CPS Motorola sold me not seeing CP200? Is it same the CPS as for CP200d?

[zspitzer]

I'm starting to think the nice salesperson didn't think this through fully... here's the story:

I have a handful of CP200's and CP200d's at my site that long pre-date me. I called motorola and told the nice salesperson I wanted to program the CP200 and CP200d's. I was told the same software programs both, but I needed the adapter setup for the CP200's vs CP200d's. So he went through the parts, which I bought. Downloaded CPS quickly, everything else backordered and seemingly delayed because the 9v power adapter was out of stock, but managed to remove that from the order and get everything shipped.

While everything was backordered, I used the CPS and a standard USB cable to program my CP200d's. Worked as it should have, no issues.

I've been trying to get my CPS to see the CP200's, and haven't had great luck. First issue was motorola sold me a system that got to a serial port, which was annoying but I dug up an old laptop in the back of a cabinet with a serial port. I was able to read and write from that laptop with a very old version of CPS that I did not buy.

I bought a USB-Serial adapter off amazon to connect the rib to my computer, loaded up CPS v16 and I can't get CPS to recognize my CP200 on the other side of the rib. Rechecked via USB to a CP200D and works as it should.

Was trying to troubleshoot between a CPS software issue and a USB-Serial hardware adapter issue, and found some posts implying that it's not the same version of CPS that programs the CP200 vs the CP200d? The salesperson was very clear that it was the same software, which is what he sold me and I downloaded from them.

Trying to find more information so I know what to ask for before calling them. I really don't want to need to keep this old laptop with CPS v5 just to program the older radios.

Thanks so much!

 

[kruser]

I could be wrong as it's been a while but I recall using the same CPS version that I used for our fleet of PR400's back when I was still working.
The CP200d (with the d suffix) needed the TRBO software which is now up to a version 2 something. Yes, the TRBO Ver 2.x version is newer than the 16.x version! Don't do it though unless you need some feature only available in a future firmware. You will hate TRBO 2.x TRBO CPS if you have been using the 16.x version for any amount of time.
If your CP200d's are reading with the 16.x version of TRBO CPS, I recommend not upgrading anything to the latest 2.x version of TRBO software. Motorola has managed to bugger the heck out of the TRBO CPS for these radios. If you do upgrade firmware or anything on a 200d, you may need the latest TRBO version which you should be able to download from your MOL account as CPS v16 is no longer current.

 

[alcahuete]

No. They are entirely different, and require entirely different CPS. The CP200d is programmed with the Mototrbo CPS, while the CP200 is not, as it is quite older, and not digital capable.

 

[PACNWDude]

+1 on the previous post. I only wish Motorola made drastic changes between the physical hardware, CP200 vs. CP200d. So many times a customer brings in a CP200D and was told that they could not be programmed, or the hand mics do not work. Then I have to show them the square wave symbol on the hand mics, or lack thereof. CP200d are more Trbo series, while the older CP200's were more like HT750's. Analog accessories do not work with the digital capable CP200d, not does the CPS software. Luckily, the programming cable for the CP200d is a USB cable that many may have lying around. Also, as was said earlier, do not go to CPS 2.0 for Trbo unless you need it....CPS16 build 824/827 works perfectly well if nobody has upgraded things beyond that line in the sand.

 

[zspitzer]

So what app programs the CP200 (non-d). I've got Mototrbo CPS v16 (build 828) working happily for the CP200d's. I just went back into my motorola download center and see a bunch of other downloads available, so maybe Motorola did sell me the right package, I just don't know which of the 25 options I should be using for the CP200's.

Screenshot (hopefully) attached to this post with my download options.


Thanks everyone!

 

[SteveC0625]

The CP-200 is part of the Commercial Series which is programmed with the Commercial Series CPS, part number RVN4191. The latest and last revision was R05.18.

It should still be available from MOL.

It is NOT Mototrbo software and should not be confused with it.

 

[K2NEC]

or the hand mics do not work. Then I have to show them the square wave symbol on the hand mics, or lack thereof. Analog accessories do not work with the digital capable CP200d

Yes they do. I've had plenty of mics work with the CP200d without a problem. At work, when they upgraded radios from cp200 to cp200d, employees continued to use the same mics they had previously, without any problems.

 

[zspitzer]

The CP-200 is part of the Commercial Series which is programmed with the Commercial Series CPS, part number RVN4191. The latest and last revision was R05.18.

It should still be available from MOL.

It is NOT Mototrbo software and should not be confused with it.

So, just to be completely sure before I call up Motorola, the CPS version I need to program the CP200 (non-d) is not on the list in my screenshot above?

 

[Floridarailfanning]

So, just to be completely sure before I call up Motorola, the CPS version I need to program the CP200 (non-d) is not on the list in my screenshot above?

Correct, it's not on the list you showed above.

Everything on that list is for TRBO radios and systems.

 

[zspitzer]

Correct, it's not on the list you showed above.

Everything on that list is for TRBO radios and systems.

OK, thanks for confirming!

 

[zspitzer]

As a followup, Motorola was very helpful and added the software to my account. Seems like they're no longer selling the software, and as of early 2021 may not even be able to give it away anymore. Not sure what that does for those of us with an inventory of CP200's still hanging on, though I imagine I'm in the minority of people with old radios who needed but didn't have a copy of the CPS.

 

[Floridarailfanning]

Seems like they're no longer selling the software, and as of early 2021 may not even be able to give it away anymore. Not sure what that does for those of us with an inventory of CP200's still hanging on, though I imagine I'm in the minority of people with old radios who needed but didn't have a copy of the CPS.

That's the Motorola Solutions way. Since CPS is their IP, when they decide to move on they just abandon users and their hardware, even though you've paid to use it.

Make sure you download and save a copy of CPS, otherwise when it vanishes off of MOL you'll be screwed.

 

[GmanX]

Make sure you accessory port on your radio isn't broken. I think they came from Motorola broken

 

[PACNWDude]

My current employer now maintains three generations and several types of Motorola and Kenwood radios.....and a wise option for maintaining legacy Motorola involves loading that CPS onto multiple computers, just in case you lose a hard drive. Like previously stated, keep a backup copy of the CPS and codeplugs for any and all radios. You never know when you may need to re-program a radio, or refer back to a codeplug for a setting that may not have been documented anywhere else. Motorola is ending support for many of their products, most recently XTS/XTL support, which is the main series of radios I currently maintain. We have purchased programming cables and spare parts, but items like displays are no longer available, and CPS support will be ending soon as well.

However, this is not limited to Motorola, Kenwood has done the same thing, and radios that may function for a decade are often only supported for about half of that time officially and then a few years longer for affiliated service centers and resellers. Planned obsolescence is not only for cars, and technology related field has this problem in spades.

 

[zspitzer]

Make sure you accessory port on your radio isn't broken. I think they came from Motorola broken

It was definitely the software. Once I got the right piece of software from them it worked like a charm.

keep a backup copy of the CPS and codeplugs for any and all radios. You never know when you may need to re-program a radio, or refer back to a codeplug for a setting that may not have been documented anywhere else.

I put the CPS installers on the company server and google drive so they're backed up, but hadn't thought to backup the codeplugs in the same way. Great idea, thanks