Migrating from XTS5000 to APX8000

[Sconnick]

Hello all,

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience transitioning codeplugs from the XTS-series radios to the APX-series radios.

We're currently using HTX5000 hardware, but will - in short order - be shifting to the APX8000. The codeplugs that we have in the HTX are working exactly as we want them to (using ASTRO 25 R20.01.00). Obviously, there are more features in the APX radio (and we'll be using APX 25.00 CPS). Is there any way to export large parts of the CP from the HTX and import into the APX CPS? Just trying to avoid starting from square one when building the new codeplugs. We're talking roughly 4-500 channels, some trunked, some digital, some analog, mix of UHF, VHF, and 7/800.

I'll be in a Motorola class in a few weeks, I'm just curious if anyone has already been through the process.

Thanks!

 

[kf8yk]

You can try the APX Migration Assistant that will convert Astro25 codeplugs to a XML file that can be imported in APX CPS.

Migration Assistant is available as a download on MOL.

 

[ElroyJetson]

If you've got that many channels/talkgroups, then I'd say that you've got a madman in charge of figuring out what you really need.

Keep it simple. Program what you NEED and will USE, not features, channels, and talkgroups that you realistically never will.

Complexity is the enemy of reliability.

 

[MTS2000des]

FWIW the migration assistant absolutely sucks, especially if you have a large codeplug repository. It's best to do it right and start building your APX codeplug from scratch. Build your templates first, drive down the number of iterations (SWAT, SPECOPS, PATROL, FIRE, whatever) and then start building from them.
I wish I never would have wasted my time with the so called migration tool 5 years ago.

 

[Sconnick]

Keep it simple. Program what you NEED and will USE, not features, channels, and talkgroups that you realistically never will.

Unfortunately, the radios in question are mounted in a law enforcement helicopter that is used as a regional asset in suburban NY. There is virtually no "common ground" among towns/villages/cities and PDs/FDs/EMS. Many PDs are still working unencrypted VHF, which are easy. Some are digital, and a handful are encrypted. FDs are using a combination of UHF and VHF with some 7/800 mixed in. Some trunking, most not. The biggest pain in the ass is the fact that we do missions all over our county, and in our neighboring counties and states.

It's a massive undertaking.

 

[Sconnick]

FWIW the migration assistant absolutely sucks, especially if you have a large codeplug repository. It's best to do it right and start building your APX codeplug from scratch. Build your templates first, drive down the number of iterations (SWAT, SPECOPS, PATROL, FIRE, whatever) and then start building from them.

Good to know. Since we're moving from 2-VHF radios, 2-UHF radios, and 1-7/800 radio TO 3-multiband APX8000 modules, we kind of anticipated we might have to start from scratch anyway.

 

[GTR8000]

Unfortunately, the radios in question are mounted in a law enforcement helicopter that is used as a regional asset in suburban NY. There is virtually no "common ground" among towns/villages/cities and PDs/FDs/EMS. Many PDs are still working unencrypted VHF, which are easy. Some are digital, and a handful are encrypted. FDs are using a combination of UHF and VHF with some 7/800 mixed in. Some trunking, most not. The biggest pain in the ass is the fact that we do missions all over our county, and in our neighboring counties and states.

It's a massive undertaking.

I was wondering when you guys were going to upgrade the old TDFM-7300 radios in the two helos. It'll be nice to finally be able to operate natively on the system across the river, instead of having to use old VHF channels that are barely maintained anymore.

 

[Tech21]

FWIW the migration assistant absolutely sucks, especially if you have a large codeplug repository. It's best to do it right and start building your APX codeplug from scratch. Build your templates first, drive down the number of iterations (SWAT, SPECOPS, PATROL, FIRE, whatever) and then start building from them.
I wish I never would have wasted my time with the so called migration tool 5 years ago.

It really only sucks if you don't know what you are doing with it. It's a huge time saver when used properly. You can't rush it so take a coffee break or two and let it do it's thing. The thing to keep in mind is have your system keys loaded in APX before you import the file into APX cps. That is the step that gets most people. Other than that, APX cps does a pretty good job at telling you exactly what it doesn't like.

 

[KG7PBS]

Hello all,

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience transitioning codeplugs from the XTS-series radios to the APX-series radios.

We're currently using HTX5000 hardware, but will - in short order - be shifting to the APX8000. The codeplugs that we have in the HTX are working exactly as we want them to (using ASTRO 25 R20.01.00). Obviously, there are more features in the APX radio (and we'll be using APX 25.00 CPS). Is there any way to export large parts of the CP from the HTX and import into the APX CPS? Just trying to avoid starting from square one when building the new codeplugs. We're talking roughly 4-500 channels, some trunked, some digital, some analog, mix of UHF, VHF, and 7/800.

I'll be in a Motorola class in a few weeks, I'm just curious if anyone has already been through the process.

Thanks!

Hey can you post a picture of the HTX5000? I have never seen one thanks

 

[Tech21]

Hey can you post a picture of the HTX5000? I have never seen one thanks

You don't deserve to see one. OP made a mistake, the rest of us looked passed it. Why couldn't you?

 

[KG7PBS]

You don't deserve to see one. OP made a mistake, the rest of us looked passed it. Why couldn't you?

I was merely making a joke not trying to be a donkey towards the guy. You my friend just made the list. Thanks have a good day

 

[ElroyJetson]

Yeah, a helicopter that has a need to interoperate with mutiple agencies is a worst case scenario for programming.
Especially if the local agencies use more encryption codes than the radio can store. Key management must be a pain in a scenario like that.

 

[Sconnick]

Hey can you post a picture of the HTX5000? I have never seen one thanks

Yeah, I don't know where that HTX prefix came from. That's an odd one.

 

[Sconnick]

I was wondering when you guys were going to upgrade the old TDFM-7300 radios in the two helos. It'll be nice to finally be able to operate natively on the system across the river, instead of having to use old VHF channels that are barely maintained anymore.

Honestly, it's become almost a nightmare whenever we travel to Rockland or Connecticut. The hardest part of the job shouldn't be figuring out how we're going to talk to the boots on the ground!

 

[Sconnick]

Yeah, a helicopter that has a need to interoperate with mutiple agencies is a worst case scenario for programming.
Especially if the local agencies use more encryption codes than the radio can store. Key management must be a pain in a scenario like that.

Fortunately, there are a *very* small number of departments actually using encryption. One is a sleepy little town that we haven't been able to talk to for years, and one is a pretty fair-sized city that is one of our best "customers" and will happy hit our radio with a key when it finally shows up.

 

[Sconnick]

You don't deserve to see one. OP made a mistake, the rest of us looked passed it. Why couldn't you?

Thank you. I blame either a lack of coffee or fatigue from living with four kids and a job that requires me to program radios.

 

[MatRat80109]

Use the migration tool and then give the resulting APX template a long and hard scrubbing. Once cleaned up and tested use that template as a starting point for others. In the early days (2011) the migration tool did bizarre things to the resulting template but it was still better than starting from scratch.
-MR

 

[NVAGVUP]

Good luck w/Migration Tool. My experiences were not good. I found it caused more errors that it addressed.

One suggestion might be to lean on a comparable agency w/APX. Do a top node drag and drop and then with from that baseline.

 

[Giddyuptd]

Hey can you post a picture of the HTX5000? I have never seen one thanks

Its special marketed for the die hard public safety users, basically a double sided xts5000 with dual ptt screens both sides 2 antennas. 😜

 

[Sconnick]

Its special marketed for the die hard public safety users, basically a double sided xts5000 with dual ptt screens both sides 2 antennas. 😜

We used to call them "whackers" back in the day.