XL-200M IP Address Unassigned Message

[rkumetz]

Any idea what the "IP Address Unassigned" message means on an XL-200M which was
working ok when it was programmed?

 

[mmckenna]

It sounds like it's trying to talk to a control head that isn't there anymore. Or did someone change the IP address on the control head?

 

[rkumetz]

There is only 1 control head. When I sent it to the shop that installs equipment for that agency it had been tested on the bench.
I am leaning toward perhaps a bad ethernet cable between the control head and radio body or maybe the cable is not firmly attached on one end or the other. I am positive that nobody has monkeyed with the IP address.

 

[mmckenna]

There is only 1 control head. When I sent it to the shop that installs equipment for that agency it had been tested on the bench.
I am leaning toward perhaps a bad ethernet cable between the control head and radio body or maybe the cable is not firmly attached on one end or the other. I am positive that nobody has monkeyed with the IP address.

You are probably right. If the connection between the deck and head is bad, it's not going to be able to talk to the deck.

 

[rkumetz]

I just stopped by and determined that the same error shows up with no cable connected between the head and radio body.
Substituted a generic ethernet cable and it came back to life so the Harris cable is bad.

 

[mmckenna]

You mean the official Harris $31 Ethernet cable failed and you replaced it with a $4 cable!

 

[rkumetz]

Yes. Exactly.

Based on what Harris would charge someone so naive as to buy the generic USB programming cable from them
I think you are being generous in assuming that they would only charge $31 for an ethernet cable. After all it
does have "water resistant" connector boots. My guess would be more like $150 but perhaps I am just a
grumpy old man.

The nice thing about this is that if you want to do a neat installation you can make your own shielded ethernet
cable that is cut to precisely the correct length rather than coiling up the Harris cable.

 

[mmckenna]

Yes. Exactly.

Based on what Harris would charge someone so naive as to buy the generic USB programming cable from them
I think you are being generous in assuming that they would only charge $31 for an ethernet cable. After all it
does have "water resistant" connector boots. My guess would be more like $150 but perhaps I am just a
grumpy old man.

The nice thing about this is that if you want to do a neat installation you can make your own shielded ethernet
cable that is cut to precisely the correct length rather than coiling up the Harris cable.

The 9 meter Ethernet cable from Harris lists for $42.00. $31.08 "Net price".
The 45 centimeter Ethernet cable is $16.00 or $11.84 net price.

I'll roll my own. First XL-200M is going in my work truck and I've got RJ-45 crimpers in there anyway.
I wish more companies would do this. Proprietary cabling is BS in this day and age.

For what it's worth, I ordered a bunch of XL-200m's and p's and did order their overpriced usb cable, even though I probably have one that will work. Just makes life easier if I have issues programming one of the radios and can call their support and not get told the B.S. line about "You need to use an official Harris cable….". Now I have one and I can tell them to pack sand if they complain. I'll stick it in a drawer and probably just use the one that came with my cell phone. Plus, it's a million times easier for me to put in a requisition for everything I need at once. Going back later and requesting more stuff usually raises the irk of our purchasing people "Why didn't you order that the FIRST time, now we have to do more work…."

 

[rkumetz]

Given the price of other Harris items, $42 List for a $4 cable is horribly expensive.

Using ethernet to connect the heads is pretty clever. I assume the head must have an ethernet hub built in
to allow connecting multiple heads. Putting only 1 connector on the radio body was a bit short sighted.
If you want to install one in an ambulance for example you need to run the ethernet cable from the box
up to the dash or from the dash to the box no matter where the radio body is mounted.

When I get another one in here I want to try setting it up on my network to see if/how it works as an ethernet remote radio.

 

[mmckenna]

Supposed to work through an Ethernet hub.
I'd love to try routing it through a network and see how it does.

 

[BMDaug]

Supposed to work through an Ethernet hub.
I'd love to try routing it through a network and see how it does.

If it’s using the standard IP suite (which it sounds like it is based on the error message), I bet it’ll work just fine! Just set all your IP addresses and reserve those addresses in your gateway/router and you should be off and running!! I wouldn’t use DHCP for the radio or head. That sounds like asking for trouble.

You should be able to use a standard unmanaged Ethernet switch in a vehicle to add multiple heads. A two port unmanaged switch is probably what is in each control head if it has two Ethernet ports. Very smart engineering indeed!!

Now if they can just make a new HHC, I know what I’ll be saving for next!

-B

 

[mmckenna]

Now if they can just make a new HHC, I know what I’ll be saving for next!

-B

Hand held control head? It's coming. They were showing it at IWCE:

 

[BMDaug]

Hand held control head? It's coming. They were showing it at IWCE:

Damn! And with the same 25 pin connector and the same exact plastic housing as the HHC731, just a different color scheme for the keypad and bezel… I’m assuming there’s absolutely no chance it would work with a 100M…

Thanks for posting… time to start saving I guess.

-B

 

[mmckenna]

Damn! And with the same 25 pin connector and the same exact plastic housing as the HHC731, just a different color scheme for the keypad and bezel… I’m assuming there’s absolutely no chance it would work with a 100M…

Thanks for posting… time to start saving I guess.

-B

That's a 44 pin DSub connector.

I don't know much about it. It was on display in the Harris booth and supposed to be released soon. I have price sheets from a few months ago, and it's not on there.
They'll be at APCO next month, I'll take a look and try to remember to ask if it'll work with the 100.

 

[BMDaug]

That's a 44 pin DSub connector.

I don't know much about it. It was on display in the Harris booth and supposed to be released soon. I have price sheets from a few months ago, and it's not on there.
They'll be at APCO next month, I'll take a look and try to remember to ask if it'll work with the 100.

Ahhh 44 pin… I see that now. I’m really curious about this, but honestly, without a vida trunking site with BeOn and all that fun stuff, I’m not sure I would see a ton of benefit moving to a 200M. How much is a well featured 200M these days? $10K… and I doubt I’m getting it widebanded like my 100Ms are.

Regards,
Brian

 

[mmckenna]

I just ordered a couple of XL-200m's fully loaded with everything but 900MHz. Added LTE, BeON, encryption, P25 trunking, TDMA, etc.
$9,100 each

Ordered a couple of portables set up the same way, about $6,600

 

[BMDaug]

I just ordered a couple of XL-200m's fully loaded with everything but 900MHz. Added LTE, BeON, encryption, P25 trunking, TDMA, etc.
$9,100 each

Ordered a couple of portables set up the same way, about $6,600

Ya… I guess I could use LTE to make the most expensive WiFi hotspot ever, but without any infrastructure, BeON is useless to me lol. It would be nice to have 900MHz, but that would come at the expense of widebanding… I do have an awesome dealer and we use ham repeaters extensively for SAR, but that’s still a reach and I doubt Harris would accommodate. Similarly, I would need P25 CAI, trunking, tdma, and encryption so I’d be right there with ya at that $9-10K price. I like my 100Ms just fine, but the 200M is HOT!

-B

 

[mmckenna]

Ya… I guess I could use LTE to make the most expensive WiFi hotspot ever,

I'm looking forward to trying that out. I already installed a 2x WiFi + LTE + GPS antenna on the work truck. Just waiting patiently for my new radios to arrive.

but without any infrastructure, BeON is useless to me lol.

That's in the project I have coming up. I've played with it and it was a nice option. Not cheap, but for what I need at work, it's much cheaper than the alternatives.

It would be nice to have 900MHz, but that would come at the expense of widebanding… I do have an awesome dealer and we use ham repeaters extensively for SAR, but that’s still a reach and I doubt Harris would accommodate. Similarly, I would need P25 CAI, trunking, tdma, and encryption so I’d be right there with ya at that $9-10K price. I like my 100Ms just fine, but the 200M is HOT!

-B

I couldn't justify 900MHz, no matter how hard I tried. And with the band in turmoil, I didn't really want to.
Waiting to see if low band becomes an option. The FCC certification on the radio shows it, but apparently hasn't been released yet. What I can find is that it's an exciter output and you'd use the low band amp from the 100 to make it useful. Our sergeants want it to be able to monitor CHP. I want it, just because.

 

[BMDaug]

Waiting to see if low band becomes an option. The FCC certification on the radio shows it, but apparently hasn't been released yet. What I can find is that it's an exciter output and you'd use the low band amp from the 100 to make it useful. Our sergeants want it to be able to monitor CHP. I want it, just because.

So yes, my 100Ms work the same way with low band. The output for that band is 9mw, but I can monitor the band. I keep a 1W dummy load on that bnc because if you are entering frequencies using CH721/HHC731 FPP, you MUST enter nine digits for V/U and if you accidentally enter eight digits on UHF, you’re at 46.5mHz instead of 465mHz and then if you key up without a dummy load, the display indicates “PA ERROR”…

-Brian

 

[wa8pyr]

After all it does have "water resistant" connector boots. My guess would be more like $150 but perhaps I am just a
grumpy old man.

I don't recall it being that expensive but it's WAY more than it should cost. I can buy a CAT6E with "water resistant" connector boots from Monoprice, $6.99 for a twenty-footer ($11.99 if you want the shielded version like the one Harris sells).