APX O5 head on XTL

[tvsjr]

The search function fails me, but I think this has been discussed before.

I have a new-style dark grey O5 head that was shipped on an APX7500. Will this head work directly on an XTL5000, or can it be "downgraded"? The 7500 turned into an O7, and I hate having this nice new dark grey head that I can't use.

 

[com501]

If you have an XTL, you can't hurt it by plugging it in, all it will tell you is that it is the wrong head. I haven't had enough APX's in yet to try that with.

 

[Astro Spectra]

It will work as long as the usual head firmware release sync is addressed.

 

[d119]

+1. An O5 head is an O5 head is an O5 head. Same with the O3. As long as you sync it with whatever you plug it into, it will work. Be it APX or XTL.

Just don't go expecting O2/O7/O9 heads to work on an XTL. Properly.

 

[tvsjr]

Thanks. Yeah, I have only one O7 head, and it's properly installed on the correct radio!

 

[motorola_otaku]

An O5 head is an O5 head is an O5 head.

This is true going backward taking a new-style head and putting it on an XTL5000, but unfortunately it doesn't work taking an older-style XTL5000-labeled head and putting it on an APX7500. I tried it with a HLN1467 head dash-mounted to a 7500 and it just sat there in bootstrap mode but never downloaded new firmware from the APX brick.

 

[foxtrotdelta]

I got an old XTL O5 head to work on a 7500. It took a little while but downloaded the firmware OK. I can check the exact part number and report back but it was a dual-head remount mount. The other head was the proper new style but I had to remove the original second head (and place the old) to troubleshoot a power cycle issue.

 

[motorola_otaku]

I tried again today, this time with a remote-mount XTL O5 head. It went into bootstrap, downloaded the firmware, and appeared to update but when it came back up it displayed "Unsupported CH".

 

[foxtrotdelta]

Interesting. I'm really not sure why it worked, I've not had a chance to do it again lately nor will I for a while but I'm certain it was the old style. Later on, I put it back on an XTL and for a split second it read "APX7500" but then booted up properly.

 

[com501]

Someone gave me a stack of APX7500s today to program and play with next week. I guess I'll grab my stash of XTL control heads and do some playing....