can only scan across trunked systems that have the same exact SYS ID,SYS NAC and WACN.

 

[W4KRR]

You can't scan across" different" trunked systems. You can only scan across trunked systems that have the same exact SYS ID,SYS NAC and WACN.

Thanks; that knowledge saves me some time.

I have spent some time trying to scan a few talkgroups mixed in with some conventional analog and P25 amateur frequencies. I have not been successful. I know there is a "Custom Scan Options" window which allows me to set up what I want, but it doesn't work. If I park on a talkgroup, I hear traffic on it, but the conventional channels are ignored. Likewise, if I park on a conventional channel, the talkgroups are ignored. There must be some additional settings somewhere that I can't find. Do I need to also set up a zone?