help programming an Astro 25

[VSP5151]

I have a new Astro 25 that came from the factory un-programmed although it shows one conventional personality when you read it. I am used to Astro Spectra where you look at the conventional personality and under the general tab you put in the operating frequencies. Astro 25 does not have a general tab. I did find that under zone channel assignment you could put channels but something just doesn't look right and I don't want to load this into my new Astro 25 and change it into a paperweight. Thanks in advance for your help. This is a UHF radio.

[akardam]

First off, generally, if you pull a codeplug from a radio, especially if it's brand new from the factory (and make a backup, of course), and modify it in a way that doesn't throw invalid fields in the CPS, and blow it back in, you won't make a paperweight out of your radio.

What radio are you trying to program? If it's a handheld, then yes, the frequency information is no longer stored in the conventional personalities, instead in the zone channel assignment screen. It's perfectly alright to add channel information there. It will not toast your radio.

More info, such as model, flashcode, Host/DSP revision, and CPS revision, would probably be helpfull.

[RKG]

If I understand the concern, it is that the programming metaphor for the XTS series radios doesn't look like the MTSX metaphor, which is what we were used to. In particular, in MTSX, one programmed "personalities," which had all of the channel information, and then imported defined "personalities" into zone slots.

In the new metaphor, the term "personality" no longer means the full set of channel parameters, but rather a subset of them that may be common to a number of channels. From memory, common ones include MDC system, RXO, and bandwidth. Unfortunately, you cannot alias these, so you're going to have to make a paper list. Then, you go to what looks like the old zone screen and, instead of pointing to pre-defined "personalities" (using the old term), you input the remaining channel data, including freqs and tones and a pointer to a "personality" (using the new term) for the rest.

I, too, think this is a bit convoluted, but I can't be sure I prefer the old system because it was better or just because we had become used to it. Just take your time.

[ai4ui]

Let's say you had 40 channels to program into a VHF radio. 10 of them are analog, high power, with MDC signalling, 10 of them are digital, high power, 10 of them are low power encrypted, 5 are low power analog, and 5 of them are receive only (NOAA weather).

You would create 5 personalities.

Personality 1 would be analog, high power with MDC.
Personality 2 would be digital, high power.
Personality 3 would be low power, encrypted.
Personality 4 would be analog, low power
Personality 5 would be receive only.

Write all that down and then move to the channel assignement to zone section.

When you input the channel information, there will be a picklist in the personality column for which personality you would like to assign to each mode (channel, talkgroup, etc). So you will be entering the channel name (if it is a display model), personality (one of the five you created above), MPL, the rx, tone, tx, tone, bandwidth, talkaround, NAC, etc. You have to do this for each channel.

To me it does make it easier to do it this way if I am programming up a bunch of channels with non-default settings. I can go in there and create a personality that is applicable to those channels and then assign the personality to the channel, instead of the old way- having to go into each channel and set it up like I want it. It's just something to get used to. Kind of a pain to use this software and then go back into something older. There is no consistency with motorola RSS from one model to the next.

Robert

[VSP5151]

Thanks for the information. This radio actually seems easier to program than the Astro Spectra once you learn the strange software differences.

[Ranger522]

Yes, this system is easier, until; get your hands on a FPP (front panel program) model. Then every personality corresponds to that particular channel and you cannot move or delete channels or personalities. In other words, everything is in a fixed position. If you want to insert, delete or move a channel, you must redo the entire zone.

I had to teach a Schaumberg tech about his product at a national seminar, he had never heard of the FPP option. Gotta’ love Motorola!

[compuman81]

hah..if you think the fpp models are hard to program, you should see a codeplug from a radio with FPP and trunking..........

[Pj]

Yes, this system is easier, until; get your hands on a FPP (front panel program) model. Then every personality corresponds to that particular channel and you cannot move or delete channels or personalities. In other words, everything is in a fixed position. If you want to insert, delete or move a channel, you must redo the entire zone.

I had to teach a Schaumberg tech about his product at a national seminar, he had never heard of the FPP option. Gotta’ love Motorola!

You still need to create the personailities in CPS first before you can do that, and enable any of the options you need across the board.

If you only have 3 channels in the radio, you can only use those three channels, with or without FPP (FPP'able if enabled).

[Ranger522]

I don't mean to argue, but I'm using the Fed Gov FPP and the 240 personalities and corresponding 240 channels are static, cannot be created, moved or deleted, only modified.

The Fed FPP option was created to satisfy Moto's contract with us so that as we move around the US on special assignments, wildland firefighting and the like, the user can program or be cloned for the specific area.

The XTL5000 FPP option is in developement for the same reason, let you know when it comes through.

[RocketNJ]

If you have the latest CPS for Astro Spectra and Astro 25 you can drag and drop the Astro Spectra personality into the Astro 25 CPS. It will create the individual conventional personalities minus the frequencies and PLs. That would be automatically filled in on the zone/channel screen.

Double check all info for accuracy after the drag and drop but it saves a TON of typing.

George

I have a new Astro 25 that came from the factory un-programmed although it shows one conventional personality when you read it. I am used to Astro Spectra where you look at the conventional personality and under the general tab you put in the operating frequencies. Astro 25 does not have a general tab.

[Mfire39]

Ranger522, do you have Q52 or Q53 or both enabled in your radio? Because all of the XTS5000's that I have seen that are like what you described (Locked up at 240 chans) have had Q52 and Q53 enabled at the same time and they seamed to cause a conflict with each other.... Which is why it locks you at 240.

From what I have seen and personal experience, by removing Q53 and having only Q52 enabled in the radio, you can add and delete personalities all day long without any problems and the CPS wont show all 240 chans expanded with no way of adding or deleting.

-Marc

[Pj]

FPP is limited to 240, even in 850 firmware radios (last I checked).

If you opened up the radio in CPS, you will see 240 Personalities listed. I was just making the fact that if the personailities are not in the radio/zone-channel assignment field, you cannot FPP them.

I'd imagine that most FPP govt users will have all 240 enabled which reduces the need to reprogram them for various deployments.

[Fuel4300]

Ranger522, do you have Q52 or Q53 or both enabled in your radio? Because all of the XTS5000's that I have seen that are like what you described (Locked up at 240 chans) have had Q52 and Q53 enabled at the same time and they seamed to cause a conflict with each other.... Which is why it locks you at 240.

From what I have seen and personal experience, by removing Q53 and having only Q52 enabled in the radio, you can add and delete personalities all day long without any problems and the CPS wont show all 240 chans expanded with no way of adding or deleting.

-Marc

I have run into the same thing. An XTS5000 with Q53 & Q52 is limited to 240 channels each with its own assigned personalilty. A unit with only Q52 has up to 850 channels operates normally - you can add and delete channels and personalities at will.

Is there actually a way to remove or disable Q53 or are you only speaking hypothetically?

[Mfire39]

Reflash the radio, and exclude Q53 in the flash.

-Marc