downgrade ht1250 firmware

[Jay]

Anyone know if you can use an old firmware kit to roll back the firmware to an older version? I've tried to use the firmware tool with zero luck. I've never had a problem with the kits, however.

Jay

[Andreas]

No,downgrade don´t work with the regular firmwarekit!

Andreas

[n3obl]

You can do it with the unoffical waris depot tool. It doesnt check when it writes firmware.

Frank

[Andreas]

Yes and no.
Yes,you can do it with the US Lab Firmwarekit.
No,I think,you will not find the firmwarefile you want,in the kit.
You have to extract the firmware and codeplug from the internal RAM and this only work,when you start to upgrade a radio with the regular firmware.
There is also another easier way to extract,but all the ways are difficult to someone,who
don´t know what you have to do.

Andreas

[Jay]

Thanks, guys. Let me rephrase my question - has anybody had good luck using the US firmware kit? Because I can't seem to get it to play with my setup. The same computer acts just fine with the factory upgrade kits, so I am at a loss as to why it doesn't work for me.

Jay

[Andreas]

Use Win XP and aa RIB with flashcable.

Andreas

[RADIOMAN2002]

To further confuse all, I just received a radio back from Depot, and it has a password in it? Can I use Unofficial to downgrade it to firmware 05.08 or 05.14? This is the second time it has been sent out and back. I believe the radio wants to see wants software ver 06.11, and I am not ready to release that to all my shops, I would rather down grade the radio.

[chrismoll12]

Radio has CPS Password?

[RADIOMAN2002]

Yes, the dummies. We called Motorola to start a service ticket, and they said those idiots, and hung up. We sent the radio back, and it came back the same way, that's why I wan to just downgrade it. I havn't seen any readme on the new software to make the upgrade worthwhile.

[chrismoll12]

I defeated the dreaded CPS password before. It requires hex editing of 2 characters. Hex value: "5B85C0742B". Change 74 to EB. Its so simple it took me 3 hours and I didn't even know what hex was when I started. I can't believe how simple it was. Then when the password box pops up all you do is press enter and it continues like normal

[HLA]

just curious, what password did the factory put on it?

[chrismoll12]

just curious, what password did the factory put on it?

very sorry for misunderstanding, meant to say I hacked the password before not in this case here

[Jay]

I've heard from one other person who says they have the same problem as me...Official firmware kits work fine, but no luck with the tool to upgrade or roll back firmware. Same PC, same programming hardware. So you'll have to let us know.

Jay

To further confuse all, I just received a radio back from Depot, and it has a password in it? Can I use Unofficial to downgrade it to firmware 05.08 or 05.14? This is the second time it has been sent out and back. I believe the radio wants to see wants software ver 06.11, and I am not ready to release that to all my shops, I would rather down grade the radio.

[RADIOMAN2002]

It could be Motorola trying to cut off the use of the Labtools. Like they did with Toolproof.I am going today down to my other shop and try the Labtools. If it doesnt work I will make a trouble ticket out with Motorola, or I will smoke the radio and send it back under warranty.

[RADIOMAN2002]

Ok, here it is. The problem of our shop not being able to read/write to HT-1250 radio after a trip to Depot is this:
It is not a firmware issue. It apparently is that a code plug written in 06.12.X, and loaded into a radio cannot be read or written over, by anything lower than 06.12.X. The workaround is as follows, but assumes you have Unofficial Lab.

1-Read tuning information with Lab or Non-Lab Tuner, save tuning information as usual.
2-Using Unofficial Lab or Code plug tool, find the correct Tanapa for your radio. I used ver3.12. Load Tanapa.
3-Write code plug and hardware to radio. Both check boxes. (don't know if just using the code plug would work, only tried on one radio) After radio reset change region code to your original.
4-Using Lab Tuner, read radio and then modify serial number to your radios number.
5-Load tuning information from tuner, and load into radio.
Radio will now be read and will write from 06.10.04, may work with lower versions, but didn't try.
Checking the radio after being read with 06.10.04, the radio displayed firmware v 05.17, which is current. That's why I think it is a code plug issue not a firmware issue.

Please don't ask publicly or privately for these above programs, I will not respond. Look around they are out there. You are on your own if you brick the radio, that's your problem, I have given a step by step procedure which did work on the first radio we have received from Depot with this problem. This issue with a password was a Depot issue and had no bearing on the software read/write issue. Just a Depot Fxxx up.

Good luck Mr Phelps if you chose to take this assignment.

[chrismoll12]

You mean to say that the problem was that your software wasn't a recent version?

[HLA]

so it's running on new firmware but what's the codeplug version? i'll bet that's what makes the difference. what was the codeplug version before it was sent out, and what was it when you got it back, and what is it now?

[RADIOMAN2002]

The original problem was Depot for putting a password in the radio , and yes our current version of software is 06.10.04. I don't know what version of code plug it was,(readable by probably 06.10.04 or older) since it wasn't my shop that sent it out. Anyway what was in the radio is immaterial, since part of the repair required Depot to replace the entire main PCB, and as such programmed it with a default code plug using software ver 06.12.X. The firmware isn't the issue it is the code plug. It doesn't recognise previous versions of Pro radio.
We have a current subscription, but I don't want to upgrade. 06.10.04 is stable, and I don't see anything in the newer version read me to justify the upgrade. My main concern is keeping 6 radio shops running that are spread out over a 300sq mi area. I can't have ONE radio out in our system that needs an updated version of software to read/write. What I am saying is that when you run into this issue downgrading the firmware will not fix it. You need to use Unofficial and load an older version of the code plug, but follow the steps I have outlined to prevent bricking or losing tuning info. A big PITA.
Shortly I believe we might be forced to go to 06.12.X when the next batch of new radios show up. But since this works, I'll just downgrade the code plug.
BTW the hex address for disabling the password, is it for 06.10.04?

[chrismoll12]

hex value 5B85C0742B (proradioexe) -change 74 to EB
This hex value is pretty common through many versions

[akardam]

We have a current subscription, but I don't want to upgrade. 06.10.04 is stable, and I don't see anything in the newer version read me to justify the upgrade. My main concern is keeping 6 radio shops running that are spread out over a 300sq mi area.

Every radio that comes back from the depot will have the newest firmware and the newest CPS version. Just bite the bullet and upgrade. You're going to have to do it eventually.

[RADIOMAN2002]

Why bite the bullet, when I have found and shared a fix. It's not that I don't have the software, it is just I choose not to implement another problem in my shops. Maybe someone that services a few hundred radios at one location can easily do an upgrade, but we have over 2500 radios scattered among 6 shops with a dozen or more computers and 300 sq mi. That's not even including our sister agencies with over 20k radios among them. It's logistics, not the software. Another Motorola problem cast down upon their customers to insure you have to buy the latest and greatest.(3 software upgrades in the last 18 months, with Astro 25 2 upgrades in the last 6 month)In some ways I am happy we are going eventually to ICOM. Motorola wasn't ever really interested in supporting RR's. Now they will see how much bussiness they will loose over the next few years. Right now we are looking at purchasing 120 GE/Harris 110 watt base stations, 100 50 watt ICOM bases, 2k mobiles 8k portables. Never even received a curtesy phone call back from M when I inquired about pricing, multiple times. I guess they are too busy building out P-25 Smartzone Smartnet trunking systems to bother. Sorry for the rant, but that's my opinion of Motorola right now.

[RADIOMAN2002]

To chrismoll12
My hats off to you!!! Works like a champ. Thank You!!!