Jonathon_Hopkins
Member
Anyone know any good Harris dealers that are civilian friendly? Looking to switch from a APX 7000 to a Xl-200.
-
To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:
Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.
If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.
To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.
The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.
For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).
This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.
Civilian Friendly Harris Dealer
- Thread starter Jonathon_Hopkins
- Start date
- Status
flametamer
Member
CS-Public-Safety-and-Professional-Communications-Contact-Form
Thank you for your interest in connecting with Harris about sales, support or service for radios and other P25, DMR and LTE solutions for first responders/public safety, utility, education, government, commercial and transportation customers. Complete the information below to be contacted by a...
www.harris.com
Dt
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
Nothing against the XL-200, it is a fine radio, but I have to ask why? FWIW, Harris isn't cheap and really don't deal with end users/one off's. RPM2 is expensive, locked down, and system keys for trunked systems are only issued to system owners with a signed radio manager/systems manager on agency letter head.
Motorola APX CPS is a bargain compared to what RPM2 costs. Again, not bashing Harris in anyway, the XL platform is a GREAT product, but just curious why your desire to switch vendors?
Motorola APX CPS is a bargain compared to what RPM2 costs. Again, not bashing Harris in anyway, the XL platform is a GREAT product, but just curious why your desire to switch vendors?
Jonathon_Hopkins
Member
I just want to try something different. I already have someone that can program it, so it’s not an issue for me. I like Moto but, like I said just want to try something different.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
I gotcha. The XL-200p is a fine radio. Sadly, the cost of RPM and the lack of availability of system keys for neighboring systems is why I don't have any in service. The XL-185p is in use by an agency near me and they have around 200 or so and have good results, on a Motorola Astro 25 system at that.
Basically, by Harris policy, at this point no dealer SHOULD be particularly friendly or helpful to anyone who doesn't have a contract for radio services with Harris or one of their authorized dealers. You can probably buy accessories and parts, batteries, antennas, belt clips, etc. without a problem, but if it comes to anything that actually facilitates access to one of their customer radio systems, it's not very likely to happen.
Neither Motorola nor Harris wants private citizens to have the capacity to use their products to monitor their customer's radio systems, and they are doing what they can to squeeze us out. Eventually the only way to be able to use an M or H radio for unauthorized scanning will be to employ hacked tools and software that are in and of themselves deemed illegal to possess or use.
Since the systems are increasingly becoming more and more like computer networks, it'll become easier to charge someone with computer hacking when their intent was just to hear the sheriff's dispatch channel. They will become legally one and the same thing.
Neither Motorola nor Harris wants private citizens to have the capacity to use their products to monitor their customer's radio systems, and they are doing what they can to squeeze us out. Eventually the only way to be able to use an M or H radio for unauthorized scanning will be to employ hacked tools and software that are in and of themselves deemed illegal to possess or use.
Since the systems are increasingly becoming more and more like computer networks, it'll become easier to charge someone with computer hacking when their intent was just to hear the sheriff's dispatch channel. They will become legally one and the same thing.
That's my issue. I've got hundreds of Harris products here and they work great, but the cost of RPM2 far exceeds the cost of Motorola CPS. $1000 a year for RPM2 versus $400 for three years of CPS is a pretty big difference; if RPM2 were $800-1000 for three years it would be easier to justify, but I've already let it be known to our Harris dealer that the cost of software and firmware updates is going to have a hand in dictating our purchasing from here on out.
To make matters worse, RPM (pre-RPM2) is another $1000 a year. However, the radios which require RPM are rapidly vanishing; most of those now are XG-series radios, and once you get those updated past a certain firmware version they can be programmed with RPM2.
That all being said. . . to the OP, W/S Electronics in Xenia OH might be willing to work with you.
Last edited:
We have RPM and RPM2 and we only purchased it once. We bought license keys for both for several installations. Firmware downloads are free on the L3Harris side, at least for us they are. Just download them from TechLinc and install. No iButton either. System keys are not a problem either. For system admins that allow it, Harris will generate an AAC license that is attached to your RPM installation. We also have an agency that did not agree to that, so they sent us a dongle that allows us to program on their system. The dongle that they sent us only allows IDs within a certain range to be programmed and it also has an expiration date. Once it expires, they will send us another dongle.
As far as dealers go, I was successful in buying Phase 2 upgrades for six P7200 radios from a dealer at Warner Communications Corporation St. Louis Missouri. His name is Al Morton. A lot of people said it could not be done, even Harris, but Al was able to get the features to me.
As far as dealers go, I was successful in buying Phase 2 upgrades for six P7200 radios from a dealer at Warner Communications Corporation St. Louis Missouri. His name is Al Morton. A lot of people said it could not be done, even Harris, but Al was able to get the features to me.
Encryption would easily solve that, instead of over-complicating the operating systems.
DeoVindice
P25 Underground
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
Explain. I've ordered two thousand APX radios, all came with single key AES standard at N/C. Multi-key option and OTAR added $600 line item to each subscriber. Math isn't my best subject, but that certainly added up. Our KVL4000s were around 3 grand a piece. We don't have a KMF...which is why we have to touch each device. Why? The KMF was out of our budgeted price range. You get the picture...
CanesFan95
Active Member
I wish these radio companies didn't have to be so mean.
What I think is really interesting is that after all these years, nobody has yet written and distributed a freeware encryption keyloading software package for various common radios. I really expected that this would have happened, but no, not so far as I know of, it hasn't.
A (relatively) simple software package and a suitable cable would be a preferred solution, rather than having to shell out four grand for a KVL.
A (relatively) simple software package and a suitable cable would be a preferred solution, rather than having to shell out four grand for a KVL.
prcguy
Member
Umm, yes it has happened. I have one sitting in front of me now.
KFDtool KFD100 - USB Key Fill Device
Single Hirose port USB key fill device (includes 1 m / 3 ft USB A to USB B cable) Availability Notice (last updated 2021-07-14): Due to the global component shortage, we are waiting on the availability of several components to be able to produce more units. Please email contact@store.kfdtool.com...
store.flcomputerinc.com
That's news to me. And there's no mention of software to go along with it.
prcguy
Member
Software is free and you can download and play with it before getting the hardware. The hardware is needed because of the odd serial data rate and some other challenges that could not be done without it.
MattSR
Member
Yep, the main domain is kfdtool.com which redirects to the GitHub poage above.
All the information is on that page and is fully open source (MIT licensed).
All the information is on that page and is fully open source (MIT licensed).
Unfortunately he's out of stock currently. Should have them back in stock in about 6 weeks.
prcguy
Member
- Status
