No system key

[Slm54197818]

Greetings!
I recently acquired some XTL 2500’s. They came in with the trunking still active. My use will be strictly conventional. I am able to program a conventional zone so they will function, but I can’t access the basic functions that I want to tweak without a system key. I was not provided one with the radios and it is still in place. I’m going to try to backtrack through the sales lines and find out where they came from and try to get a system key so that I can blank them. In the meantime does anybody out there know how to possibly put them into a “factory default mode” to where I could start from scratch? I obviously already have the CPS for this unit I’m just looking for a workaround when you do not have a system key. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

 

[GTR8000]

Add a new trunked system, which will default to SysID 1. Delete the original trunked system, then delete all personalities and zones related to the original trunked system.

 

[Slm54197818]

Add a new trunked system, which will default to SysID 1. Delete the original trunked system, then delete all personalities and zones related to the original trunked system.

When I try that and go into the trucking system the option to add an additional system is grayed out. It will not allow me to add another system. Thanks for the try though!

 

[chief21]

I’m going to try to backtrack through the sales lines and find out where they came from and try to get a system key so that I can blank them.

Speaking as a former system admin, it's highly unlikely that anyone would be willing to provide a system key to any unauthorized individual. It would be akin to leaving the keys to your front door in your unsecured mailbox, and could easily be cause for termination if discovered.

 

[N4KVE]

The radio needs one trunked system. So do what GTR8000 said. Then you can delete the system that’s in there without any key.

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah, what N4KVE said. It's gotta have one system in it.
And unless it's a defunct system, no reputable system operator will give you a key. That's like giving a stranger a key to your home. There are ways around that, but we're not supposed to talk about that stuff.

I surplussed a bunch of those 8 or 9 years ago. To prevent issues, I built a 'blanked' file I dumped into them all before sending them off to their doom. I put in the single required system with no info and a single RX only conventional channel and I think I called that channel "BLANKED" so I know which ones I did.

 

[Slm54197818]

Speaking as a former system admin, it's highly unlikely that anyone would be willing to provide a system key to any unauthorized individual. It would be akin to leaving the keys to your front door in your unsecured mailbox, and could easily be cause for termination if discovered.

Yeah, I get that. Talking to my system administrator his recommendation was that I try and find the original agency and then offer to either ship them or hand them the radios so that they could use their system key to blank the programming. If they end up being clear across the country well that might change things.

 

[Slm54197818]

To those of you suggesting that I create the new generic trunk service, I’m not sure if you saw my earlier reply. When I Go into the CPS and try to do that it isn’t even selectable I cannot highlight that item. I can delete personalities or add personalities but I cannot add a system to the trunk portion of the tree. It simply will not allow it. But I do appreciate your input. I may have ended up with a half dozen bricks!

 

[MTS2000des]

If you try to change ANYTHING in the codeplug (not trunked) such as backlighting or menus, will CPS allow the write or do you see a "can't write without advanced keys" error?

 

[Slm54197818]

That’s the hard part! I can create another conventional zone and fully populated with conventional frequencies. I can even delete all but one of the trucking frequencies from that radio. I can change the back lighting, I can change the scan lists, I can change the time out timers. That’s the odd part! I can create another conventional zone and fully populate it with conventional frequencies. I can even delete all but one of the trucking frequencies from that radio. I can change the back lighting, I can change the scan lists, I can change the time out timers. however, if I try to change the items in the menu list for conventional it will not allow me. It also will not allow me to designate button functions on the control head. Thinking that this might be a single radio issue I also tried it with one of the others and I had the exact same issues. While I am not a Motorola aficionado by any extent, I have programmed a few of them and this one has me stumped

 

[rescue161]

If you email me the codeplug, I will delete it for you and set everything to the way it left the factory. You do not need a system key to do it.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Does the radio have the Advanced System Key option? Without it, you can't delete the related system from the radio.

Motorola REALLY screwed that up because it means that if a radio doesn't get wiped by the radio shop, PROPERLY, before surplussing out a radio,
then the radios that get to surplus still have system information in them that can't be deleted without specialized tools.


There should ALWAYS be a "delete all personality data" option in the CPS that WILL delete all that data, no matter what.

 

[ResQguy]

What may be being overlooked here is that Astro25 CPS doesn't automatically come with the key for Sys001 like the APX CPS does. If OP doesn't have access to that key, they can't add the dummy system.

 

[rescue161]

That is true. He can still send the codeplug to me and I'll set it back to factory. All he has to do is send me a PM.

 

[Reconrider]

That is true. He can still send the codeplug to me and I'll set it back to factory. All he has to do is send me a PM.

I don't know anything about motorola radios. Why/How are you able to do it, but he isn't?

 

[rescue161]

I'm a system admin for a very large trunking system, so I have a key that allows me to add or delete systems.

If you have a system key, it doesn't matter which one, when you add a new system, it defaults to "001." Then, you would enter the key that is for your system. Since I won't be doing that, and "001" is then in the codeplug, I then revert to the one he does not want and delete it. "001" will remain in the radio as with a Motorola radio, you cannot delete every system and one must remain. At least he could get rid of the one that he does not want.

 

[Reconrider]

I'm a system admin for a very large trunking system, so I have a key that allows me to add or delete systems.

If you have a system key, it doesn't matter which one, when you add a new system, it defaults to "001." Then, you would enter the key that is for your system. Since I won't be doing that, and "001" is then in the codeplug, I then revert to the one he does not want and delete it. "001" will remain in the radio as with a Motorola radio, you cannot delete every system and one must remain. At least he could get rid of the one that he does not want.

Can anybody buy the program and edit the radios, or do you have to be a system admin attached to a company?

 

[rescue161]

Well, if there is a system in the radio and you do not have a system key, then you cannot delete that info. Honestly, the radio is not affected by having that system in the radio, because you can remove it from the zones. You would do the same with system 001. You just don't point to it and all is well.

 

[mmckenna]

Can anybody buy the program and edit the radios, or do you have to be a system admin attached to a company?

Anyone can buy Motorola CPS.
Only system administrators and their designees are going to be able to get system keys.

 

[prcguy]

There are system key generators that people use to program radios for scanning/receiving purposes. Will a key from that allow the OP to delete things and program his radio?

Well, if there is a system in the radio and you do not have a system key, then you cannot delete that info. Honestly, the radio is not affected by having that system in the radio, because you can remove it from the zones. You would do the same with system 001. You just don't point to it and all is well.