new ham, xts2500 first radio?

[clanusb]

Hello, Forgive me please. I am a long time lurker, and first time poster. I am going to be taking my ham test in 2 weeks, I believe that I am more than ready for the tech's test. However.. I am looking for an XTS2500 VHF for my first radio. I've been looking for awhile to find one with legit tags, but haven't had much luck in finding what I'm looking for. This isn't a Want to Buy post. I am just simply wanting some information on how important the tags are or not. I do not want the hassle of buying a bad radio from panter88. Also..he states no programming is available, which is fine, because I would be buying a FPP radio. However, does anyone know how exactly the radio comes set up? Are all the zones FPP protected? What are the button assignments, etc? I'm sure that I'll eventually shell out the $$ and buy the CPS from motorola, as well as the cable. (does anyone have the part number for the cable?) Are you able to set up the Radio's ID so that you can play with the text message feature on the radios? Thank you for any and all help.

[Jim202]

There have been a number of threads on the FPP abilities and the issues involved with it. Not having a radio that
can do it, I have not paid close attention to all the posts. I doo seem to recall that you need a particular option
in the radio to be able to use the FPP. I also recall something being said that doing an update or using a certain
version of the software would cause an issue.

You would be wise to do your homework on here about the radio and the FPP issues before going very far. Not all
services can legally use a FPP radio. So again it will depend on where and how you intend to use the radio as
to how much flack you will receive about it on here. If your only intentions is to use the radio on the ham frequencies,
then go for it.

Jim

Hello, Forgive me please. I am a long time lurker, and first time poster. I am going to be taking my ham test in 2 weeks, I believe that I am more than ready for the tech's test. However.. I am looking for an XTS2500 VHF for my first radio. I've been looking for awhile to find one with legit tags, but haven't had much luck in finding what I'm looking for. This isn't a Want to Buy post. I am just simply wanting some information on how important the tags are or not. I do not want the hassle of buying a bad radio from panter88. Also..he states no programming is available, which is fine, because I would be buying a FPP radio. However, does anyone know how exactly the radio comes set up? Are all the zones FPP protected? What are the button assignments, etc? I'm sure that I'll eventually shell out the $$ and buy the CPS from motorola, as well as the cable. (does anyone have the part number for the cable?) Are you able to set up the Radio's ID so that you can play with the text message feature on the radios? Thank you for any and all help.

[Tom in D.C.]

Here are some comments you may find helpful:

1. If your radio has FPP AND you want to use it on trunked systems then you must use
firmware no higher than version 9. Probably doesn't apply in your case but better to know
about the limitation than not know. Current firmware is now at version 14. Only Feds and
hams use FPP; almost all others can't use it.

2. The radio you buy should have both Q52 and Q53 flashes in it for FPP.

3. The exact number of FPP channels are something like the first 240. Above that point you can't
do FPP per channel. In those first 240 zones there is a CPS item for protecting a zone from being
FPP'd.

4. Tags aren't everything, they're the only thing. Buying an untagged radio is a crapshoot. The
Motorola Depot usually will not work on an untagged radio so that's one big solid reason for not
buying an untagged unit.

5. Consider an XTS5000 as well. They're usually a shade cheaper and somewhat more available.

6. The button assignments are all programmable. You have to work out what you like best when you go
to set up your radio.

7. The radio can come to you unprogrammed, in which case you have to build the program from scratch,
or it may come to you set up in one way or another, in which case you may have something of a head start
compared to the unprogrammed radio but you also have to be sure that all the nutty things you don't want
are removed, so it's probably a tossup as to which is better to have.

Good luck on your exam.

Regards,

[RadioSouth]

If you don't need digital there's always the trusty FPP JT1000 that can be had in the sub $300. range. A bit simpler for a 1st radio as well.

[clanusb]

Thanks for your replies. I have searched on here prior to my post about the abilities of the FPP. I will not need the radio for Trunking.
I figured that the radio would probably not come the way I would want set up, so I would look around for a programmer to set up the radio features the way I would need.
With Motorola discontinuing the support of the MTS2000 (which I use at work on a 800 trunked system, and personally own a UHF for GMRS use) I figured it would be best to switch over to the XTS series.

Honestly all I was thinking about as far as set up would be a one time thing. Here was my idea...
Zone 1 Low power.
Zone 2 Medium power.
Zone 3 set up for DVRS for the mock PTT (I read about that working on the xts5000s on here...figured it would work on a xts2500)
Zones 4+ High power.

I would ask for all the menu options to be enabled so that I could change that stuff around on the fly, like what channels are in my scanlist, tone mute, call, page, phone, etc)
PTT would be the PTT button, the purple would be the back light, the ABC switch would be A= scan off, C= Scan on. Orange button would be call/page acknowledge. etc.

Just trying to keep the button layout similar to that of the radios I use at work. I honestly don't wanna spend the money on the CPS to program a radio once or twice, as I'm sure you all would understand, but I also see the upside to getting it as well.

Radiosouth, I have looked at the JT1000's. I love the jedi series, but honestly I would like a radio that I can have the ability to program names into, and not have to worry about hauling around a list of freqs with me everywhere I go. Not to mention I dont have a computer old enough to run that software.

[N4DES]

Quick question, do you have any VHF APCO25 capable ham repeaters in your area?
If not then the radio is a bit overkill unless you really have your mind set on it.

Also there are limitations on the radio such as modifying the scan list, changing the button assignments,
there is no low power setting like there is on an XTS5K without the software.

Not trying to swap your decsion as I have a few XTS2500's, most in 800 MHz, and they are a really nice compact radio.

Mark

[d119]

Tags aren't everything, they're the only thing. Buying an untagged radio is a crapshoot. The
Motorola Depot usually will not work on an untagged radio so that's one big solid reason for not
buying an untagged unit.

I beg to differ. At work, I've sent the depot many untagged radios (as a result of frame replacements). The depot isn't concerned about untagged radios - who's to say the owner didn't replace the frame, etc? Of course, they will look at the pertinent data that's in the radios code plug, and go off that. You're likely to receive the radio back WITH tags, provided the radio you sent them isn't a 123ABC1234 or other strange situation.

Zone 3 set up for DVRS for the mock PTT (I read about that working on the xts5000s on here...figured it would work on a xts2500)

Yes, this will work on a 2500, I proved that yesterday. But you realize it only works on P25 repeaters (digital), right? Otherwise you're just going to end up in simplex if you have "TA when no DVRS comms" checked in the software. And if you don't, you'll end up bonked off into nothing.

You might consider purchasing a radio and having someone here configure it the way you want, and then go with the FPP. The software and licensing agreements are a real PITA.

[Tom in D.C.]

I would think that if you are not completely familiar with the features and capabilities of a digital radio then having someone program it for you might lead to a constant exchange of shipment of the radio as you learn more and more and decided you want to change this or that, or start some previouly-unused feature, ete. etc. etc. (continue to infinity sign). I think you'd be much, much happier, as well as saving yourself an awful lot of time, if you bit the bullet and bought a good programming cable and a program license and set the radio up yourself. Believe me, the Astro25 program is complicated and multi-layered, and as you learn more and more about it and then have to ship it off every time you want something changed (and you WILL want things to be changed sooner than later) you'll be glad you're in a position to do the programming yourself. (At one point you mentioned the TMS feature; there is a post on this Board wherein our Admin (Akardam) describes the setup procedure for this and, believe me, it's not simple, and that's only one of the many, many subsystems available on these radios.)

[clanusb]

Quick question, do you have any VHF APCO25 capable ham repeaters in your area?

At the moment, I am not sure. Although, it would not surprise me if there was a strong push by a club to put one up here in Sacramento.

I beg to differ. At work, I've sent the depot many untagged radios (as a result of frame replacements). The depot isn't concerned about untagged radios - who's to say the owner didn't replace the frame, etc? Of course, they will look at the pertinent data that's in the radios code plug, and go off that. You're likely to receive the radio back WITH tags, provided the radio you sent them isn't a 123ABC1234 or other strange situation.

The only reason I would prefer a radio with tags is that way I can have a reference for personal reasons. It would be very unlikely that I would need to ship the radio off to the depot.

Yes, this will work on a 2500, I proved that yesterday. But you realize it only works on P25 repeaters (digital), right? Otherwise you're just going to end up in simplex if you have "TA when no DVRS comms" checked in the software. And if you don't, you'll end up bonked off into nothing.

I did read that thread, however I did not catch that it had to work with a Digital repeater. I thought that the TX had to be in analog and RX had to be in mixed mode.

You might consider purchasing a radio and having someone here configure it the way you want, and then go with the FPP. The software and licensing agreements are a real PITA.

I already have a MOL and have signed the software agreement. The only problems I've had with that process was the fact that they wouldn't recognize my zip code (its only a few years old), so I put in the zip code next to mine. That threw them for a loop, even though it was their fault that their system didn't take a legit zip code. A month later...my account was approved. The only other thing is that although I am approved to buy software, Not all of the radios have an option for it in the catalog. Thats easily fixed by calling them, or searching the part number, which your right it is a PITA.

I would think that if you are not completely familiar with the features and capabilities of a digital radio then having someone program it for you might lead to a constant exchange of shipment of the radio as you learn more and more and decided you want to change this or that, or start some previouly-unused feature, ete. etc. etc. (continue to infinity sign). I think you'd be much, much happier, as well as saving yourself an awful lot of time, if you bit the bullet and bought a good programming cable and a program license and set the radio up yourself.

Your correct, I probably will end up ordering the CPS and a cable.

Believe me, the Astro25 program is complicated and multi-layered, and as you learn more and more about it and then have to ship it off every time you want something changed (and you WILL want things to be changed sooner than later) you'll be glad you're in a position to do the programming yourself. (At one point you mentioned the TMS feature; there is a post on this Board wherein our Admin (Akardam) describes the setup procedure for this and, believe me, it's not simple, and that's only one of the many, many subsystems available on these radios.)

Please tell me it isn't complicated to the point where I'll end up screwing up the radio entirely? I've talked to people about the CPS for the MTS2000 before and they've said it was fairly easy for a new person to figure out. Hell, I guess the only way to learn is to get your hands dirty.

[MTS2000des]

MTS2000 is a much simpler radio than anything Astro 25.
I would concur the 2500 is not a beginners' radio as is any Astro 25 product (XTL/XTS5000, 2500, etc)

If you don't need digital, the Jedi product line is much more beginner friendly as far as learning CPS/RSS (only the MTS2000 can use CPS for programming, all other Jedi radios use some variant of an RSS package).

Really the easiest CPS to learn is Commercial Series. The PR400 is a good starting point. They're cheap, very capable, and good performing radios to boot.

[bezking]

For some reason a certain contingent of people here hate the Waris radios (HT750,1250,1550 and CDM750,1250,1550). I personally love them. They are perfect for beginning amateurs who want to get a feel for CPS and how Motorola works, and they are a good stepping stone to the higher-tier series of radios.

[giguchan]

No Love for the Waris? I have seen that here too!! No worries As soon as i figure out a need for an XTS i'll offload all my waris gear and upgrade!
Not too many Digi 's reapeaters around me..I somehow feel like i might be missing out on something..