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XL wifi programming
- Thread starter ElroyJetson
- Start date
I've tried that, and it doesn't allow the image to be saved in the specific format required. Maybe my version is too new?
Well, it is a computer… not like the days of old where the radio was mostly hardware defined.
I always think auto-brightness is going to be great, but end up disabling it out of frustration… literally every time. My phone, laptop, toughpad, television, it sucks all around IMO! My top brightness is on 2 and front on 4 and it always seems fine to me, especially since the top backlight is sunlight readable and the XL-ESM displays the channel color code around the channel knob.
As far as the backlight inconsistency… you have “Enable Display On RX Call” ticked in supervisory options right? This combined with current firmware makes my backlight perform flawlessly on every TX and RX. That was my problem too at first, then I found the above…
Can’t offer any input on EDACS… never had a need for it!
The radio isn’t perfect, but it’s still being developed and it’s pretty solid already!
-B
Well, auto brightness has been good on my iphone 13. And it was nice to find those supervisory options. I hadn't found them before, now the radio is much closer to operating the way I want it to.
It's a good radio, I do like it. But it's a very different animal from any legacy GE-to-Harris radio before it. Takes some getting used to.
I still use a P7100 for the trunked mode FCC test menu functionality. Wish the 185 had that. So I can gather data and see if the very frequent noise problems I'm hearing on many transmissions is on the subscriber side or is consistently on the TX of specific repeaters.
The noise issues are sufficent that if I were in a responsible position I'd be demanding that the radio techs get to the bottom of it. At times it is severe enough to affect intelligiblity.
It's a good radio, I do like it. But it's a very different animal from any legacy GE-to-Harris radio before it. Takes some getting used to.
I still use a P7100 for the trunked mode FCC test menu functionality. Wish the 185 had that. So I can gather data and see if the very frequent noise problems I'm hearing on many transmissions is on the subscriber side or is consistently on the TX of specific repeaters.
The noise issues are sufficent that if I were in a responsible position I'd be demanding that the radio techs get to the bottom of it. At times it is severe enough to affect intelligiblity.
The agencies have been reporting it for years.
Got curious today, fired up RPM2 with the intent of taking a look at the XL calibration data.
But there's no entry for any XL model. I looked very carefully. Trying to read via the radio information button gives the expected error,
radio not connected or not in program mode.
So the RPM2 radio maintenance tools don't support the XL radios? What is used to align an XL, then?
But there's no entry for any XL model. I looked very carefully. Trying to read via the radio information button gives the expected error,
radio not connected or not in program mode.
So the RPM2 radio maintenance tools don't support the XL radios? What is used to align an XL, then?
You don’t tune a Unity radio that way either… You mostly use the TCXO adjustment from the front panel while on the bench.
-B
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Viavi 8800SX with the Harris XL auto tune function, here.
As far as I know, that's the only way for us mortals to do it. The only settings I found were for TXCO adjustment.
I was hoping to at least be able to make TX power adjustments. I've got a stack of HP 8920B communications service monitors, I can measure power output. I want to trim down the "RF Safe" power level to as low as it can possibly go. All the way down to zero if that's possible. Just as one extra layer of safety when using the radio as a scanner. (which is all the time for me.)
So this pretty much sums it up… Officially, it seems you cannot adjust the power output with tools available to the end user. See the attached file, which is from the maintenance manual. It takes you through many steps, but at the end of the day, “Do not return a radio to service if any transmit power level exceeds the respective limits listed in Table 7-5.” is the end of the road. There is no procedure listed to correct a radio that is out of spec… I presume the next step is to contact the TAC.
-B
Attachments
Having done additional reading in the manual, I see it now. TX power output is one parameter adjusted via the FPP functionality, by creating a test personality with conventional channels in it, and using the channel edit capability.
To me that almost seems like a step backwards. I'm very used to working with radios where you connect to the radio via the service software, connect the radio to test equipment, and make all adjustments via the software. You don't have any need at all to touch the radio during the alignment process.
To me that almost seems like a step backwards. I'm very used to working with radios where you connect to the radio via the service software, connect the radio to test equipment, and make all adjustments via the software. You don't have any need at all to touch the radio during the alignment process.
You probably wouldn't like the "Green Radios" then.
That wouldn't stop me from liking them. I'm just kind of surprised that Harris chose to take a "less automation friendly" approach to aligning the radio.
I set a power-up password on the 185 and discovered that when you do this, it also works to allow/deny programming. Without entering the password, RPM2 won't read the radio. And you have to enter the password into the radio itself, not into RPM2 to read it. I LIKE that feature, as it makes the contents of my radio a private matter that can't be bypassed just by reading it with RPM2. (But there's probably some super secret override.) I've got it set to wipe after 5 bungled password attempts. Something I expect will never happen as long as I maintain control of it.
I find it odd that I can't set up the 185 so that group up and group down can be assigned to two buttons. A function I have always used in previous radios. I use it to access groups above 16 on the list.
I may be able to do something similar using the zones function with the ABCD switch, which I am currently not using at all, but I don't really know how zones work in this radio yet. Of course I'll figure it out soon enough.
I set a power-up password on the 185 and discovered that when you do this, it also works to allow/deny programming. Without entering the password, RPM2 won't read the radio. And you have to enter the password into the radio itself, not into RPM2 to read it. I LIKE that feature, as it makes the contents of my radio a private matter that can't be bypassed just by reading it with RPM2. (But there's probably some super secret override.) I've got it set to wipe after 5 bungled password attempts. Something I expect will never happen as long as I maintain control of it.
I find it odd that I can't set up the 185 so that group up and group down can be assigned to two buttons. A function I have always used in previous radios. I use it to access groups above 16 on the list.
I may be able to do something similar using the zones function with the ABCD switch, which I am currently not using at all, but I don't really know how zones work in this radio yet. Of course I'll figure it out soon enough.
LukeB
Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2004
- Messages
- 323
Any ideas on what would cause the software to not see the radio? I've removed and manually added the WiFi parameters to the radio several times. Closed and restarted the program. Disconnected/reconnected to the router (with all of the correct settings) and I'm not able to see the radio in the software. I have an IP address displayed on the radio. I'm showing the laptop connected to the router (limited connectivity). I've double checked all of the configurations in RMP and all are set properly. What the heck am I missing?
I was able to successfully see the radio in the software, read it, edit the personality and write it back to the radio over WiFi. I have yet to be able to reconnect and see the radio in RMP since doing this. Again, I see an IP addy on the radio and it says connected but the software isn't seeing the radio. (I also made sure I was connected to the router prior to opening the software)
I was able to successfully see the radio in the software, read it, edit the personality and write it back to the radio over WiFi. I have yet to be able to reconnect and see the radio in RMP since doing this. Again, I see an IP addy on the radio and it says connected but the software isn't seeing the radio. (I also made sure I was connected to the router prior to opening the software)
L3HARRIS dropped the ability to switch channels/groups incrementally up or down with anything other than the selector knob.The selector knob and channel entry (select channel directly) are the only ways to change channels/groups. This started with the XG-100P and carried over to the current XL-xxxP variants.
Now, in R16A, you can set the ch/grp knob to systems and the side buttons to ch/grp…
@ElroyJetson I just use the A/B/C/D for ranging the ch/grp knob… (A=1-16, B=17-32, C=33-48, D=49-64).
@LukeB you’re unable to see it in Radio Maintenance?
-B
LukeB, if the radio shows CONNECTED with an IP address showing, then you're almost there. You've made it through the hard part.
Under tools-preferences-miscellaneous-general, select Enable Wifi, default connection type to wifi, and service name to match the radio's service name which is also referenced in network configuration. Not sure if this last step is absolutely essential but it helped me.
It took a lot of effort and many attempts to get wifi programming working correctly, and in fact I still don't have it perfect, but since I now have a USB cable I jus use that instead.
I'm unclear on how to configure the ABCD control to access group/channels 1-16, 17-32, etc...
Under tools-preferences-miscellaneous-general, select Enable Wifi, default connection type to wifi, and service name to match the radio's service name which is also referenced in network configuration. Not sure if this last step is absolutely essential but it helped me.
It took a lot of effort and many attempts to get wifi programming working correctly, and in fact I still don't have it perfect, but since I now have a USB cable I jus use that instead.
I'm unclear on how to configure the ABCD control to access group/channels 1-16, 17-32, etc...
It should be the default setup for new mission plans… set them all to SYSTEM/CHANNEL BANK. (Note the greyed out value to the right listing 1/2/3/4.) not doing this essentially limits the number of channel banks available.
-B
Got it, thanks.
LukeB
Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2004
- Messages
- 323
It took me a little while to circle back here but thank you for the info. I have noticed that connecting the radio via wifi to the software is not consistent for me. One time it will connect no problem. The next time it will take me 30 minutes of restarting, reconnecting to the router, etc. The cord is next for me as well.
