Vertex Standard VX-2200 and CE-82 Software

[alanplarue]

I need some help from anyone who has experience with the VX-2200 being used for GMRS. I purchased a used VX-2200-AG7H-50 based on comments in this and other forums about the quality of the radio. I also purchased the CE-82 programming software and a cable. Everyone seems to complain that all made-for-gmrs radios are cheap/electronic-junk, so I thought I'd get a highly-regarded commercial radio that can be programmed to operate within FCC GMRS rules.

That decision may not have been the best one. It's certainly not the easiest one, but I've spent my life making data flow from one device to another (I work on SCADA (industrial gas process control) systems), and I actually enjoy these kinds of challenges. With that in mind, I'll explain the problem and see if anyone has encountered and solved this.

When I open the program, a message pops up about an FCC rule requiring narrowband after some date in (IIRC) 2013. When I start to enter the frequencies it shows "W5" in the W/N column, but then it changes to "N" after I enter the frequency for the channel.

 

I found something online about a CE-82 Wideband Recovery Tool, and that may be the solution, but the only way I've found to get that is on vertexradiogroup.net, and that requires a $35 annual membership. I'm more than willing to pay this membership fee IF that will solve my problem, but I'm not willing to pay it if it won't help me. Catch-22.

The other option I'm thinking would work would be to get a pre-2013 version of the CE-82 software. The version I have is 3.05, copyright 2016.

So — go! If you have any experience, give a guy a hand.

Thanks.

[wayoverthere]

1 hour ago, alanplarue said:

I need some help from anyone who has experience with the VX-2200 being used for GMRS. I purchased a used VX-2200-AG7H-50 based on comments in this and other forums about the quality of the radio. I also purchased the CE-82 programming software and a cable. Everyone seems to complain that all made-for-gmrs radios are cheap/electronic-junk, so I thought I'd get a highly-regarded commercial radio that can be programmed to operate within FCC GMRS rules.

That decision may not have been the best one. It's certainly not the easiest one, but I've spent my life making data flow from one device to another (I work on SCADA (industrial gas process control) systems), and I actually enjoy these kinds of challenges. With that in mind, I'll explain the problem and see if anyone has encountered and solved this.

When I open the program, a message pops up about an FCC rule requiring narrowband after some date in (IIRC) 2013. When I start to enter the frequencies it shows "W5" in the W/N column, but then it changes to "N" after I enter the frequency for the channel.

 

I found something online about a CE-82 Wideband Recovery Tool, and that may be the solution, but the only way I've found to get that is on vertexradiogroup.net, and that requires a $35 annual membership. I'm more than willing to pay this membership fee IF that will solve my problem, but I'm not willing to pay it if it won't help me. Catch-22.

The other option I'm thinking would work would be to get a pre-2013 version of the CE-82 software. The version I have is 3.05, copyright 2016.

So — go! If you have any experience, give a guy a hand.

Thanks.

I won't say direct experience with CE82, but I've had good luck fooling the CE package that covers my VX-4200's (and VX-920) by changing my system time to something well before that Jan 2013 date (I usually just leave the rest of the date alone, crank the year back to 2005, and use the actual edit date in the filename when saving) before starting up the software..

[alanplarue]

3 hours ago, wayoverthere said:

I won't say direct experience with CE82, but I've had good luck fooling the CE package that covers my VX-4200's (and VX-920) by changing my system time to something well before that Jan 2013 date (I usually just leave the rest of the date alone, crank the year back to 2005, and use the actual edit date in the filename when saving) before starting up the software..

Thanks! (I replied to this earlier but I don’t see the reply, so if this ends up as a duplicate, I’ll delete it.)

It hadn’t occurred to me that the developers may have programmed in a date where the change would become effective. I’ll give that a try and report back.

[alanplarue]

6 hours ago, wayoverthere said:

I won't say direct experience with CE82, but I've had good luck fooling the CE package that covers my VX-4200's (and VX-920) by changing my system time to something well before that Jan 2013 date (I usually just leave the rest of the date alone, crank the year back to 2005, and use the actual edit date in the filename when saving) before starting up the software..

That actually worked, allowing me to create and save the config. Thanks again, @wayoverthere.

Now if I can get the download to work… the radio and PC both seem to know they’re connected to the port, and the PC seems sure it’s COM3, but uploads and downloads fail. C’est la vie! Fix one thing at a time and eventually everything works.

[wayoverthere]

37 minutes ago, alanplarue said:

That actually worked, allowing me to create and save the config. Thanks again, @wayoverthere.

Now if I can get the download to work… the radio and PC both seem to know they’re connected to the port, and the PC seems sure it’s COM3, but uploads and downloads fail. C’est la vie! Fix one thing at a time and eventually everything works.

Perhaps @PACNWCommsmay have input/experience with the 2200's; I know with my 4200's, they'll go into a reboot loop when the cable is plugged into the radio, and stop and switch to "pc prog" when it gets whatever signal it wants to see from the software. I'll usually have the cable plugged into the computer, plug it into the radio right before I'm ready to read/write, and then click the menu item (which, IIRC, reminds you to turn the radio off and on).  one other thing to check would be Windows Device Manager to see if it may be a driver issue (look for the little yellow triangle/exclamation point).

On a side note, I found it interesting the "upload" and "download" terminology are opposite from most consumer radios/software I've used.

[PACNWComms]

37 minutes ago, wayoverthere said:

Perhaps @PACNWCommsmay have input/experience with the 2200's

Unfortunately, I have only used the VX-3200/4200 series radios. The 2200 series was something that was used in other areas by a former employer of mine, but I never had experience with them. However, with CE-52 (for VX-3200's) there was no warning for the wideband/narrowband requirement, as it was made well before the 2013 mandate. Turning the "clock" back to pre-2013 also works with many other radios and software as well. 

An issue to watch out for with the VX-3200/4200's is that many had filters that were manufactured with a defect, high humidity in the plant in Japan, where the radios could not go into narrowband due to defective narrowband filters. That cost thousands of dollars when January 1st, 2013 came around....and it was not just Vertex. Many then end up being sold as fully functional, either unknowingly, or by those that do not care. 

Good luck on the VX-2200. Quality wise, they are an older Vertex which were made well. 

[Radioguy7268]

The VX-2200 is a fine radio and a good choice for GMRS. When you go into the software to "configure" your port settings, you should probably select the lowest possible baud rate. Vertex software can be a little finicky about what works as far as cables for programming.

You also need to make sure that your cable has the proper driver loaded. When you plug the cable into your mic jack of the mobile, you should get a beeping along with a message on the front display saying that you're in programming mode.

Here's a little help file that Google found for me. I didn't read through it completely enough to vouch for its 100% accuracy, but it seems that he hits the main points to look out for and how to make sure that your software is communicating with the radio.

https://hamradioprogramming.net/vertex-vx-2200/how-to-program-vertex-vx-2200

 

[marcspaz]

Man, blast from the past.  I just wanted to hop in and say I always loved Vertex Standard equipment, but I am shocked to see some being actively used and even finding software for it.  Between going from Standard to Yeasu, to Motorola, and the back to Yeasu before finally being dissolved in 2012, support and software must be tough to come by.

 

Have to say, with the talent here, I am not surprised you got the right answer so quickly. 

 

How are you liking the radio?

[alanplarue]

14 hours ago, Radioguy7268 said:

 

Here's a little help file that Google found for me. I didn't read through it completely enough to vouch for its 100% accuracy, but it seems that he hits the main points to look out for and how to make sure that your software is communicating with the radio.

https://hamradioprogramming.net/vertex-vx-2200/how-to-program-vertex-vx-2200

 

Your Google skills are excellent. That guy has a whole series on the VX-2200.

[alanplarue]

43 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

Man, blast from the past.  I just wanted to hop in and say I always loved Vertex Standard equipment, but I am shocked to see some being actively used and even finding software for it.  Between going from Standard to Yeasu, to Motorola, and the back to Yeasu before finally being dissolved in 2012, support and software must be tough to come by.

 

Have to say, with the talent here, I am not surprised you got the right answer so quickly. 

 

How are you liking the radio?

Can't really say how I'm liking it yet, as I haven't gotten it configured, but I'm enjoying working on it.

I'm also really happy about the support in this forum! I don't know that I've ever participated in a forum where the replies were so specific and helpful, and I've been on the Internet since the WWW came into existence.

[alanplarue]

Thanks to you all pointing me in the right direction. After some more searching I figured out that the GH7H model is an "LTR trunking radio" and it requires the CE-94 configuration software rather than CE-82. Fortunately, the CE-94 software was on the disk that came with the cable, as well as CE-82.

Also: No PC time change required with this software, but I'll definitely remember that in the future. (Seems like I had to do that 30 years ago, but I don't remember why.)

Once I figured out the terminology used (zone and group, because it's a commercial radio and "zone" means something like Precinct 1 or 2, and "group" means departments within the zone (solid waste, public works, etc)). So for me, zone=group and group=channel. I have it working on simplex channels now. I'm not sure if I have the tones configured correctly for the repeaters, but they were easy enough to do on my HT. Nobody was talking, though, and I tried reaching out to the nearest one with my HT hoping I'd hear myself on the VX. Nothing -- but who knows whether I could even reach it? There's a repeater near my house that I know I can hit with the HT, so I'll try that when I get home.

Here's the link to the page with the answer.

HAM / APRS / DMR / GD-77 / GD-73A: VX-2200-AG7H-50

Thanks again!

[WRFP399]

I see you have it all worked out but as far as wide band goes I have another option. You can use the International version of the programming software to allow you to program in wideband channels. That is what I do. Granted I have only used it on EVX-530 and VX230/260 series radios.

I also found that communication errors between the radio and computer were vastly reduced when I bought the OEM FIF-12 programming cable.