PM1500 "Zone" programming question

[triode833a]

I'm not sure if the radio is missing some firmware bits, but I'm having a problem naming a Zone. I'll preface this by saying this is my first adventure in Astro 25 radioland and programming.

Following the programming primer Flash video in the CPS software package, I tried several seemingly necessary programming functions without success.

In the CPS root menu tree, the bottom item is "Zone Channel Assignment". The radio came with one "Zone Channel Assignment-1" sub menu-but this is not named. This contained one test frequency.

I double clicked on this menu to find the definition page for the zone with the tabs for "Zone" and "Channels".

The odd thing is the "Zone" window is gray and I'm not able to enter a zone name. The "zone" is also ghost lettered as if the function/ability is inhibited. I tried entering frequencies into the "channels" table and that seems to work along with most of the PL/DPL functions in the table.

I tried to add another "Zone Channel Assignement" which appeared with "-2" after the title but again the Zone naming window is gray.

Another strange thing, I tried to use the Zone Assignment Wizard under the "Tools" in the toolbar. In the menubar, the Zone Assignment Wizard is ghost lettered and unavailable.

Other items such as "Program" softkey function does not load in the radio. I can only load basic functions such as scan, nuisance delete and squelch. The display is advertised to variable color and user assigned. Can't find that menu either in the "Radio Configuration" menu under the "Display & Menu" function.

My radio is alleged to be a conventional/analog only radio, or at least that's what the firmware window states when I read it.

Am I missing something or is the radio missing some firmware?

Many thanks,

Daniel

[Jim202]

To learn to program up one of the new radios is a real challenge.

It took me about a week to figure out all the little ins and outs on this radio.
The different section of the programming menue interact with each other. If
you don't get them all lined up, you can't get some of the programming to work.

My new VHF PM1500 has a number of zones, about 12 to 15 channels in each.
Your just going to have to fumble around and learn the new Motorola way
of using the RSS. It is nothing like the old stuff for Spectra and even Asto Spectra
radios. Even doing an XTL mobile will take a number of attemps.

The scan funtion is probably the worst to get it to work the way you want.

Jim

[RKG]

Not familiar with the PM per se, but:

1) In general, the zone name will be greyed out if in the display section you have allocated zero characters to zone name. However, you should still be able to click on the "add" button while in the zone name screen and add a second zone.

[Jim202]

My PM1500 has the ability to have at least 7 or 8 characters for the zone name.

You need to set one of the control head buttons to be zone. Then by pressing
the zone button, the radio allows you to rotate the channel selector to the zone
you want. Then leave the radio alone for a few seconds and the normal channel
display will return. Now you can change the channels normally. Problem is there
is no zone display info that stays on the display.

If you have one of the new XTL radios with the O5 control head, then you have a
whole line for the zone name and a second line for the channel name. Both will
stay on the display.

Jim

Not familiar with the PM per se, but:

1) In general, the zone name will be greyed out if in the display section you have allocated zero characters to zone name. However, you should still be able to click on the "add" button while in the zone name screen and add a second zone.

[triode833a]

Thanks for the tip.

I checked this out. In the "Display & Menu" menu, "General" tab, the "Zone Text Size" has "none" in the field and the field is gray.

I can, however, add "Zone Channel Assignment". The CPS merely adds "-2", "-3", "-4" and so on to the newly created Zones.

Daniel

Not familiar with the PM per se, but:

1) In general, the zone name will be greyed out if in the display section you have allocated zero characters to zone name. However, you should still be able to click on the "add" button while in the zone name screen and add a second zone.

[triode833a]

From what the tutorial states in the CPS, this function is part of the "Zone Channel Assignment Wizard". That's my big problem, the code plug has been "altered" (by Motorola I might add) and the function is no longer available. The "Wizard", if I understand correctly, is a one time configuration utility that gives the ability of creating Zones and the ability to uniquely name them.

I'll step back a moment and mention that when I originally received the radio a couple of months ago, it was DOA. The control head powered but the radio didn't. I received the dreaded "FL 01-90" fatal error message.

Motorola wanted the control head and radio back and ended up replacing the control board in the radio. The depot returned the radio (via the dealer) to me last week. Since then, I've been wrestling with this issue. The dealer understands my problem and has communicated this to Motorola. I packed up the radio/control head once again and sent it back to the dealer who will forward it (since it's under warranty and they initiated the service ticket) to the Motorola depot to try and sort out my problems.

The previous post suggested checking the "Display & Menu" menu "General" tab to make sure the "Zone Text Size" is set to some value. I found "none" in the field and the field is gray leaving me no ability to assign a value.

Thanks for all the good information. I'll post back what I hear from Motorola and hopefully more positive results when the radio comes back.

Daniel



[quote="Jim202"]My PM1500 has the ability to have at least 7 or 8 characters for the zone name.

You need to set one of the control head buttons to be zone. Then by pressing
the zone button, the radio allows you to rotate the channel selector to the zone
you want. Then leave the radio alone for a few seconds and the normal channel
display will return. Now you can change the channels normally. Problem is there
is no zone display info that stays on the display.

If you have one of the new XTL radios with the O5 control head, then you have a
whole line for the zone name and a second line for the channel name. Both will
stay on the display.

Jim