XTS5000 MDC1200 features

[craig]

Do all VHF conventional XTS5000 radios come with some MDC1200 functionality or do they have to be specifically flashed for MDC1200? I think I remember seeing this topic before, but could not find it in searching this forum. I am looking at a radio with this flash: 540001-000000-4, but I have to have MDC1200. Perhaps I'll need to buy a flash upgrade. Any help or comments are appreciated.

[Pj]

Let's put it this way, I have never seen an Astro radio without at least the basic MDC1200 stuff.

There are a couple of options for more advanced MDC stuff, but most people/departments don't take advantanage of them, or are nessesary...so I wouldn't worry about MDC.

It's kinda "standard equipment" on most Motorola radio's these days.

[xmo]

Some XTS5000 radios may not do MDC. I think they rushed the product to market - and since their main market is high tier Smartzone systems, that is the feature set that came out first.

I have XTS5000 quotes from Motorola from last year. THere is a section for feature sets, H35 Conventional, H37 Smartnet, H38 Smartzone.

Under H35 Conventional it says:"Does not include MDC-1200. Please see matrix for list of available features"

Unfortunately, I don't have the feature matrix, however I do have some info from a product planning presentation from a year ago that indicates MDC-1200 was going to be added to the conventional feature set in the near term.

In other words, any earlier radio might need a firmware upgrade to offer MDC.

[craig]

Thanks for the info. The radio I am looking at was manufactured 12/03, so I should be in good shape.

[RocketNJ]

I'm pretty sure radios with newer firmware now support MDC. You can always call Motorola and ask.

Be wary of XTS5000's on GreedBay though. There are a lot of them floating around with development version firmware (very old and buggy). You also can not read them with the retail CPS.

George

[craig]

I know the serial number and have figured the radio to be manufactured in 12/03, so I am hoping the firmware will be pretty current. How hard is it to get a firmware upgrade for an XTS5000? My agency has the flashing tool for the waris series, is there a similiar provision for the XTS series?

[wavetar]

I know the serial number and have figured the radio to be manufactured in 12/03, so I am hoping the firmware will be pretty current. How hard is it to get a firmware upgrade for an XTS5000? My agency has the flashing tool for the waris series, is there a similiar provision for the XTS series?

XTS5000 radios require a FLASHport upgrade, which is very different than the firmware reflashing you can do for Waris radios. They are difficult to obtain, as they must go through Motorola directly. Large business customers & government departments are given priority over Joe Blow off the street.

Basically, you need to supply Motorola with the model# of your radios, and a list of serial numbers. You have to give them your current flashcode(s) as well & tell them what specific feature(s) you want added.

If you're lucky, they will in turn supply you with a couple of things to do the upgrade. There will be the actual FLASHport data, on a CD, to be installed onto your computer. The CPS will use this data to perform the upgrade. There is a hardware dongle called an "I-button reader", which plugs into the parallel port of the computer (there are also USB versions out now, I believe). This dongle allows the CPS to perform a hard-set number of FLASHport upgrades. You can view the amount of upgrades ordered & remaining in the dongle via CPS. You can use either the serial ribless cable, or the USB cable for the upgrade. The USB is much quicker...about 2 minutes vs 5 minutes for the ribless...but we had several fail on the USB for no apparent reason. No failures on the ribless at all. Failure was 6 units out of approx 500, or 1.2%.

Todd

[motisking]

ANALOG CONVENTIONAL FEATURES FOR XTS5000:
Conventional Features are additional radio wide features beyond those specified above.


CSQ/PL/DPL Yes
Dual Priority Channel Scan Yes
Adaptive Power Control Yes
Repeater/Talkaround Operation Yes
Scan (Auto, Pre-programmed, Operator Selectable) Yes
Smart PTT Yes
Monitor Yes
DTMF Tone Generation Future

LIMITED MDC FEATURES
Offered in 6.3:

MDC PTT ID ENCODE/DECODE
YES

MDC Selective Radio Inhibit
Decode ONLY

MDC Call Alert
Decode ONLY

MDC Radio Check
Decode ONLY

MDC Voice Selective Call
Decode ONLY

MDC Remote Monitor
Decode ONLY

MDC Call Lists (Call Alert / Select Call)
Yes

MDC Emergency
Yes

[craig]

Thanks for all of the info. guys. I know the difference between flash upgrades on the XTS series and upgrading firmware on the waris radios. If I get a flash upgrade for this XTS5000 will that upgrade the firmware in the radio too. The only reason I ask is because of the bad earlier versions of XTS5000 firmware.

Hey Motisking, do you know when Motorola started with firmware version 6.3: ? My XTS5000 is on it's way and my program cable too. I guess I will get to see the capabilites of this XTS soon!

[RocketNJ]

I think release 6.3 was around Jan '04.

George

[wavetar]

. If I get a flash upgrade for this XTS5000 will that upgrade the firmware in the radio too. The only reason I ask is because of the bad earlier versions of XTS5000 firmware.

A FLASHport upgrade will, to my knowledge, always update the radio to the latest HOST/DSP version available for the feature set (flashcode) you've requested.

Todd

[craig]

Very cool. Thanks everyone for the TON of info.