Getting around the narrowband issue with Trbo CPS

[N4DES]

This was brought to my attention not too long ago and I wanted to verify that it worked with a minimum of two CPS releases before I posted it.

There is a way to get around the narrowband lock-down of the Trbo CPS by a copy and paste of 2 small files from a previous unlocked CPS version into a more recent version to fool the CPS.
What I did was to copy the installed files "modelinfo.lmx" and "modelhandler.dll" from an earlier version, such as the one that came with version 8.0, and replace them in the later CPS that I had.
I did this in version 9 and 10 and it worked without any issues programming both an older 6500 and a newer 6550. You will need admin rights to copy and paste the file, or at least I did in my Win 7 OS.

No hex editing was required and there were no ill effects that I was able to find. Not sure if this has been posted before, so if it was a duplicate I apologize.

Mark

[wavetar]

Interesting. I wonder if it works for newer radio models that came out afterwards, such as the 5000/7000 series? Seems to me the CPS wouldn't recognize them if they aren't included in the earlier version lmx & dll files. I'll have to do some testing...

[N4DES]

Please do. I don't have access to those models and no way to test.

[N4KVE]

I use this on my 7550 with CPS 9.0, & it works fine. GARY

[radioactive69]

I thought the narrow was set in the radio firmware and the band edges where it starts and stops, when it left the depot.
Isn't it an issue of the radio's born on date? and not a CPS function?

Wasn't narrow band deadline 1-1-13 and all radios after that date were narrow? Or was it some other date?

Doug.

[escomm]

Naw, it's a CPS limitation. All kinds of frequencies are not subject to narrowbanding. Part 97, Part 95, Part 74, Part 22, Canada, etc.

[nukedude]

I had some drama getting the "Entitlement ID" (EID) for some XPR6550's that were narrow band only from the factory.

Where I work, we still use some VHF Marine channels on our radios, working on ships. So I had to go through the "training" through the Motorola online site and get approved for the EID. After getting this approval, there were many issues with not having the correct version of CPS that was compatible with the EID they provided me with. My name had to be re-affiliated with the company account. There were snow storms in Shaumberg at the times and no customer service available......

Now everything works. But we are having to upgrade computers and CPS as our XP computers are getting old and knocked around a bit.

Great to know there are some work-arounds, as going to Motorola customer service is not always an option hundreds of miles offshore, being put on hold for 30 minutes on a satellite phone, charged at $12.95 a minute.