APX Portable & Mobile Flash Options

[Mars]

Can anyone post what options are missing? Thanks in advance.

For APX series radios:


1. QA01768 Enhanced Zone Bank Operation for APX is at D8, B5. Not D9, B5.

2. H04 Conventional Tactical Rekey, D6, B3, is NOT SUPPORTED. (In APX7000 platform)

3. Q445 Fireground Accountability Software, D1, B1, is NOT SUPPORTED in APX7000 (>R07.00.00 or newer)

Otherwise, his APX encoder/decoder is accurate.

Note: This post edited on 06/08/2012 21:32 CDT.

 

[Mars]

Just received an email about Q445 Fireground Accountability Software. A codeplug was attached, indicating Q445 IS supported.

I can't argue that point, however it is not represented by D1, B1, in the flashcode. Perhaps someone can enlighten us as to where it goes?

With Depot 7, it CANNOT be added. It is an invalid featureset.

 

[IL02]

H04 Tactical Rekey is supported as a separate option on the APX6x and APX4x platforms, just as it is supported on the 2nd tier XTS/XTL subscribers. APX7x, and XTS/XTL5k H04 support is included in Multikey w/ OTAR.

Q445 is listed internally within the CPS structure as existing on the lowest bit of the lowest byte. Regardless of whether it is orderable or shown in CPS (or if it actually does anything), it is there.

A word of advice, one should be carefull about divulging their access to Depot (unless they're an authorized and licensed user, and even then...).

 

[Mars]

H04 Tactical Rekey is supported as a separate option on the APX6x and APX4x platforms, just as it is supported on the 2nd tier XTS/XTL subscribers. APX7x, and XTS/XTL5k H04 support is included in Multikey w/ OTAR.

Excellent information; thank you for contributing.

Q445 is listed internally within the CPS structure as existing on the lowest bit of the lowest byte. Regardless of whether it is orderable or shown in CPS (or if it actually does anything), it is there.

Right. But one cannot legitimately add this featureset. Is it possible someone with alternate means added the option manually, much like the "whored out" flashcodes in the XTS3000 or ASTRO Saber series radios?

A word of advice, one should be carefull about divulging their access to Depot (unless they're an authorized and licensed user, and even then...).

Thanks for the advice. I did not state I had access to the software. I simply stated a fact regarding the operation of such software.

You're more than welcome to participate here and I value your membership. But please don't start lecturing members -- including myself, on legalities. It has been with very careful consideration that I have allowed a limited amount of information to be posted on this website -- and the distribution of a limited selection of support files.

Unlike certain other websites ending in .au, we do not permit the sharing of current CPS, proprietary depot/lab tools or any information or "hacks" which could defraud Motorola Solutions Inc. of revenue. Our membership body and directors are extremely respectful toward Motorola, and Motorola should be grateful for the support we provide your end-users. Something which seems to be lacking these days.

Thank you for stopping by. Looking forward to more contributions.

 

[IL02]

I'm sorry you consider a friendly warning a lecture. However, it's up to you do consider it how you like and do about it what you want.

Back to the topic at hand, what options are available on what platforms is not something you can determine from any one single source. One needs to rely on an amalgamation in order to get a reasonably complete picture. Relying on information from CPS and the price books is a good start but you need to keep working and consider all sources of information at your disposal. Making statements like NOT SUPPORTED is liable to get you into a pickle (or at least this kind of discussion), except possibly if you work in Florida. Unless of course you consider that a lecture, too.

 

[Mars]

So you're telling me I can order Q445 as a flash option in the APX7000? I'd like to see a current R08.xx.xx codeplug with this option included.

My current flashcode in my personal APX7K is 9S41PA-211692-9. Q445 cannot be added to that flashcode.

Perhaps Q445 is a valid option in other APX-family radios. My statement on Q445 support only applied to the 7K.

I'm sorry you consider a friendly warning a lecture. However, it's up to you do consider it how you like and do about it what you want.

Back to the topic at hand, what options are available on what platforms is not something you can determine from any one single source. One needs to rely on an amalgamation in order to get a reasonably complete picture. Relying on information from CPS and the price books is a good start but you need to keep working and consider all sources of information at your disposal. Making statements like NOT SUPPORTED is liable to get you into a pickle (or at least this kind of discussion), except possibly if you work in Florida. Unless of course you consider that a lecture, too.

 

[Magnus]

I think what he is saying is the place for it is reserved, while at the moment you cannot add it to a radio now maybe in a SP or future case it can be done?

 

[Mars]

Oh and IL02:

Quick Call II

Thank you

 

[Bigfella237]

Perhaps Q445 is a valid option in other APX-family radios. My statement on Q445 support only applied to the 7K.

US Electronics (Rick Thompson) has just put an APX7000 up on eBay with R08 firmware and a flashcode of 984238-011793-7 which DOES include "Q445: Fireground Accountability Software". I can't say if this is some kind of whore flashcode or not, I assume this radio is missing the tags otherwise I think he would mention it in the description?

I can only guess that Mars has some other option loaded which mutually excludes Q445, although I have no idea what that could be?

P.S. Perhaps this discussion deserves it's own thread as well (we seem to be a long way from the MCS/MTS FDB discussion)?

 

[Mars]

His pictures are good enough evidence for me that Q445 can be put into a APX7000.

I wish I knew of the radio history. What version of software was it born with? Was the feature grandfathered in?

Someone I know who works at the Depot tried creating the same flashcode as what's present in that eBay radio, and the only option which will not take is Q445. Remove that, and the flashcode is valid.

 

[Radio Crazy]

US Electronics (Rick Thompson) has just put an APX7000 up on eBay with R08 firmware and a flashcode of 984238-011793-7 which DOES include "Q445: Fireground Accountability Software". I can't say if this is some kind of whore flashcode or not, I assume this radio is missing the tags otherwise I think he would mention it in the description?

I can only guess that Mars has some other option loaded which mutually excludes Q445, although I have no idea what that could be?

P.S. Perhaps this discussion deserves it's own thread as well (we seem to be a long way from the MCS/MTS FDB discussion)?

Sorry to say, a totaly whored flash 984238-011793-7, Q53 should not even be in there, FPP on this platform is a Q52 option only, let alone Q445, thank you Dayton.

 

[Bigfella237]

I know this will sound like another noob question but, what does Fireground Accountability Software actually do anyway?

 

[Radio Crazy]

I know this will sound like another noob question but, what does Fireground Accountability Software actually do anyway?

It lets on scene command center be able to track radios of fire fighters working the fire.

 

[Bigfella237]

It lets on scene command center be able to track radios of fire fighters working the fire.

When you say "track" do you mean geographically, if so does that mean this option is used only with GPS equipped/enabled radios?

 

[mobios]

When you say "track" do you mean geographically, if so does that mean this option is used only with GPS equipped/enabled radios?

For newbs like me, this brochure (though a few years old) describes how Fireground Accountability works:

http://www.motorola.com/web/Business/_Documents/static files/fireground_brochure.pdf

 

[cyrus]

When you say "track" do you mean geographically, if so does that mean this option is used only with GPS equipped/enabled radios?

An XTS5000 codeplug that had accountability setup in it had a Sector field available in the Zone/Channel screen that allowed each channel to have a Sector assigned to it.

All the channels in the Zone were the same but each had a different Sector corresponding to the usual fire sectors.

I'm guessing the radio sends out the Sector during the transmission and the Fire Accountability Software tracks this.

 

[Bigfella237]

Position 1

1 - QA00577 Front Display and Full Keypad
2 - Not Assigned (Was Q445 Fireground Operation <R07.00.00)
4 - Not Assigned
8 - Not Assigned
G - Not Assigned

I've been told that Q445 was not able to be added with R05.00.00 either, I assume it must be a grandfathered option from even earlier than that?

 

[Mars]

I've been told that Q445 was not able to be added with R05.00.00 either, I assume it must be a grandfathered option from even earlier than that?

Good info. I wish we had a more definitive explanation for that option. Perhaps IL02 can elaborate when he/she has time.

 

[Bigfella237]

I've been told that Q445 was not able to be added with R05.00.00 either, I assume it must be a grandfathered option from even earlier than that?

A little more information... I am looking at the codeplug from an APX7k which has Q445 and it says it was born with codeplug version R04.00.00

So, it seems support for the option was dropped from Host R05 onward for some reason?

 

[Bigfella237]

Position 12

1 - G806 ASTRO Digital Operation
2 - W12 RF Preamp
4 - Not Assigned
8 - G996 Over the Air Provisioning
G - Not Assigned

Just for the sake of interest I thought it would be good to explain how to add up these options as well, I know I was a little confused myself when I first saw the extra bit being used in the APX:

As with the older radio families, you add the digits in the example above for whichever options you need, so if we wanted G806 and G996 we would add [1+8] and this digit in the Flashcode would be a "9".

And if you then wanted to add W12 it would be [1+2+8=11 and convert to hex] "B".

Where it gets tricky is if you want to add something plus the "G" option, so this is the table for all possible Flashcode combinations after "G":

G+1 = H​

G+2 = J​

G+3 = K​

G+4 = L​

G+5 = M​

G+6 = N​

G+7 = P​

G+8 = Q​

G+9 = R​

G+A = S​

G+B = T​

G+C = U​

G+D = V​

G+E = W​

G+F = X​

Note that the letters "I" & "O" are not used so as not to be confused with one & zero respectively.

This seems like a dodgy patch-up job to me, unless of course there's such a thing as Base-24 integers, which I believe would be called "eicosa-tetra-decimal" (no I'm not making that up and don't ask me to pronounce it)!

God only knows what funky scheme Mother will come up with if they ever start using the 6th bit?

Technically speaking, a 96-bit (8-bits per byte) Flashcode should look like "090A04020708-020101060902-3" not "9A4278-211692-3"

Hopefully it will be a while before they do need to utilize another bit but when they do I suspect the Flashcode format will have to change, seems like a variation on the millennium bug... something written decades ago when nobody ever imagined we'd need more than 4-bits?