#1 - Read a radio prior to programming it, if at all possible. #1A - ALWAYS save the original codeplug. After you've saved it (in my world - once to the hard drive, 2nd time to a backup/thumb drive), then you can modify as you please, or write another codeplug (copy/clone) to it. You will always have something you can go back to or refer to. Vertex software is often a little funky. It will sometimes allow you to do things that shouldn't be done - ie: writing a codeplug for a "high side split" 450-512 Mhz radio into a unit that was originally built for the lower side 403-470 split. You can also run into some issues with a radio codeplug that was read from newer firmware not playing nice with a radio that still has older firmware in it - or vice versa. Are both radios the EXACT same model version? What does the sticker say? ie: VX-2200-G725? VX-2200 AG7H-50? There was an LTR trunking version of the VX-2200 if I recall, plus I think there was a hack or update that would allow some models of the VX-2200 to be flashed up to the LTR version. I'd also wonder if the radio that did 6.5 watts out of the box was a lower power version radio - because I don't think the high power units would go down that low. If the PA finals were blown out - you would probably get less than 1 watt from a high power radio. What did the software say the Frequency split and Firmware was on that radio? Can you still read the radio that's now powering down after a self-test?