Is the remote control head PMLN7032A discontinued?

[KK6ZNS]

Hi Everyone,

I have a Motorola XPR5550e (UHF). It works great. I also bought the remote control head for it, the Motorola PMLN7032A (check it out if you're unfamiliar with it, it has all controls and a display in the mic itself, allowing you to stow the radio unit anywhere you like.

When I received & installed it, it works great, but the red LED on the remote control head blinks constantly. I looked it up and it refers to a firmware mismatch between the radio firmware and the remote control head firmware. The way to resolve it is to have the latest firmware files installed on your computer, and run CPS to update the radio firmwares. I did this, and what it did was downgrade the radio firmware to R02.10.09.0001 & CP Version 15.05.10 which is lower than what the radio came with. Now, the error code is gone, but, some of the features don't work (specific to the new firmware).

Further, I got an error message from CPS saying "The Software Update Management policy enabled on this device has expired and is not entitled to be updated to the specified firmware version. Please contact Motorola Solutions sales representative for more information."

Yet one more thing: When I checked Motorola's accessory website, the remote control head is now listed as PMLN7131, where as mine is PMLN7032A.

Does anyone know how to decifer this situation? Is my control head discontinued? Could that be the firmware problem?

Thank you,

Mark
K1MES

 

[Tech21]

You have to bring them up to the same firmware. You need to get a SUM license from motorola and then download the latest firmware and update the radio.

https://www.motorolasolutions.com/content/dam/msi/docs/services/new-2019-pdf/faq---mototrbo-policy-updates/FAQ_MOTOTRBO_Policy_Updates_For_Infrastructure_LACR_EN.pdf

 

[TampaTyron]

The radio may already have a SUM license if it was manufactured during a very specific time period. You could try to recover the license. If that does not work, then you will have to purchase a SUM license from MOTO. TT

 

[KK6ZNS]

What is a SUM license? Thank you

 

[TampaTyron]

Motorola, in the interest of keeping their money vacuuming current, have decided to charge for firmware above 2.10 (which is all 202x.x). So, in order to be able to upgrade your fw, you will have to be under warranty or have an active license agreemebt for that radio. Similar to Cisco or other tech vendor wanting money for software updates. FB

 

[KK6ZNS]

Gosh that's frustrating (and, not surprising). Do you know if there is a way to determine (for any given radio product) what the highest firmware version is that anyone person or product is entitled to upgrade to? i.e. how would I find out what the highest version is that I can upgrade to? Thank you again, Mark K1MES

 

[TampaTyron]

If you read the radio with CPS or RM, the SUM License Expiration should show when the radio SUM would expire, in the main tab of all the radio features/versions. This assumes that you have upgraded to 2.10 and then performed a license recovery OR that the radio has 2.10 or older and a valid SUM License. TT

 

[alcahuete]

Gosh that's frustrating (and, not surprising). Do you know if there is a way to determine (for any given radio product) what the highest firmware version is that anyone person or product is entitled to upgrade to? i.e. how would I find out what the highest version is that I can upgrade to? Thank you again, Mark K1MES

This is exactly one of the reasons we all have been screaming at hams (assuming you're using this for ham use) to not upgrade to CPS 2. There are no advantages at all.