NX5700 problem

[FiremanJim23]

I am a volunteer fireman and I have a NX5700 that all of a sudden the head won't come alive. I have VHF, UHF and MARCS running through the one head. I have checked all 3 12v connections to the decks plus the power to the orange wires, and all are live. I took the head off and swapped it with one in our ambulance and it powered up with the blue Kenwood logo, it said wait, went to another screen and off so quick I couldn't read it and then said that the programing didn't match our ambulance (which I would expect) but it told me the head is working. If I understand what I think all the 12+ power to the head comes through the KCT-71 cable from the decks in the rear. I'm kind of at a loss for what to do next and there is not a service provider close to me anywhere, besides they want an arm and a leg to look at it anyway. Looking for some ideas as to what my next turn might be. I do have to look around the station to see if we have a spare KCT-71 cable lying around somewhere but I doubt it . Open for suggestions. Thanks in advance for any reply's and may God bless. I'm sorry if this has been asked before but a search didn't show anything.

 

[tweiss3]

Sounds like the radio was inhibited. You are going to have to reach out to MARCS, or whoever inhibited the radio to get it uninhibited. The inhibit command on 1 deck bricks all the decks.

You may be able to read the radios to see if they are inhibited, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

 

[KK6ZTE]

I've seen lots of wierdness with NX radios in multideck, especially if voltage got low (weak second batteries etc). I've had numerous dual band dual head BC vehicles that needed a song and dance of plugging and unplugging fuses to get stuff to work again. I call it "losing sync" but haven't really seen it discussed or described much here. A couple of the radios popped something inside and went out for repair.

I would first disconnect power to all three decks. Then restore power to the deck closest to the control head. See if you can get it alive with just the one deck. Then (with the first one powered on) restore power to the second deck and see if you get a change on the head.

 

[FiremanJim23]

I've seen lots of wierdness with NX radios in multideck, especially if voltage got low (weak second batteries etc). I've had numerous dual band dual head BC vehicles that needed a song and dance of plugging and unplugging fuses to get stuff to work again. I call it "losing sync" but haven't really seen it discussed or described much here. A couple of the radios popped something inside and went out for repair.

I would first disconnect power to all three decks. Then restore power to the deck closest to the control head. See if you can get it alive with just the one deck. Then (with the first one powered on) restore power to the second deck and see if you get a change on the head.

Thanks for that idea. I unhooked the power to all 3 decks for a couple of days and then reconnected but nothing changed, head still did not light up. Not sure what order I reconnected them. I'll try your idea and see what that does. Thanks again.

 

[FiremanJim23]

Sounds like the radio was inhibited. You are going to have to reach out to MARCS, or whoever inhibited the radio to get it uninhibited. The inhibit command on 1 deck bricks all the decks.

You may be able to read the radios to see if they are inhibited, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

What do you mean by "inhibited?". I'm a volunteer fireman and when I key up and it works, I'm happy. I don't know much about the workings of the radio.

 

[kd4efm]

Radio needs to go to the dealer or the radio shop (Agency Radio Shop) for proper diagnosis. Could be a bad head display.
But this is not the site for freelancing repairs like this. Keeps you gainfully employed.

 

[FiremanJim23]

Radio needs to go to the dealer or the radio shop (Agency Radio Shop) for proper diagnosis. Could be a bad head display.
But this is not the site for freelancing repairs like this. Keeps you gainfully employed.

I'm sorry if this is cutting into your fleecing of the fire service's radio needs. I live on a limited income and I try to help my neighbors by being there in their time of need. In the fire service we help each other in any way we can - without charging them. I always thought that these forums were for the process of bouncing questions off other members and trying to work together to solve a problem, not to promote your own business. As far as the bad head theory goes, it lights up when switched with one in our ambulance.

 

[n3obl]

I'm sorry if this is cutting into your fleecing of the fire service's radio needs. I live on a limited income and I try to help my neighbors by being there in their time of need. In the fire service we help each other in any way we can - without charging them. I always thought that these forums were for the process of bouncing questions off other members and trying to work together to solve a problem, not to promote your own business. As far as the bad head theory goes, it lights up when switched with one in our ambulance.

No this is called life safety equipment being serviced by people who are insured and properly trained. The days of backyard billy bob are over.

 

[buddrousa]

FF Jim with all the new Radios and Formats in radios and Systems on the market today If you are not Professionally Trained you are putting yourself and the In Need Department at risk of a very large lawsuit. I am sorry I retired from a Fulltime FF Job after 40 years with a Electronics Degree and a Radio Shop background and I still referred to a Radio Shop and was allowed by the Department and Radio Shop to make approved changes to the System.

 

[WB5UOM]

But this is going on all over, I see it all the time.

 

[buddrousa]

If you care to put yourself and the well being of your Family at risk that is your choice.
As you see on TV you can be Charged or Sued by anybody for any reason.
Good Luck as stated above this is a Hobby Site not a Professional Radio Shop.

 

[tweiss3]

What do you mean by "inhibited?". I'm a volunteer fireman and when I key up and it works, I'm happy. I don't know much about the workings of the radio.

This is the information from the manual on inhibited states:


Since you said one deck was a MARCS deck, they are pretty strict (as is any trunked system) with proper IDs, and killing invalid radios. It brings up do you have a valid ID for the system, and was it programmed by an authorized shop? Not saying to "fleece" the VFDs, but you must go through appropriate channels to have a radio/deck on that system (and be up to date on monthly fees per radio), otherwise you get a rather expensive paper weight. That is what the above were mentioning, this is above RR's paygrade. You need to discuss with your chief and the radio shop/Ohio DAS office.

 

[MTS2000des]

It may be YOUR radio, but it operates on SOMEONE ELSE' NETWORK. Sounds like it got inhibited, and those who maintain the system have every right and responsibility to zap unauthorized subscribers.

MARCS is run by skilled, knowledgeable persons. FAFO is in effect. They have sent people to prison for unauthorized programming of subscribers on their network.

 

[MTS2000des]

5 people charged for using stolen IDs on police radio system that could put first responders at risk

Five people have been charged following a year-long investigation into stolen radio IDs that could have placed first responders in danger, according to the Stark County Sheriff's Office.

www.news5cleveland.com

Radios with stolen police 'keys' seized in Ohio raids

CANTON — Federal and local authorities raided seven homes in northeast Ohio on Monday, seizing weapons and cloned police radios. Someone with templates of stolen or borrowed police or fire radios …

www.dispatch.com

BTW, for all you that think cloning and unauthorized programming of trunking subscribers is no big deal...all or these fools earned felony convictions and served time.

 

[otobmark]

None of this should be surprising in a era where TV and Movies glorify hackers as some kind of hero. Full disclosure, I taught myself to pick locks in middle school---never used the skill to steal but went plenty of places I wasn't supposed to. At parties I would go out and move everybody's cars around (pre-chip era). Curious cat phenomenon. However, why is the guy that breaks the lock more at blame than the designer/implimenter of the breakable lock? I'm of course having a little fun here but the point is not meritless. Stun/Kill is a blunt instrument not an elegant solution. In spite of the high cost of subscriber radios, the integrity of the system must be of vastly higher importance. Basing security on destroying subscriber radios seems so last year. Just waiting for one of those TV hackers to stun all of the legitimate radios.

 

[MTS2000des]

It's one thing to NAS, and learn how the system works from the outside. It's another to perform illicit, unauthorized and rogue programming. At the least, it's considered theft of services, at worst, as the 7 clowns in Ohio found out, a way to the inside of a prison.

The excuse about cash strapped firefighters is about as asinine as it gets. Doing things that are off the cuff isn't just illegal, it's a huge liability. When that cloned/unauthorized subscriber fails on the fireground, then what? It was all good....until it wasn't.

 

[tlemke940]

i am not sure i am reading this the same as everyone else here, but by what i read it sounded like he was not doing any reprogramming at all. just trying to figure out why it is not powering on anymore. i have seen the nx-5k radios in multi deck stop powering on due to a chip in the main deck going bad. i have also seen the head go bad too but most of the time it is with the main deck when the whole radio wont turn on. now i also do agree that it being a public safety radio that it is a lot safer to have a radio shop look at it beyond checking cables and testing dc power. swapping heads is pushing the limits of a non tech field test but with the right conditions it can be done for testing. the radio being inhibited is probably unlikely if the radio was put in by an approved dealer and registered with the system owners, if ether of these did not happen all bets are off.

 

[MTS2000des]

A reputable dealer has already told him this is beyond shade tree diagnosis. Being that this purported to be an actual public safety subscriber radio and not some hobbyist/scanner/sad ham, it should be looked at by a qualified technician not "teknishun" but my money says someone's roll your own trunked radio cloning got discovered and a selective inhibit command followed by a "command successful" response from an NM client occurred.

 

[tlemke940]

Well when the OP gets the radio looked at i hope he will report back what happened to the radio so we all can know how this turns out. i know i am interested to know.