XTS5000 RADIO WITH FRONT PANEL PROGRAMMING (FPP) FEATURE

[nokones]

Does anyone have any experience with the subject radio. I just acquired my first FPP XTS5000 radio just to see if I would like it or not and try to master the programming of this radio. It is definitely a different animal. Is it normal for the first seventeen Conventional Personalities be hard program whereas you can only change a couple of the settings like power setting Analog or Astro Digital, Scan List, etc.?

Also, you can not change the change the conventional personalities in Zone 1 and they are hard programmed personalities 1 through 16 for each of the 16 channels. In addition, you can not insert channels or zones except for at the end nor can you move any channel or zone around.

I haven't learned how to do the FPP yet and I'm not sure that it is a big deal for me to FPP. I have well over 500 channels programmed in 35 zones that very well meets my needs for not only GMRS but also my Part 90 freqs as well.

I think the FPP feature on this radio not only limits my ability to amend the data my moving things around and insert as I please, but I think the FPP feature is overrated. I prefer that I have the ability to amend (insert and/or move) the data in the Zone Assignments more than having the ability to FPP the radio.

Is it normal for the 16 fixed personalities be like that in the first Zone?

 

[marcotor]

Someone has already modified the programming somewhat for you. Usually there are 256 Personalities (and some will wrongly tell you that's all you can have) in a 16 Zone X 16 Per format, with a Personality required to be used per channel. In your CP, Zone 1 will retain FPP, and the other Zones can do with 1 Personality per Zone. It's an interesting idea, but mostly a pain. Everyone I know long ago had that feature removed from their XTS radios for the exact reason you are frustrated - unable to reorder channels in the Zone, etc.

 

[nokones]

Essentially, I just left Zone 1 alone and added my custom/personal 35 zones. Also, I just added my 11 custom/personal Conventional Personalities from 21 to number 31 to reflect my same numbering 1-11 personalities in my other non-FPP radios to standardize my numbering scheme but just added the 2 in front.
In the scheme of things, it really don't make any difference in my Zone naming or numbering because I name my zones and they are in alphabetical order as I scroll through and I just ignore the FPP Zone. As I view the display on the radio as I scroll through the zones it plays like my other radios.

I'll probably won't be buying another FPP radio in the future. This radio was cheap and appears like a brand new radio so I had to buy.

 

[KevinC]

The APX series is much more flexible as far as FPP goes.

 

[AES-256-Encryption]

Does anyone have any experience with the subject radio. I just acquired my first FPP XTS5000 radio just to see if I would like it or not and try to master the programming of this radio. It is definitely a different animal. Is it normal for the first seventeen Conventional Personalities be hard program whereas you can only change a couple of the settings like power setting Analog or Astro Digital, Scan List, etc.?

Also, you can not change the change the conventional personalities in Zone 1 and they are hard programmed personalities 1 through 16 for each of the 16 channels. In addition, you can not insert channels or zones except for at the end nor can you move any channel or zone around.

I haven't learned how to do the FPP yet and I'm not sure that it is a big deal for me to FPP. I have well over 500 channels programmed in 35 zones that very well meets my needs for not only GMRS but also my Part 90 freqs as well.

I think the FPP feature on this radio not only limits my ability to amend the data my moving things around and insert as I please, but I think the FPP feature is overrated. I prefer that I have the ability to amend (insert and/or move) the data in the Zone Assignments more than having the ability to FPP the radio.

Is it normal for the 16 fixed personalities be like that in the first Zone?

the FPP feature is just something that federal agents use. i have touched FPP on my apx 1 time in the last 6 months. its just over rated in general. but hey, ebay has apx radios that have fpp for 2400. you will slowly find out alot of features are useless lol

 

[nokones]

I only played with the FPP a couple of times but never used the channel slot where I played with the feature. Why I bought three of these radios, I don't know, I guess I'm just stupid however, I got great deal on them, and they look brand new. I don't see what they are all cracked up to be probably because I have the CPS and I can change the cumbersome program when necessary.

Stick with the non-FPP feature radio.

 

[FFPM571]

the FPP feature is just something that federal agents use. i have touched FPP on my apx 1 time in the last 6 months. its just over rated in general. but hey, ebay has apx radios that have fpp for 2400. you will slowly find out alot of features are useless lol

FPP was not for Federal Agents. FPP was for federal wildland Firefighting use on the XTS2500 originally. It could have been used by FEMA teams

 

[N4KVE]

FPP was not for Federal Agents. FPP was for federal wildland Firefighting use on the XTS2500 originally. It could have been used by FEMA teams

Don’t forget all the military FPP 2500’s with the dim display, & AES board.

 

[nokones]

FPP was not for Federal Agents. FPP was for federal wildland Firefighting use on the XTS2500 originally. It could have been used by FEMA teams

I've always felt that agents and cops have a thing about doing anything more than pushing a single button when comes to operating a radio. 99.9% of agents and cops don't have a clue how to operate a radio other than the volume and PT-T.

 

[ecps92]

the FPP feature is just something that federal agents use. i have touched FPP on my apx 1 time in the last 6 months. its just over rated in general. but hey, ebay has apx radios that have fpp for 2400. you will slowly find out alot of features are useless lol

you must have meant AGENCIES, not AGENTS - never seen an Agent need or use FPP

 

[mikewazowski]

I've always felt that agents and cops have a thing about doing anything more than pushing a single button when comes to operating a radio. 99.9% of agents and cops don't have a clue how to operate a radio other than the volume and PT-T.

And that's how it's supposed to be. "Agents and cops" don't have any need for FPP and that's not who it was intended for.

 

[nokones]

I was referring to Federal Agents because someone mentioned Federal Agents in above post.

 

[AES-256-Encryption]

I was referring to Federal Agents because someone mentioned Federal Agents in above post.

well thats why its called Federal government fpp... government federal

 

[FFPM571]

well thats why its called Federal government fpp... government federal

Federal Wildland firefighters. I've worked with Fed's on radio communications they don't need or use anything FPP. It' s hard enough to get them to change zones. Everything has to be laid out on a quick reference card most times...

 

[kayn1n32008]

FPP in the XTS series is cumbersome at best for VHF/UHF, and useless for 7/800MHz.

Buy a cable and learn how to program the radio with CPS.

Besides, you need a cable and CPS to initially set up your FPP analogue personalities, FPP digital personalities and zones.

Way easier to just properly program it by computer.

 

[a417]

FPP in the XTS series is cumbersome at best for VHF/UHF, and useless for 7/800MHz.

<snip>
Way easier to just properly program it by computer.

It was no better in the HT1550XLS.

 

[ecps92]

It was no better in the HT1550XLS.

Loved my FPP in the JT1000 model

 

[a417]

Loved my FPP in the JT1000 model

I had access to a JT on a loan once, and loved it for what I needed it for. Thru some swaps and service barters, I got my hands on a 1550 thinking it would be a newer, more betterer version...had it for a month before I sold it.

 

[AES-256-Encryption]

FPP in the XTS series is cumbersome at best for VHF/UHF, and useless for 7/800MHz.

Buy a cable and learn how to program the radio with CPS.

Besides, you need a cable and CPS to initially set up your FPP analogue personalities, FPP digital personalities and zones.

Way easier to just properly program it by computer.

heres what I can say, program the **** you need, and have FPP enabled so IF you need to edit a perimeter you can, for ex, your hiking with a group of whackers, they have there apx8000 and they say to use 167.855. you dont have that !!! good think you have either A a backpack with a laptop and cables, or B FPP, then you goto your 2-3 FPP zones preconfigured and edit it. I own 1 apx with FPP and i will say it is **** compared to XTS because you CANT! i mean cant add channels, but in astro CPS you get 10000 personalities, apx is far deferent and you can have every other zone have fpp or not, and you dont need 10000 personalities. if you wanna see apx fpp theres videos, maybe ill send some pics in a minute

 

[AES-256-Encryption]

ecps92, did my comment offend you lol