Unable to update firmware on Tidradio TD H-3 Plus GMRS

[Guest WSBB821]

I have been unable to update the firmware on my new Tidradio TD H-3 Plus GMRS. I have tried both the ODMaster website (web.odmaster.net) and the Tidradio website (walkietalkies.software.com) using both the USB-C cable and a Kenwood style two-prong communication cable. The OD Master site shows to download the firmware with the two-prong cable but gets stuck initializing the radio. The Tidradio site does nothing with either cable. The OD Master techies are apparently looking into this and suggested I "use the software" to update the firmware but did not indicate which software. Any suggestions?

[OffRoaderX]

Is there any specific reason you want to update the firmware? ie; is there some critical issue that is fixed with this update?

..I ask because often (usually) the risk of updating is not worth the reward of updating and us radio experts generally will only apply an update if it fixes a serious/major/real issue that is impacting our radio-lifestyle.

TL;dr: you probably dont need to apply the update and should not waste any time trying

[Guest WSBB821]

Good point Offroaderx. No critical issues. Always assumed there is a reason for an update.

[hxpx]

walkietalkiesoftware.com should have a link to download the "programming tools" for your radio which contains the firmware and upgrade tool, programming software, and he manual. That's probably "the software" they're talking about. But the download for the H3 Plus (both GMRS and ham) are getting flagged by the Windows virus scanner as having a trojan so I'm not going to go poking around in there. (The non-plus H3 download didn't get picked up by the scanner.)

Like @OffRoaderX, it's probably not worth it. They don't publish release notes but I saw somewhere the last H3 (non-plus) firmware fixed something with the airband frequencies that I never use. Looks like the H3 Plus 1.0.29 firmware might be the latest, which lets you edit channel names from the radio and fixed the VFO scan mode to loop correctly. I doubt you'd use VFO Scan mode on a GMRS radio and editing channel names is a nice to have, but not a critical update.

[WRUE951]

i lost a Windows 10 motherboard two years ago doing a BiOS (firmware) update..   In the middle of the update, my wife's office heater flipped the breaker.  It killed the MB.   Because i had lots of software (Auto Cad,  Solidworks, Cura etc.  i got desperate and contacted Asus.   At almost the cost of buying a new MB they were able to recover it by replaceing some EPROMS.