Buying CPS from Motorola Online

[n8dhw]

I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it.

I don't just stating the facts of the matter.


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[wu7e]

And the calendar time from MOL acct request to CPS download is...

At 14:29 today my case requesting the cps software I had puchased be uploaded to my MOL acct for download was closed, with a note of thanks, as usual, for my being a loyal customer

For anyone googling around, as I once did, I created my initial request for a motorola acct on 13Sep2016, and now have the CPS software available as of today, 27Oct2016.

 

[com501]

See how easy that was to be legal? Good job. Now you also have support any day you need it.

 

[N4KVE]

Yeah, order it & wait 6 weeks. In what other industry does a customer order something, & wait 6 weeks to get it? Could you imagine going to a cell phone store, & ordering a new smart phone that they have in stock & waiting 6 weeks to get it? How about going to Best Buy to order a laptop, or flat screen TV that's in stock, & having to wait 6 weeks? This is just crazy. No wonder people order it from E-Bay, & have it in a few days. I'm sure many people want to order it properly, & pay the big $, but refuse to wait the 6 weeks, so they go to E-Bay. Totally unacceptable in today's world.

 

[wu7e]

never say "finally"

Yes, MOL has closed the case I opened to have the software I purchased - CPS - uploaded to my account, and it does show up on my list of software subscriptions (twice, actually), but there's still no hint that I can see anywhere while logged on about how to actually download the software to my pc.

It looks like calling their support line is my last hope.

 

[wu7e]

Got it

I just didn't know where to look, which didn't surprise me.

resource center -> resource center -> software -> two-way ->mototrbo -> cps/service.

At least the programming will be simple, right???

 

[paladin5150]

It's not a user friendly place. I still have to ask where things are located.

 

[com501]

If you log into the Partner Portal, things are a lot easier. Of course, the Motorola website isn't for the general public, it focuses on DEALER support.

WU7E, thanks for your support.

 

[N0LWR]

Okay so maybe I'm missing a few things or its because I've been up for almost 24 Hours straight for work. I work for a Public Safety Entity and I am looking at proposing to command staff doing our radio programming in house for reasons I will not publish on a public forum. We have roughly 100 radios in our fleet ranging from XTS 2500's, XTL 2500's, XTS 5000's, XTL 5000's, XTL 1500's, APX 7500's and APX 7000's all either VHF or 7/800 or in the APX's case VHF-7/800. We utilize conventional VHF systems for primary use and supplement with a Statewide P25 VHF/7/800 trunked system. I may be barking up the wrong tree or need to create a separate thread, however I was wondering what avenue do I need to look to for making this happen LEGALLY and by the book. Basically, application process, legal hoops, cost, ETC. In my proposal I would like to have an accurate as possible analysis so I can pitch it to the brass. I understand the Trunked System would most likely be a whole different animal as far as system key privileges and working with the system administrators to access that. If someone would rather private message me and discuss this in further detail please do not hesitate to do that.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Jay911]

kd0fmg, what you would need are two pieces of software from Motorola. One is ASTRO25 CPS, and the other is APX CPS. Both have particularly steep learning curves for people who are not used to programming radios (and people who are used to programming radios in what I'll call a "linear" fashion where one channel position on the radio equals one programming slot in the software). In an extremely simplified means of describing the programming, you create the "channels" that you put into the zone/channel positions on the radio by building "personalities" which can be individual conventional frequencies or groups of trunk sysetm talkgroups (from which, when assigning to the channel position, you specify which of the 1 to many talkgroups in the personality you want to use). Then you assign these positions to a zone/channel assignment and optionally a scan list (so that if you enable scan mode, the radio will have a group of channels it's instructed to scan).

If you intend to do any programming involving that trunked system, you are 99% likely to need a system key. In modern times system keys are hardware (typically USB) dongles that grant your computer/software package the rights to make changes to the trunked system definitions stored in your radio data (called a codeplug). There is some programming you can do to/with an already-established trunk system in a codeplug - I for example don't have a system key to the system in my radios, but I can choose where the already-programmed talkgroups/channels end up in my zone/channel assignment list. If I wanted to add or remove talkgroups, or change system frequencies, I'd need to take it to the radio shop that has custody of the system key.

Back to obtaining the software. You get it from, as this thread indicates, the Motorola Online website. If you don't have an account, you need to sign up for one. You may be able to fill out the form on the https://businessonline.motorolasolutions.com/ page (see "Sign up now" below the login credentials box), or you may have to phone them directly (link to phone is in the same place). There's a lot of talk on this forum thread about not being able to get an account if you're an end user, but I was able to get one as a representative of my fire department, so it's likely you will be successful too. Once you get an account, you just go to their shopping page and pick the software packages you need (MOL appears to be down right now - I can't log in - or I'd give you the part numbers for ASTRO25 and APX) and they'll get shipped to you.

 

[N0LWR]

You answered all my questions Jay! Thank you so much. Two quick questions though. Does it cost to setup an account for MOL? Also. We use ADP Encryption on the conventional and trunking side. Do I have to look into a keyloader?

Again Thank you so much you hit the nail on the head for what I was looking for!!!!!

 

[Jay911]

I don't recall if accounts cost anything. I believe mine was free, but I got it quite some time ago. MSI these days might charge for everything, I don't know.

If you use encryption, yeah, a keyloader is probably mandatory. Something I forgot to mention is programming cables for your radios - you can get them from MOL as well.

 

[MTS2000des]

If you use encryption, yeah, a keyloader is probably mandatory. Something I forgot to mention is programming cables for your radios - you can get them from MOL as well.

Depends on what flavor of ADP: with software based ADP, the keys are entered into the CPS. If the radios have hardware (UCM) based ADP then the keys are loaded with a KVL.

 

[N0LWR]

Depends on what flavor of ADP: with software based ADP, the keys are entered into the CPS. If the radios have hardware (UCM) based ADP then the keys are loaded with a KVL.

What would I refer to on the radios to determine if it is software or hardware based?

Thanks!

 

[clbsquared]

You answered all my questions Jay! Thank you so much. Two quick questions though. Does it cost to setup an account for MOL? Also. We use ADP Encryption on the conventional and trunking side. Do I have to look into a keyloader?

Again Thank you so much you hit the nail on the head for what I was looking for!!!!!

Setting up the account is free. Everything after that, well, be prepared to pay out the nose for anything on MOL. It takes a little time though. Mine took about two weeks to go through the process. I've heard of some people having to wait longer and some that were denied.

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[rescue161]

What would I refer to on the radios to determine if it is software or hardware based?

Thanks!

Press the side button on the radio 5 times and then look for the UCM details. It will say if the radio has an on-board encryption module and what algorithms are programmed, i.e., AES, DES, ADP, etc.

 

[prcguy]

Reading all this cements my opinion that Motorola themselves create the problem of people going around the system and trading software. I remember from the 80s when one of the largest users of Saber and Spectra radios in the US would send broken radios in for repair that their radio shop could not fix, and they would come back from Motorola with newer software causing the customer to buy newer versions over and over throughout the lifespan of the radio. It was ridiculous.
prcguy

 

[rescue161]

That still happens today.

Reading all this cements my opinion that Motorola themselves create the problem of people going around the system and trading software. I remember from the 80s when one of the largest users of Saber and Spectra radios in the US would send broken radios in for repair that their radio shop could not fix, and they would come back from Motorola with newer software causing the customer to buy newer versions over and over throughout the lifespan of the radio. It was ridiculous.
prcguy

 

[Hans13]

@prcguy: Yep... I love the products but can't stand the company.

 

[N0LWR]

Press the side button on the radio 5 times and then look for the UCM details. It will say if the radio has an on-board encryption module and what algorithms are programmed, i.e., AES, DES, ADP, etc.

Ok. I tried that. What I have in front of me right now at home is an XTS 5000. Our Purple button is our keypad lock. the other two side buttons are zone up and down and then of course the PTT.