I got an old repeater

[VETCOMMS]

I did it,  I went and got an old Vertex VXR 7000 repeater.  So now I have an old repeater AND I'm confused. 

So I read I need ce27 software.  Where do I get it?  Some people on the interwebs say motorola.   Some say a vertex group.   Some say from the guy that makes the programing cable (I need one of those too).  Is there a certain version that's recommended?  One that works with windows?

Speaking of that,  does Windows 10 run it?  Gotta go back in time to Windows 7?  32 bit or 64 bit laptop?  

How do I tune the duplexer once I decide on my frequency pairs?

Oh I'm in it now! 

[OffRoaderX]

You cannot get it from Motorola, so your best bet is to get it from someone that has it - and they have to have the "installer" - if they just have it installed on their computer you can't just copy it over.  Usually SOMEONE in most H.A.M./GMRS groups will have it.. You might be able to get it from whoever you get your cable from, no guarantee, but you can ask.  Get the newest version you can get. I have the newest version (don't recall the version number) and I can only get it to run on Windows 10 - it will not work (correctly) on Win11 and I have read that most people have no problem with it on much older versions of Windows with 32bits.

You don't tune the duplexer unless you know how, and you have the correct equipment - and if anyone here tries to tell you otherwise because "it's easy", you should ignore that person.  Find someone in your local GMRS/H.A.M. group to tune it for you or pay $50 to your local radio-shop to do it for you.

[WRYZ926]

8 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

You don't tune the duplexer unless you know how, and you have the correct equipment - and if anyone here tries to tell you otherwise because "it's easy", you should ignore that person.  Find someone in your local GMRS/H.A.M. group to tune it for you or pay $50 to your local radio-shop to do it for you.

This is important to remember and worth repeating.

Our club is lucky that we have one member that knows how to properly tune duplexers and has access to the needed equipment.

[nokones]

CE27 USA version may be a DOS application. CE8 may be what you need.

[MarkInTampa]

12 hours ago, VETCOMMS said:

I did it,  I went and got an old Vertex VXR 7000 repeater.  So now I have an old repeater AND I'm confused. 

So I read I need ce27 software.  Where do I get it?  Some people on the interwebs say motorola.   Some say a vertex group.   Some say from the guy that makes the programing cable (I need one of those too).  Is there a certain version that's recommended?  One that works with windows?

Speaking of that,  does Windows 10 run it?  Gotta go back in time to Windows 7?  32 bit or 64 bit laptop?  

How do I tune the duplexer once I decide on my frequency pairs?

Oh I'm in it now! 

The latest (last) version of the software is CE27 for Windows. It runs just fine on Windows 10 64bit (my programming PC). I got my programming cable from BlueMax49ers for $20 and it worked fine. There are a few tricks setting up the repeater such as how to get into maintenance mode to change the CWID and how to run wide band, do a search on these forums and you should get a pretty good idea on what to do.

[VETCOMMS]

4 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

This is important to remember and worth repeating.

Our club is lucky that we have one member that knows how to properly tune duplexers and has access to the needed equipment.

Are there services that tune repeaters?  Can one mail them in to used-radios or take the repeater to a Motorola dealer to have it tuned?  Can the internal duplexer be removed and mailed to a technician to have it tuned or is removing it from the repeater a bad idea?

[OffRoaderX]

50 minutes ago, VETCOMMS said:

Can the internal duplexer be removed and mailed to a technician to have it tuned or is removing it from the repeater a bad idea?

The duplexer is small and it can easily be removed from the VXR7000 if you know how to run a screws-driver.

[WRYZ926]

Try talking to your local amateur radio club members. They can point you in the right direction.

[VETCOMMS]

I got my programming cable over the weekend.  I have both CE27 and CE59 CPS but when I try to open them with Windows 10 Home it says it's not compatible with 64 bit Windows.  It's strange how some people can get it to work on 64 bit Windows 10 but I am unable.  Anyone else had this happen?  I then installed the CPS on a Windows 8 machine and had the same "can't run on 64 bit" message.  Any suggestions on what else I can try before I go looking for a Windows 7 32 bit laptop?

Maybe I need to have the programming cable hooked up to the repeater BEFORE I try opening the CPS?  Or should I be able to open it without being attached to the repeater?

Thanks for the help thus far.

[OffRoaderX]

Have you tried running it in the various different compatibility modes? - I don't remember how I am running it, and i'm too busy typing right now to get up and look.

[VETCOMMS]

I have not.   Yet.   When I download the cps should there be a Vertex icon that should show up on the home screen?

[OffRoaderX]

After you install the software, you should have an icon on your home-screen and/or START menu.. You set the compatibility options by changing the properties of that icon.

[VETCOMMS]

Me thinks I'm dead in the water at this point?

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, VETCOMMS said:

Me thinks I'm dead in the water at this point?

Did you try right clicking on the executable and selecting “run in compatibility mode”?

Also, you can type alt+prt SCR or ctrl+prt SCR to take screenshots rather than using a camera. 

[OffRoaderX]

I am running CE27 V1.08 for Windows on a Windows 10 Home (22H2) .. I have it set to run in "Windows 7" Compatibility mode and it runs fine.

I am also running the same version on a M1 Silicon Mac, via Parallels running Windows 11 for ARM (64Bit), with no problems EXCEPT i can't connect/program the repeater due to driver issues with the cable and Windows 11.

 

[VETCOMMS]

OK, I was able to download the CPS but when running the setup wizard it said something about narrowband only in the US.  I had changed the laptop date to pretend it was 2003 as I recall something about needing to do that to get around the narrowband thing. 

What am I doing wrong with the narrowband/ date thing?  Or should I be using the non-US wideband  CPS?

[OffRoaderX]

A great feature of this software and this repeater is that to use narrow-band, you have to set your computer to a date several years prior to 2013...

You're doing it right.

[WRCQ676]

That's really old if it's a 16-bit piece of software, is that really the newest version out there? You need Windows 10 32-bit or lower see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/application-management/x64-windows-not-support-16-bit-programs no 64-bit Windows will run it.

[VETCOMMS]

When looking at the info on the back of the Vxr-7000u repeater,  how do I determine if I have the A (400-430 MHz, D (450-480 MHz) or F (480-512 MHz) model?

I didn't think I saw the letter designation on the labels on the rear of the unit but will look again.

[MarkInTampa]

44 minutes ago, VETCOMMS said:

When looking at the info on the back of the Vxr-7000u repeater,  how do I determine if I have the A (400-430 MHz, D (450-480 MHz) or F (480-512 MHz) model?

I didn't think I saw the letter designation on the labels on the rear of the unit but will look again.

Pull the config with the software.

[VETCOMMS]

Okay, several simpleton questions but I want to make sure I don't do any damage to this beloved Vertex.  I do not own a dummy load so my plan was to attach a mobile antenna to the TX connector on the back of the repeater BEFORE I try to read the radio with the software.  Do I need to have an antenna attached to do that?  I'm thinking no, not unless I plan to transmit with the repeater, correct?

The reason I ask is the connector on the back of the repeater appears to be a PL-259 which is what is on the end of my mag mount mobile antenna as well.  I can possibly take pics if it may be helpful?

Appreciate the help, I want my discontinued out of date repeater to last for many years so thought I'd ask you kind folks before proceeding.

[WRXB215]

You don't need an antenna just to read with the software.

[VETCOMMS]

OK, so I read the repeater and am wondering where in the CPS it will say what model of Vertex this is.   

Also,  is download and upload the opposite of what I'm thinking?  With the Vertex is it upload TO the repeater and download FROM the repeater or the other way around?

[OffRoaderX]

18 minutes ago, VETCOMMS said:

OK, so I read the repeater and am wondering where in the CPS it will say what model of Vertex this is.   

Also,  is download and upload the opposite of what I'm thinking?  With the Vertex is it upload TO the repeater and download FROM the repeater or the other way around?

I dont have my laptop in front of me so I dont remember where you pull the model number, but YES, the Up/Download IS backwards (wrong!!) and it causes me MUCH wailing and gnashing of teeth!

[VETCOMMS]

Gracias.  I have it set to TX on 467.625 and RX on 462.625.  If I'm not confuculated that's repeater ch 18.  There is much rejoicing now.   Next is fingering out all the various settings that are on the CPS and what they do.   Any videos on that for the Vertex?

[MarkInTampa]

I never used the icons to upload or download from the radio, read they were revered and others said it wasn't. I clicked on "Radio" on the top of the screen and "Upload" to send to the radio or "Download" to get the config from the repeater.

Easy way to tell, by default when opening CE27 it opens in VHF band mode (at least mine does) and switches automatically to UHF band after reading the radio config.