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Help needed for programing xts5000r for the first time

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matthewll14

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I just received my xts 5000 r programming cable from eBay i do want to mention that it is not OEM. I would like to also point out I bought the radio off some guy and he did not give me the code plug. I am looking to program the radio to the first time I would like to know what I should know before doing it and what I need to be careful of also what exact copy of of CPS do i need?
 

mmckenna

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Rule #1 with programming ANY radio:

Step 1. Read the radio.
Step 2. Save that file.
Step 3. Now save it again with a different name.
Step 4. Now save it again, but somewhere else.
Step 5. If you skipped steps 1-4, go back and do them. Really.
Step 6. Make your changes.
Step 7. If you screw up, fall back on original file, because remember, you saved it in a safe place.

Failure to follow Rule #1 will result in being permanently tagged as a "Noob". The dreaded "Radio Police" may show up and confiscate your radio (no, not really). Always having a 'known good' file to fall back on is important. Anyone who has been programming radios for a while will tell you the same thing. Do not skip this step. Do not skip this step.

Programming radios like these is not easy. There is a very steep learning curve. There are also way too many variables for someone to even be remotely able to type it on in one post. Best place to start is studying the file very carefully and then asking questions. If you have a legit copy of CPS, the included help files are really useful and will get you most of what you need.

Now, go back and follow the instructions under "Rule #1".
 

matthewll14

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Rule #1 with programming ANY radio:

Step 1. Read the radio.
Step 2. Save that file.
Step 3. Now save it again with a different name.
Step 4. Now save it again, but somewhere else.
Step 5. If you skipped steps 1-4, go back and do them. Really.
Step 6. Make your changes.
Step 7. If you screw up, fall back on original file, because remember, you saved it in a safe place.

Failure to follow Rule #1 will result in being permanently tagged as a "Noob". The dreaded "Radio Police" may show up and confiscate your radio (no, not really). Always having a 'known good' file to fall back on is important. Anyone who has been programming radios for a while will tell you the same thing. Do not skip this step. Do not skip this step.

Programming radios like these is not easy. There is a very steep learning curve. There are also way too many variables for someone to even be remotely able to type it on in one post. Best place to start is studying the file very carefully and then asking questions. If you have a legit copy of CPS, the included help files are really useful and will get you most of what you need.

Now, go back and follow the instructions under "Rule #1".

So what exactly is a code plug file? sorry I am still new too this but do I need it to program this radio or are those files you are telling me to save the code plug files? also I am trying to find a legit copy of CPS but no dice so far any suggestions?
 

mmckenna

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The code plug is the programming file that resides in the radio.

It's not sent from the seller, it is in the radio. When you get the radio, you read the codeplug out of the radio with the CPS programming software.

The only place to get legit CPS is from Motorola. The XTS/XTL radios are no longer sold new by Motorola, so not sure if they are still selling the software on their Motorola On Line site. I have a copy of it, but it's a good 10 years old. Someone who deals with Motorola more than I do can probably tell you for sure.

You will need the same version software, or newer version, than the radio was last touched with. Getting the latest version from Motorola or a Motorola dealer is really your best bet. You can sometimes find bootleg copies of it under rocks or in deep recesses of the internet, but that does come with risks, and it's generally frowned upon to discuss that since it's technically copyrighted software and bootleg copies would technically be a violation.
 

natedawg1604

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Are you trying to monitor a trunked system? If so you need to do extensive research about non-affiliate scanning. The details of this subject are not allowed to be discussed on this forum, if you do enough research elsewhere you will find it's eminently doable. I would only note that it's not for the faint of heart...
 

matthewll14

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The code plug is the programming file that resides in the radio.

It's not sent from the seller, it is in the radio. When you get the radio, you read the codeplug out of the radio with the CPS programming software.

The only place to get legit CPS is from Motorola. The XTS/XTL radios are no longer sold new by Motorola, so not sure if they are still selling the software on their Motorola On Line site. I have a copy of it, but it's a good 10 years old. Someone who deals with Motorola more than I do can probably tell you for sure.

You will need the same version software, or newer version, than the radio was last touched with. Getting the latest version from Motorola or a Motorola dealer is really your best bet. You can sometimes find bootleg copies of it under rocks or in deep recesses of the internet, but that does come with risks, and it's generally frowned upon to discuss that since it's technically copyrighted software and bootleg copies would technically be a violation.


Is there any way to see the version within the radio itself so I know which version to look for?
 

natedawg1604

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Yes I am trying to monitor a trunked system in Toronto Canada and the York Region area of Ontario p25. is this difficult or risky I am not sure what you mean when its not for the faint of heart.
I'm fairly sure you are about to get a lot nasty comments from folks who don't want this topic being discussed by anyone, pm me...
 

mmckenna

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And yes, you need to do a ton of research on Non-Affiliate Scan before attempting this. There's a lot of risks, not only to you, but to other legit systems users if you program incorrectly. You need to be 100% correct with your programming. It's not often discussed with newcomers because of the risky nature of it, but you'll probably find help from others that have done it.
 

N1XDS

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Power on the radio then press the bottom button the side of the radio and it'll put the radio in to maintenance mode then once you find the information you are looking for turn the radio off then power on the radio or leave it off if you want to.
 

matthewll14

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And yes, you need to do a ton of research on Non-Affiliate Scan before attempting this. There's a lot of risks, not only to you, but to other legit systems users if you program incorrectly. You need to be 100% correct with your programming. It's not often discussed with newcomers because of the risky nature of it, but you'll probably find help from others that have done it.

Okay so the radio is programmed with channels I want already all I really want to do it switch the channel changing buttons and I want to enable channel announcement on the current code plug that is already loaded.
 

mmckenna

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Okay so the radio is programmed with channels I want already all I really want to do it switch the channel changing buttons and I want to enable channel announcement on the current code plug that is already loaded.

OK, if it really has been programmed correctly and won't affiliate, then changing buttons and channel announce shouldn't be too difficult. None of mine had channel announce, so I can't assist there. Changing button functions will be easy.

Just remember Rule #1 above, especially in this instance. You really don't want to lose that codeplug.
 

matthewll14

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Power on the radio then press the bottom button the side of the radio and it'll put the radio in to maintenance mode then once you find the information you are looking for turn the radio off then power on the radio or leave it off if you want to.


I am not sure if I am doing something wrong or its dependent on the codeplug but that button wont show me anything
 

K2NEC

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I am not sure if I am doing something wrong or its dependent on the codeplug but that button wont show me anything
You need to power up and press the button 5 times. Then the radio will chirp and start displaying all sorts of info
 

clbsquared

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You need Astro 25 Portable CPS 20.01.00. The radios are EOL from Motorola and the CPS could prove to be very difficult to obtain from them. Especially if you do not have a MOL business account set up. My advice to you would be to use google to your advantage.
 

scanfreqer

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I was interested in buying a Motorola with p25 . Can anyone suggest a good model and how hard are these to program, with codeplugs CPS,. I have a SDS 100 and being away from scanning for several years, it took a while to become familiar with it. I live in Barrie,Ont,Can. so I only have 10 channels to program I think? Any help is appreciated. I see them on E-Bay for a couple hundred bucks.
 

mmckenna

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You really need to understand what you are buying.
Understanding the flash code is important. The flash code tells you what features the radio has. If the flash code doesn't support the features you need, you'd have to deal with that. Not sure if Motorola still supports the older radios enough to get them updated.
If you are just setting up conventional receive only, it's not too difficult, but it's not easy, either. Out of all the different manufacturers software I've used in my career, Motorola was the most annoying.

And don't get hung up on the brand name. If you want a commercial P25 radio for receiving, there are a lot of other good options that are less expensive and much easier to program. A lot of the cost with Motorola is paying for the name.
 

a417

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You really need to understand what you are buying.
<snip>Not sure if Motorola still supports the older radios enough to get them updated.
If you are just setting up conventional receive only, it's not too difficult, but it's not easy, either. Out of all the different manufacturers software I've used in my career, Motorola was the most annoying.
This is the most true thing I've read on the internettings today.
 
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