Most Mediocre/half-a**ed codeplug(s) you ever seen

[chrismol1]

What are some of the worst codeplugs or features you ever seen on radios in active usen (i.e. a police dept having only 4 channels in on an apx4000 in a major metropolitan area or leaving permanent backlight on)

Saw this NYPD photo. Thought maybe it was a coincidence they both had somehow just used them and put back on the belt, two guys at the same time....The one on the right, his radio is upside down haha

 

[gtaman]

Saw this NYPD photo. Thought maybe it was a coincidence they both had somehow just used them and put back on the belt, two guys at the same time....The one on the right, his radio is upside down haha

That wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen them have radios upside down. I guess it’s pretty common.

 

[chrismol1]

That wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen them have radios upside down. I guess it’s pretty common.

I believe he took it off his belt and put it back on but didn't return it to position. I can't remember, last time I had a belt and holster like that, the upside down position or or maybe nearly upside down sideways backwards is how it unlocks from the holster clip, hopefully if he starts running it will flip down to locked position or it will fly off

 

[a417]

That wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen them have radios upside down. I guess it’s pretty common.

My hip holster on my belt D ring would turn over like that, thankfully it sat a couple of degrees off 180 due to mic wire tension and didn't fall out...all the time.

Just most of the time.

 

[chrismol1]

If it didn't make sense, with my post I was pointing out they both had what looks like permanent back light on both of those radios. I don't know if thats an NYPD thing or if they had just manipulated their radios when the picture was taken

 

[gtaman]

If it didn't make sense, with my post I was pointing out they both had what looks like permanent back light on both of those radios. I don't know if thats an NYPD thing or if they had just manipulated their radios when the picture was taken

possible NYPD setting. They use Vertex P949s

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

In my area, there is a large radio shop chain throughout the state, which has a tendency to program the default channels into new radios as FRS frequency/channels and rent them out to small end user groups. The radios themselves get engraved with the company initials and a Unit number for their rental fleet. Often times these are Motorola XPR6550 UHF radios, but also Kenwood and Icom as well. These then end up on a site I am responsible for, lost, left, discarded......then I end up with them. I of course "read" them to find out how they are programmed, only to find that they are FRS frequencies. Lots of legal aspects to this, but that is the worst I have experienced, and continue to see in my local area. Good thing many manufacturers put placeholder frequencies into their radios, that may not actually transmit if the attempt is made. Digital capable radios, like the XPR6550 usually have one digital channel and one analog, but both frequencies are taken from the pre-2017 FRS/GMRS list.

Yeah; here in Florida I did a narrowbanding audit for a state college that was using 3 different radio vendors for each of their 3 main campuses there were a dozen simplex channels simply added to the radios that were not licensed by the college. Some of these frequencies were "loaned" by the dealers. Additionally a main repeater was unlicensed with two parties each claiming the other with which they shared the repeater held the license. Neither did. Motorola licensed them back in the 80's and it since lapsed. It was very messy with politics permeating the deal.

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah; here in Florida I did a narrowbanding audit for a state college that was using 3 different radio vendors for each of their 3 main campuses there were a dozen simplex channels simply added to the radios that were not licensed by the college. Some of these frequencies were "loaned" by the dealers. Additionally a main repeater was unlicensed with two parties each claiming the other with which they shared the repeater held the license. Neither did. Motorola licensed them back in the 80's and it since lapsed. It was very messy with politics permeating the deal.

Sounds familiar.
I've run across places where someone who doesn't know which end of a radio to talk into decides that it's "Just IT stuff, just like WiFi" and assigns it as collateral duty to some poor IT guy (who also doesn't know which end of the radio to talk into).

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Sounds familiar.
I've run across places where someone who doesn't know which end of a radio to talk into decides that it's "Just IT stuff, just like WiFi" and assigns it as collateral duty to some poor IT guy (who also doesn't know which end of the radio to talk into).

Yup, the same crowd that does not understand DMR IPSC versus DMR to Analog patched to VOIP . Its all the same.

 

[OpSec]

im lost

It just means you haven't been around as long as some of us...

 

[wa8pyr]

Most messed up codeplug? The one that left out all of the NIFOG channels except 8Call90 etc, and used DPL025 as the tone; despite being told several times they refused to correct the error until shown the actual documentation stating 156.7 hz.

And they had the nerve to wonder why they couldn’t communicate with anyone on those few interop channels.

 

[SurgePGH]

I've seen a LOT of codeplugs here at work where the vendor would only use two or three channels per zone. Program several zones this way (all with different channels) and every radio here was different. No continuity at all.

 

[speedway_navigator]

Hytera dealer friend in southeast TX found a company using the default 136.000 in VHF, they bought online, had no clue since it was simplex just at their site.

 

[Firebuff66]

Saw this NYPD photo. Thought maybe it was a coincidence they both had somehow just used them and put back on the belt, two guys at the same time....The one on the right, his radio is upside down haha

The actor in the middle looking back over his shoulder is Kevin Durand, good actor been in a ton of movies

 

[a417]

The actor in the middle looking back over his shoulder is Kevin Durand, good actor been in a ton of movies

I thought he looked like the Blob in X-Men Origins : Wolverine! Good catch! Which also means he was the bigger Tremor Brother in Smokin' Aces.

 

[chrismol1]

Hahaha what??

 

[WB5UOM]

I've seen a few M radios come thru with the infamous one channel per zone...
but there was one or two that have had all the weather channels in the radio and all in the scan list

 

[wwhitby]

I've seen a few M radios come thru with the infamous one channel per zone...
but there was one or two that have had all the weather channels in the radio and all in the scan list

I recently bought a used Kenwood TK-3180 that had the infamous one channel per zone. It was all B Channels from one county's volunteer fire departments, one department per zone.

 

[mmckenna]

Was on vacation most of this week, enjoying time off. First "real" vacation in about 2 years.

Of course the phone rings, it's our dispatch center.

Someones radio is constantly sending out MDC Emergency alerts on our fire channel. Track down the MDC ID, and it's assigned to a local volunteer fire department.

Now I need to find out exactly who.
I need to find out why they programmed up MDC Emergency alerts on our channel without talking to us.
I need to find out why they programmed up MDC Emergency alerts without some sort of local indication to the radio user that they've triggered it.

Radio finally burned through its battery after a few hours. Dispatchers had to keep acknowledging it. No answer when radio was called directly.

Dispatcher are NOT amused.
I'm NOT amused blowing part of my last vacation day because of someone who didn't know how to not only program their radio, but let it get triggered like that with no indication.

I'm getting tired of these YouTube radio techs with a copy of CPS and a cable.

 

[N4KVE]

yes.

41FE, anyone?

No, it was actually 4F1E