• 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.

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    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).

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Maxtrac Programming

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KJ4HPV

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I have a vhf Maxtrac that I need programming for two meters. Does anybody know where I could get this done at? There is no where locally that still has the software for it
 

jim202

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I have a vhf Maxtrac that I need programming for two meters. Does anybody know where I could get this done at? There is no where locally that still has the software for it

Not trying to ask a dumb question, but don't you think you might get a reply faster if you gave a hint as to where your hanging your hat?
 

SteveC0625

Order of the Golden Dino since 1972
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Northville, NY (Fulton County)
I have a vhf Maxtrac that I need programming for two meters. Does anybody know where I could get this done at? There is no where locally that still has the software for it

Try a Motorola shop. I am certain there is one in your area, even though you didn't mention where you are located.
 
K

kb0nly

Guest
You guys ever hear of QRZ.com? He is in Knoxville TN.

As for programming the radio... Most radio shops won't do it from my experience. Your better off getting a RIB/Programming cable off eBay and doing it yourself!
 

WA4VBC

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NC
There must be some, but I have never found a Motorola shop that would not program a Motorola radio. I am sure there are several shop in Knoxville. Also, the cable will not do you much good without the Motorola software.
 

millrad

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Connecticut
I just picked up a Maxtrac UHF two channel radio. I have one obvious question: where can I get the programming software, preferably legally? It must have shareware status by now, since the radios are so old and Motorola shops couldn't care less about them.
 

zz0468

QRT
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I just picked up a Maxtrac UHF two channel radio. I have one obvious question: where can I get the programming software, preferably legally? It must have shareware status by now, since the radios are so old and Motorola shops couldn't care less about them.

You CAN'T get the software "legally". It's NLA at Motorola, and it hasn't been released to the public domain.

None of that means it's not relatively easy to obtain, however. The hard part is knowing where to look. Google it, and don't be surprised if you see hits on web pages that end in " .ru " .

Here's the deal with NLA Motorola software... People who have it share it freely with their friends, so if you know someone, it's not at all hard to get. But none of these guys are going to give it out over the internet, because the software license is still in force. It's freely available at a few "infamous Russian websites", but again, that information won't be freely shared on the internet, for obvious reasons.

Suffice it to say, with a well crafted Google search, a bit of patience, and updated anti-virus software, you can get just about anything you want.
 

MTS2000des

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it's around if you look.
the bigger task is getting a stable DOS programming platform. Remember these radios hardware were built in the late 1980s when the fastest PC's were DOS machines running 386 processors. I'd start looking for an old 486 or Pentium laptop. Make sure it has a floppy drive for installing DOS or a DOS boot disk, and a working serial port.

Forget about using any Windows version, or USB anything. you'll waste lots of time and can even hose the radio using an unstable programming platform.

You can buy cheap RIBs, a RIB to radio cable for a Maxtrac is the easiest to build, a piece of CAT 5 with an RJ45 on the end, and a DB25 for the RIB end. Pinouts are on Batlabs. Takes all of 10 minutes or less.
 

zz0468

QRT
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Yep. Cheap laptops are readily available at thrift stores, yard sales, Craigslist, and eBay. DOS 6.22 is available a million websites, free downloads. Perfectly serviceable RIBS are about $35 on eBay. The programming details and know how are free on Batlabs.com. Get started today, and you can have your radio programmed by next weekend.
 
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