Password on CP040

[johnnyb]

I hope that I have selected the correct forum for my question(s). I am a User of a CP040 programmed with 3 commercial frequencies. I am a motorsport marshal and bought the CP040 from the same Dealer who supplies the circuit with marshalling radios. So it’s all above board and legal, the circuit has knowledge of my ownership of the radio. However I am now moving to a different part of the country and am stuck with a radio that I cannot sell or use. I am however also a Radio Ham and fortunately the CP040 falls within the 2m band plan so I wish to reprogram the rig with local Ham Radio repeater frequencies. I asked the radio dealer to reprogram the radio which he has no problem doing, however I would like to change these frequencies whenever I choose to do so but he has a ‘password’ in the radio which he does not want to remove or share. I may be wrong but is this ethical....it is my radio and if the radio is legally mine on my Ham Radio licence, should I not be allowed to program it by myself? I have access to the CPS software and a cable but will not buy it until I know that I can freely program the radio successfully. My question is: Can this password be removed by some means other than by the initiator of the password? What if he dies or closes down, surely there must be a way around this.Thank you for your time.

[bw18]

Hi Johnnyb and welcome!

This is a common 'problem'. Many dealers are very secretive about their passwords and it is like getting blood from a stone! There are a few of us on this forum who have supplied extra radios to existing dealers systems and have been unable to get the password from the dealer for us to read and clone to radio's we are adding to the system. In a way I understand it, as they want to retain the business and supply extra equipment. However, at the end of the day you have purchased your radio fair and square and should be able to do what you wish with it!

The other way to look at it is that the dealer can charge you every time you need your radio re-programmed, they hold the key as it were. They will most likely say you are not authorised by Motorola to programme radios etc... If that is the case go and sign the contract and get yourself the genuine CPS and cable... That way you can wave it in their face if they decide to throw it at you.

I would go back to the dealer and ask them to disable the password for you, not tell you it, just remove it totally. The problem with the CP series is you cannot 'dump' a new codeplug over the top of an existing codeplug (unlike the GP series). The CPS for the CP series was designed in such a way that anyone could use it and re-programme as and when needed.

If you get really stuck drop me a PM, i might be able to help you!

BW

[emsgeorge]

i would go to another dealer.

Have you told this dealer that you dont want it passworded ?

We've come across this sort of thing before - our radios have gone to an 'awkward' supplier to have a channel put on it for an event, with the full blessing of the client (supplier wont give us freq details ...), and its come back with a password on. It goes straight back to the supplier to have it removed. Last time it happened, we invoiced them for the time and carriage to get the radios to them.

This petty passwording when YOU are paying the dealer for their time and skills, really gets on my wabs.

The reason they dont want to give you the password is so they have to do any additional reprogramming work, and, i bet, they use the same password all throughout their systems, so giving it to you will allow you to read off any radios theyve ever supplied.

[johnnyb]

Thank you for your reply BW.

I am going to give it one more shot. I am going to the dealer and I am going to ask him to default the radio to its factory settings then I will ask him to program the 4 most common Ham Radio repeater frequencies into the radio. I am then going to ask him not to password protect the radio because in effect, the commercial frequencies have now been removed. If he still does not want to comply then I guess my hands are tied and I do not know what my next recourse will be.

BTW. I must be honest...I know nothing about Motorola programming. I have a number of Kenwood rigs and I have no problem programming them...it's just the Motorola that's giving me a headache.

Once again, I am a licenced Amateur Radio Operator and I dislike been treated this way by the Dealer. I understand he has laws to follow but I also have rights as the Legal User and Owner of the rig.

Thanx again,
Johnnyb

[bw18]

No problem, as George says, it might be worth trying another dealer!

If you get really stuck drop me a PM- I have 'my ways' shall we say of getting passwords out of radios! I would also speak to your dealer and advise him you will publish his company password (again, as George says they are generally used accross their systems), slightly childish- yes... His attitude to not disabling your password though is just as childish. I have no time at all for dealers who play this 'secret password' game, it really gets my goat!!!

Please let us know how you get on though, we would be interested to see what reaction you get!

73's

BW

[emsgeorge]

Theres no law that makes him password the radio.

Only his desire to have you go to him each time, so he can extract cash from you !

Get him to default it, then go somewhere else. Dont give this plonker any more of your hard earned cash.

Where abouts in the country are you, Im sure between Ben and me we can recommend some good dealers that we've dealt with over the years.

[johnnyb]

Thank you all for your most encouraging replies....I cant wait to go to war! I will let you know how it turns out 

Best regards and all the best for 2012
Johnny

[johnnyb]

Hello Again,

Just a quick update: you all left me with such a positive feeling that I decided to buy the software and the cable even before finding out if I could get the dealer to remove his pesky password. Thank you Rob for your quick response. The CPS downloaded and installed without a hitch. I also bought a programming cable on eBay. Now I will just have to wait for delivery of the cable from the supplier. Once I have it all together, I will see what I can do with the radio. I may come knocking on your door again sometime in the very near future.

Thanx again and best regards,
Johnnyb
 

[bw18]

Top job Johnny!

Nice to see you supporting the forum too

As I said before, if you get really stuck let us know. It might involve you sending the radio to me (depending where you are in the UK), but it will come back to you with no password

Have another go with the dealer first and let us know how you get on!

Ben.

[johnnyb]

Hello Ben,

I must apologise, it seems as if I may have created the wrong impression. I am not located in the UK  (If I was, I would likely not be in this situation right now.) I am actually located in Cape Town, Sunny South Africa.   

If the "pesky Dealer" does not remove the password (or is that "Dealer" and "Pesky password"?) I hope that there is still something someone can do to assist me.....but lets not go there yet, lets see what happens when I get it all together.

Thanx and regards,
Johnnyb

[bw18]

Ahh... That does make things slightly harder! That's a very expensive flight to get a password removed 

Good luck though, and I am sure I speak for all... we would rather be in sunny South Africa than the UK at the moment... we are being hammered by gale-force winds, and its bloody freezing to say the least!

Let us know how you get on in due course.

Ben

[glink]

Hi Johnnyb. I can help you (I'd rather not go into too much detail here about reading codeplug passwords). I'm located in Somerset West. Drop me an email - glink@gbay.co.za. Cheers. Stuart

[johnnyb]

Hello All,

I have now got everthing I need.....CP040,CPS,Programming Cable and Notebook with Windows 7 . I Connected the radio, cable and PC and called up the CPS program and tried to read the radio...it requested a "codeplug password."    So the radio is definately password protected. I am in touch with one of the forum Users who will be able to assist me in solving the problem.   I will fill you all in once I have a satisfactory and happy outcome.

Thanx and Best Regards,
Johnny 

[johnnyb]

Hello All,

God, in His Infinite wisdom, decided not to reveal the password to me.....by whatever means. I do not wish to elaborate why, but having this password would have been first prize.

However there is a second prize and that was overwriting the radio with a default sample file and reprogramming the radio with necessary frequencies...which, when you come to think of it, is actually what I set out to do.

I would like to thank Stuart for all the effort he put into not only solving this problem for me but for also taking the time to teach me a few things about Motorola Radios.

To all the members who inputted to this particular issue...kudos to you also.

Best regards,
Johnny

[bw18]

Excellent news Johnny!

At least now you have a radio that YOU can programme and do what you want with, rather than being dictated to by dealers!

Hope to hear from you again soon

Ben.