• 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.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    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).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

motorola spectra

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KJ6HCB

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You will not be able to program that unit yourself - you are looking at software that is no longer available to purchase legally and several hundred dollars in programming hardware cost. It also has no control cables and is not narrowband compliant - something that the FCC requires next year.

My suggestion would be to discuss your options with your communications officer of your Dept.
 
mancow

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There are plenty of places to get the software. True it's not for sale any longer so that means you have to find it elsewhere but that's not a big deal.

As for actually programming one. You will need a RIB box and cable and a slow 486 type computer with DOS.
 
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KJ6HCB

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doh.gif
 
mancow

mancow

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Building a piece of equipment then refusing to sell the essential software that is required to utilize it is beyond ridiculous. If a car company decided to stop selling essential parts for your car and then said piss off...and we will not authorized aftermarket items to be produced... would we all just say, "Oh well, ok, we'll just buy a new one."

It's pure BS.
 
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Skypilot007

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Either way you argue this one the radio is not norrow band compliant so it won't be useable for the fire department. My best suggestion to the OP is to educate yourself about the radio you desire to use, motorola or another brand. Obviously you know very little about these commercial radios. This particular one is a very bad choice for a beginner as mentioned its missing a lot of items to make it work. They're an entirly different monster than your average trunking scanner. Keep reading up on all the commercial radios that interest you, you'll figure it all out eventially.
 
K

KJ6HCB

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There are multiple threads now where you specifically advocate illegal software downloading on here and help people on where to find it.... totally against the RR rules. Whats the deal?
 
N9JIG

N9JIG

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cpriest1318 said:
MOTOROLA SPECTRA RADIO LOT A5 CONTROL HEAD DC5ZX 70 WATT CONTROL UNIT SPEAKER ++ | eBay i was looking to purchase this unit. I am a volunteer firefighter in NY and wanted to have a mobile car based radio. I have no idea anything about radios so if someone could tell me if this would be hard to program and what all of the programing software i need is. Thank you
Click to expand...

Unless your FD operates on 800 MHz. then this radio won't help. Most VFD's in NYS operate on VHF-Hi or VHF-Lo, if your department is on one of these bands then this radio won't work.

Even if this radio covers your frequencies, programming is going to be a challenge. If your agency works on 800 MHz Motorola trunking or 800 MHz. conventional then the radio may work, but if it uses any digital format, EDACS, LTR or other trunking format then you are out of luck.

I would suggest that you contact your department's communications people and ask that they assist you in getting a radio for your vehicle. This way you are sure to get a radio that is compatible with your channels and programmed correctly.
In addition the radio is incomplete, there are no connecting cables or power cables.
 
mancow

mancow

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I'm not advocating anything. I'm speaking the truth. I just get sick and tired of the fact that every time the word Motorola is used the fanatics come out of the woodwork and attack and try to discourage people for working on their own stuff. In that other thread the OP was treated like total crap for no reason because people wanted to jump to conclusions. That's all.


KJ6HCB said:
There are multiple threads now where you specifically advocate illegal software downloading on here and help people on where to find it.... totally against the RR rules. Whats the deal?
Click to expand...
 
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jim202

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What is your gripe about the software not being available? This radio has not been sold by Motorola for a number of years now.

Why would a company sell software for a radio they no longer support?




mancow said:
Building a piece of equipment then refusing to sell the essential software that is required to utilize it is beyond ridiculous. If a car company decided to stop selling essential parts for your car and then said piss off...and we will not authorized aftermarket items to be produced... would we all just say, "Oh well, ok, we'll just buy a new one."

It's pure BS.
Click to expand...
 
buddrousa

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Mancow if you want to use the software buy it do not steal it also if it is trunking you have to have the system key you can not buy and be issued an radio ID. 800 systems have system managers for a reason. NOTHING LIKE TRYING TO SLEEP AT NIGHT AND SOME FOOL KEYING HIS EBAY BOUGHT RADIO WHILE YOU TRY TO SLEEP OR DO YOUR JOB AND THE RADIO IS BUSY. ALSO THE LAST TIME I KNEW YOU HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST A 2ND CLASS RADIOTELEPHONE LICENSE TO WORK ON AND REPAIR 2WAY RADIO EQUIPMENT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_radiotelephone_operator_license
 
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Z

zz0468

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buddrousa said:
Mancow if you want to use the software buy it do not steal it...p
Click to expand...

That particular software is NLA. There IS no Motorola sanctioned and approved way to get it.

buddrousa said:
...also if it is trunking you have to have the system key...
Click to expand...

With a small amount of research and a firm technical background, a system key can be created with Windows notepad.

buddrousa said:
...ALSO THE LAST TIME I KNEW YOU HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST A 2ND CLASS RADIOTELEPHONE LICENSE TO WORK ON AND REPAIR 2WAY RADIO EQUIPMENThttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_radiotelephone_operator_license
Click to expand...

With the few exceptions listed in your link, that hasn't been true for about 20 years or more.
 
mancow

mancow

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Either has the 1995 Jeep I owned but I could still get the parts to keep it runninImg or buy a copy from a 3rd party vendor.




jim202 said:
What is your gripe about the software not being available? This radio has not been sold by Motorola for a number of years now.

Why would a company sell software for a radio they no longer support?
Click to expand...
 
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mancow

mancow

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Ever opened one? They are designed much better than a surface mount 4008E. Anyone that finds a bricked spectra or astro a show stopper is a person that needs a different activity to occupy their time.
 
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