XL wifi programming

[wa8pyr]

Now...I want to convert and upload my "standard" P7300 personality to this radio, but I'm getting an error with the maximum EDACS LID, but the field is greyed out. It's 16383 when 16382 is the limit. Funny thing is, I've never entered it as 16383.

I'm pretty sure that's an error in the software. That's been the default number in several versions of RPM2; I suspect either it slipped through the cracks because the number of existing EDACS systems is shrinking, or people noticed it and fixed it on their own without telling TAC.

 

[ElroyJetson]

I worked around it. But I had to rebuild the personality after setting all sets to global and rebuilding from there.
I have found that the 185 frequently forgets the wifi network I have set up to program the radio, and reverts to one I have deleted from the radio numerous times. Very odd.

However, I have also learned that the radio has an "undocumented feature", that being built-in support for EDACS even though it's not listed ANYWHERE, not in the features and options list, not even on the label on the original box.

Buying the EDACS feature set has a list price of 1500 dollars, or 500 if it's in addition to P25 trunking.

But it's already in the radio. I've got my EDACS systems working perfectly.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Now that I've had the radio working more or less properly for 12 hours now, I'm going to write an initial critique.

Unless you take user action, the radio's displays are lit up all the time. This must be bad for battery life. Even when set to momentary, after a few seconds of inactivity, the display dims rather than shuts off. Maybe this was fixed in a later firmware release, but as it is now, I have to go into the menu system and shut off the top display and turn off the front display backlight to save battery power.
And the radio runs warm. It's noticeably warmer after running for a while than a radio that's sitting there shut off. Close to 10 degrees warmer with the lights on.

Audio quality...it's good, but not amazingly better than a P7300. The "two speaker high definition audio" is definitely overhyped.

Plus there's a buzzy, interference type sound heard on many transmissions that is not heard with a P7300, XG-75P, or P7100. Simulcast distortion? Maybe. But it's frequent and objectionable. It sounds like the the dispatcher is ripping a sheet while talking.
That same distortion may be heard on the older radios as well, but it seems to be less noticeable.

Audio processing delay is LONGER with the XL-185 than with an earlier gen radio such as the P7300, etc. But this is to be expected, as it's a fully digital radio rather than an analog platform with digital capability.

The radio has forgotten the wifi network that was set up for programming it, on numerous occasions, and replaced it with an older version that I keep deleting.

I set one up with an SSID of "harrisradios" and that's the one I don't use. I deleted it. And it keeps coming back!
I use one called "harrisradio" which is the working one that I do use. The radio tends to forget this one and restores "harrisradios" whenever it wants to. That's beyond annoying, it's very time consuming to have to go delete the one and reprogram the other, working from the radio's limited keypad.

Maybe some of these issues are correctable with new firmware?

 

[wa8pyr]

The radio has forgotten the wifi network that was set up for programming it, on numerous occasions, and replaced it with an older version that I keep deleting.

I set one up with an SSID of "harrisradios" and that's the one I don't use. I deleted it. And it keeps coming back!
I use one called "harrisradio" which is the working one that I do use. The radio tends to forget this one and restores "harrisradios" whenever it wants to. That's beyond annoying, it's very time consuming to have to go delete the one and reprogram the other, working from the radio's limited keypad.

Maybe some of these issues are correctable with new firmware?

What version firmware do you have?

 

[ElroyJetson]

R11C06

 

[wa8pyr]

R11C06

Shoot me a PM....

 

[BMDaug]

Now that I've had the radio working more or less properly for 12 hours now, I'm going to write an initial critique.

Unless you take user action, the radio's displays are lit up all the time. This must be bad for battery life. Even when set to momentary, after a few seconds of inactivity, the display dims rather than shuts off. Maybe this was fixed in a later firmware release, but as it is now, I have to go into the menu system and shut off the top display and turn off the front display backlight to save battery power.
And the radio runs warm. It's noticeably warmer after running for a while than a radio that's sitting there shut off. Close to 10 degrees warmer with the lights on.

Audio quality...it's good, but not amazingly better than a P7300. The "two speaker high definition audio" is definitely overhyped.

Plus there's a buzzy, interference type sound heard on many transmissions that is not heard with a P7300, XG-75P, or P7100. Simulcast distortion? Maybe. But it's frequent and objectionable. It sounds like the the dispatcher is ripping a sheet while talking.
That same distortion may be heard on the older radios as well, but it seems to be less noticeable.

Audio processing delay is LONGER with the XL-185 than with an earlier gen radio such as the P7300, etc. But this is to be expected, as it's a fully digital radio rather than an analog platform with digital capability.

The radio has forgotten the wifi network that was set up for programming it, on numerous occasions, and replaced it with an older version that I keep deleting.

I set one up with an SSID of "harrisradios" and that's the one I don't use. I deleted it. And it keeps coming back!
I use one called "harrisradio" which is the working one that I do use. The radio tends to forget this one and restores "harrisradios" whenever it wants to. That's beyond annoying, it's very time consuming to have to go delete the one and reprogram the other, working from the radio's limited keypad.

Maybe some of these issues are correctable with new firmware?

You can set backlight to ‘momentary (off)’ if you want the backlight to turn completely off. I use ‘backlight on receive’ so that the top backlight properly follows my assigned channel color when scanning.

Firmware may be your issue with the WI-FI stuff, but are you programming you desired Wi-Fi network into the mission plan? It should never forget it then. I’ve never added networks from the front panel, so if that’s your method, I can’t advise, but it should work consistently when baked into the programming.

As far as battery life, mine lasts about 18 hours with ‘backlight on receive’ and the XL-ESM connected, which also gives me outstanding audio.

I don’t hear any weird distortion. Everything is crystal clear, though I don’t monitor and EDACS systems.

I’m pretty happy with my 200P… it’s not perfect, but it’s still being developed. Update that firmware and you’ll likely see some improvements!

-B

 

[ElroyJetson]

I literally have to use the "turn off front display" option in order to really turn the front display off. With any other settings it will dim but never goes out entirely. I suspect that it's an early firmware release issue and an update will help. I've used my thermal camera and the radio may run 15 degrees warmer than a radio that's left off. By comparison, the temp difference between two XG-75Ps, one on and one off, is barely 2 degrees.
Battery life seems to be good, at least in my RX only application, but I will want to get a spare battery for sure.

I like the ability to color code the top display on a per channel basis. Yeah, that's what we've always needed, more colored lights in our radios!

Well, yes, as a matter of fact there are a few customized P7100s running around that have had their stock yellow-green keypad LED backlights replaced with other colors. I did several that way just for fun. Some have red, green, yellow, and blue keys all in the same radio. Nutty stuff.

Somewhere out there is a P7300 that has its RX/TX LEDs replaced, both with blue....also my work. Made it easy to show that your radio wasn't mine.

 

[ElroyJetson]

I got this radio in a package that includes both the regular corded RSM and also the bluetooth RSM. And for a 300 dollar Bluetooth device, I've got to say....I expected better. Working range away from the connected radio is maybe 50 feet before the audio becomes unintelligible, and speaker output is not great and it distorts at a pretty low volume level. In this day and age and with the quality of small li-ion rechargeable batteries that can be embedded in a speaker-mic sized device, I would honestly expect the audio quality of such a device to be equal to that of any corded speaker-mic in volume and freedom from distortion.

I have also personally used bluetooth devices, more than a decade ago, that had a usable range of well over 100 yards from the host radio,
so in general terms I find that this RSM simply underperforms, particularly at its price point. It also has a cheap feel to it and maybe worst of all, it's just funny looking. Its blue "I'm alive" flashing LED is also too bright and flashes too often. I would expect that cops who use these will probably tape over the status LED, at least they will the first time they use this thing at night.

And the box with the RSM in it didn't even include a manual. It wasn't missing, it just didn't include one. I downloaded the manual from the FCC's website. That's a nice resource, as they have copies of the manuals provided with every product that gets submitted for FCC certification.

 

[BMDaug]

I got this radio in a package that includes both the regular corded RSM and also the bluetooth RSM. And for a 300 dollar Bluetooth device, I've got to say....I expected better. Working range away from the connected radio is maybe 50 feet before the audio becomes unintelligible, and speaker output is not great and it distorts at a pretty low volume level. In this day and age and with the quality of small li-ion rechargeable batteries that can be embedded in a speaker-mic sized device, I would honestly expect the audio quality of such a device to be equal to that of any corded speaker-mic in volume and freedom from distortion.

I have also personally used bluetooth devices, more than a decade ago, that had a usable range of well over 100 yards from the host radio,
so in general terms I find that this RSM simply underperforms, particularly at its price point. It also has a cheap feel to it and maybe worst of all, it's just funny looking. Its blue "I'm alive" flashing LED is also too bright and flashes too often. I would expect that cops who use these will probably tape over the status LED, at least they will the first time they use this thing at night.

And the box with the RSM in it didn't even include a manual. It wasn't missing, it just didn't include one. I downloaded the manual from the FCC's website. That's a nice resource, as they have copies of the manuals provided with every product that gets submitted for FCC certification.

For me, Bluetooth serves two primary functions (SCBA and covert ops) and one trick (stashing the radio up high for better reception while sitting comfortably below it)… the batteries in the BT RSMs I’ve used simply don’t last as long as the radio battery, so it can’t be my primary solution, especially when the batteries aren’t removable.

Also, remember that there are different classes of BT devices. The class division is directly related to transmitter power and thus transmission distance. Of course, this will also impact battery life and if you can’t design an RSM to last a double shift with a 30’-50’ range, what’s that battery life going to look like at 100 yards? At least the AINA APTT1 (the latest L3H rebranded BT RSM) has a drop-in charger, which you could use to help with the lack of battery life.

-B

 

[ElroyJetson]

That looks like the same BT RSM. That'll help me to find a drop-in charger for it, if I decide to make enough use of it to be worth my while.

 

[BMDaug]

That looks like the same BT RSM. That'll help me to find a drop-in charger for it, if I decide to make enough use of it to be worth my while.

Verdict is still out as to whether the Harris branded one uses any custom firmware, but it is the same hardware and all accessories should work fine. Notice that on the AINA website, Harris is basically the only brand not listed as being supported with the APTT1… Last time I tried to pair mine, it wouldn’t PTT the 200P, but that may have been my error or radio firmware.

-B

 

[ElroyJetson]

I followed the instructions in the Harris preliminary manual, the one I found on the FCC website, and it worked.

User-manual-3098941.pdf is what I downloaded and used.

 

[mmckenna]

That looks like the same BT RSM. That'll help me to find a drop-in charger for it, if I decide to make enough use of it to be worth my while.

I think one of our sergeants was requesting one of those to try it out. I'll tell him not to set his expectations too high. Thankfully everyone else is getting wired speaker mics.

 

[ElroyJetson]

I did find the settings to turn the display and keypad backlight off after a few seconds of inactivity. (Momentary..off)

Not a big fan of the keypad nav buttons, the arrangement is just too cramped and the feel is odd.

In general the radio just has an odd feeling to it. Not a fan of the stepped volume control, either. The ABCD concentric switch is kind of an odd choice, it'd only work well if you have not more than four zones or systems you access. Since I've got nine EDACS systems set up, I'm leaving ABCD unprogrammed.

I programmed PF2 for scan enable/disable and it doesn't work. Shows as unassigned.

I need to find an image editor for my splash screen. Can't find one that outputs the specified RGB565 format.

Would someone here care to convert it for me?

 

[BMDaug]

I did find the settings to turn the display and keypad backlight off after a few seconds of inactivity. (Momentary..off)

Not a big fan of the keypad nav buttons, the arrangement is just too cramped and the feel is odd.

In general the radio just has an odd feeling to it. Not a fan of the stepped volume control, either. The ABCD concentric switch is kind of an odd choice, it'd only work well if you have not more than four zones or systems you access. Since I've got nine EDACS systems set up, I'm leaving ABCD unprogrammed.

I programmed PF2 for scan enable/disable and it doesn't work. Shows as unassigned.

I need to find an image editor for my splash screen. Can't find one that outputs the specified RGB565 format.

Would someone here care to convert it for me?

I’m the odd guy out on the stepped volume. Guess I got used to it on the 100P… I like to be able to have a predetermined volume without having to look down. But I’m also the guy that like that the ESM always boots to a specific volume level. I do wish I could control what that level was, but I like patterns and predictability.

You gotta have something weird with firmware if things like Wi-Fi and assignable keys are being forgotten etc. I use the volume concentric ring for scan since my encryption is always strapped to the channel.

A/B/C/D are channel ranges for me… 1-16, 17-32, 33-48, 49-64… works great for my setup. I guess if it’s only a scanner, that’s unnecessary. Newest firmware will allow you to use the channel knob for systems and assign the side buttons to channel/group. That may be the best setup for scanning: volume is volume, volume concentric is scan, channel selector knob is systems. Then you could holster the radio and all necessary controls would be on the top. Then assign your channels to colors by agency and set backlight on receive. Then you can tell with just a glance what agency you are hearing.

-B

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah, give it time. Coming from the Motorola/Kenwood side, it's taken a bit of time to grow accustomed to. I've got to the point I prefer the stepped volume. The PF key thing has stumped me too. I think I got it figured out, but I've chosen to set the keys up radio wide, not just by zone/channel.

Maybe the radio will grow on you, maybe it won't.

I've been playing with mine for a few months, getting ready to build out the mission plan for our PD and set up the radios in a way that I think will work for them. Then I'll give them one of my radios and get feedback from them. They are running mostly Kenwood's now, with a Motorola or two in the mix. I'm sure there will be some complaints. I went through that when I switched them to Kenwood, but the comfort level grows and they learn the new radios.

 

[wa8pyr]

In general the radio just has an odd feeling to it. Not a fan of the stepped volume control, either. The ABCD concentric switch is kind of an odd choice, it'd only work well if you have not more than four zones or systems you access. Since I've got nine EDACS systems set up, I'm leaving ABCD unprogrammed.

Around here we use the ABCD switch for zones you might need to get to in a hurry. I use it often on my XL200P (home zone, emergency backup zone, ham radio zone, railroad zone); most of our users don't use it nearly as often, especially the law guys.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Can anybody here take an image and convert it to the splash screen format needed for an XL?
I want this to be my splash screen.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Update of critique: With display illumination (top, front, and keypad) set to max and always on, it will cause a temperature rise of about 15 degrees F as compared to its off/cold state. As determined by my FLIR hand held thermal imager. And that's not counting additional heat if you were to do any transmitting.

I've found that the radio display sometimes does not turn on with activity, and may require a subsequent received transmission before it turns on. It seems to not have a "wake up display on any control activation" feature.

It would have benefitted greatly from having a light sensor on it to auto control the LCD lighting levels. You definitely have to make adjustments manually if you go between light and dark environments and need to use the display.

Very interestingly, it appears that EDACS functionality is a baseline capability, not requiring the ordering of any options to enable it.
I say this because my radio's feature package, as confirmed by its birth certificate and internal data, does not include any EDACS enabling features, yet EDACS works perfectly. However, my county is being charged 2000 dollars per radio (before discounts) so that each radio
can get the EDACS/P25 trunking package. Delete the EDACS package and the P25 trunking package is 1500 dollars by itself, but if you di d that, you'd likely still have EDACS functionality.

This means I've found an overcharge that would likely apply to EVERY XL-185 and 200 radio bought by this county and its cities.
With tens of thousands of radios possibly involved, the overcharges become an impressive sum.