APX Zone Bank on APX 6000 Model 2.5

[hp8920]

Are zone banks supported on APX handhelds model 2.5+?

I'm trying to do basic zone banks on a APX 6000 model 2.5 (no enhanced zone bank option in the flashcode). The model 2.5 user manual implies that you can by giving operating instructions. I can enable basic zone bank mode in radio ergonomics wide and assign the toggle switch to zone select. The radio seems to behave correctly, it shows ABC/DEF in the top display, if I change to zone 4, the 3 position switch activates zones 4-6.

The only problem is I can't assign a button to zone bank up/down. The icons in the CPS help seems to show that this is for model 1.5 only.

Is it officially not supported and they did a (very) sloppy job of disabling it, or is it something I missed?

 

[GTR8000]

Zone Bank Up/Down selection is only available in a 6000 when you have QA0768 Enhanced Zone Bank in the flash. Yes, even when you have it set to Basic Zone Bank Operation, and it will work fine in 1.5, 2.5, or 3.5 models.

 

[hp8920]

Zone Bank Up/Down selection is only available in a 6000 when you have QA0768 Enhanced Zone Bank in the flash. Yes, even when you have it set to Basic Zone Bank Operation, and it will work fine in 1.5, 2.5, or 3.5 models.

Ok, so in basic zone bank mode, how do I change between the two banks? I don't see a "basic zone bank" button in option either.

 

[GTR8000]

Ah crap, my mistake. Yes so with the 1.5 only, you do have access to the Zone Bank Up button (not Down, oddly) as a button assignment, even without QA0768 in the flash. It's been a while since I've toyed around with one of those models, so I had forgotten about that.

Unfortunately Zone Bank Up is not available on the 2.5 or 3.5 unless you have QA0768. Kind of silly, but that's MSI for ya.

 

[hp8920]

Got it, thanks! My workaround was to program a MS key to something in zone 4, so between that and the home key, you can move between the zone banks.

 

[GTR8000]

Good solution, although I have to ask, with a front display what is the point of zone banks? You could simply program a ZONE menu button then select. Or if you want to be able to get to another zone without removing the radio from the holster/case, why not just make one of the side buttons Zone Up instead? If you're only dealing with 6 zones, it's not a huge chore to step through them vs a button press + ABC selection.

 

[hp8920]

My original idea was to have the second corresponding zone be an extension of the first, so zone 4 would be overflow, talkaround, or analog versions of zone 1. That way the change zone bank is sort of a shift key. You could do this with zone up, but it seems more difficult to zone up exactly 3 times.

 

[GTR8000]

Fair enough. MS# going to Ch 1 in Zone 4 is a good solution, then.