Connect Systems CS700 UHF DMR Radio Review

If CS I want to improve their product, there is nothing to stop them making changes to firmware etc. The fact that existing users cannot make those changes for themselves is irrelevant. If you want to upgrade your existing equipment to the same standard as the new versions, it can be done - just send it to them and it will be returned to you. The alternative is to buy a new radio with the updated firmware - which is the cheaper option?

Quite frankly, I'm sick of reading the whiny protestations about this or that in regard to these changes. Stop pontificating and just accept that the manufacturer has introduced some changes - that you can have implemented on your existing equipment - and just live your lives. It's not the end of the world, in fact it will be an improvement.

Connect Systems

CS700 [csidmr] Firmware / Version changes

If CS I want to improve their product, there is nothing to stop them making changes to firmware etc. The fact that existing users cannot make those changes for themselves is irrelevant. If you want to upgrade your existing equipment to the same standard as the new versions, it can be done - just send it to them and it will be returned to you. The alternative is to buy a new radio with the updated firmware - which is the cheaper option?

Quite frankly, I'm sick of reading the whiny protestations about this or that in regard to these changes. Stop pontificating and just accept that the manufacturer has introduced some changes - that you can have implemented on your existing equipment - and just live your lives. It's not the end of the world, in fact it will be an improvement.

__._,_.___

More information from Connect Systems

UPGRADING CS700 TO CS700A
AND
UPGRADING CS700 TO CS750

To upgrade from a CS700 to a CS700A requires the following steps:

1. Get a copy of the tuning parameters.
2. Take the radio apart to get to the PCB
3. Short two points on the PCB and turn on Power
4. Load New Driver
5. Load New Firmware
6. Convert new tuning parameters to new turning parameters
7. Use service Monitor to tune certain parameters if necessary
8. Initialize code plug

There are three issues with having the customers do this themselves.
(1) If you make a mistake you might brick the radio and could take at least 4 hours to recover.
(2) If you short the wrong spot on the radio you might damage the radio.
(3) We have no way of protecting our intellectual property from being copied by other manufacturers.

Connect Systems decided that because we cannot have the customers do the upgrading themselves because of the above reasons, we would charge a nominal fee of only $20 including shipping within United States to upgrade an old CS700 to the new CS700A. For customers outside the United States, we will charge $15 plus shipping. For those customers it would be advantageous to ship multiple radios at the same time.

To Convert the CS700 to a CS750 requires the changing of a memory chip. This means unsoldering an existing IC and soldering in a new IC. Then you following the above 8 instructions. For that the price is $60 including shipping. For customers outside the United States, we will charge $55 plus shipping. For those customers it would be advantageous to ship multiple radios at the same time.

To upgrade your radio call (818) 889-0503 after the Dayton Hamvention for a RMA number. With the RMA number, you must include the radio, your return shipping address, and a check or credit card number to cover the cost of upgrade.
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CS700A

The CS700A is the old CS700 Hardware with some new firmware. Among some of the features in the first version of the CS700A is programmable Mike Gain and Nuisance Channel Delete. Future updates will have some of the other features I promised a long time ago. If you are happy with the CS700 you have now, there is no compelling reason to upgrade your radio. The outside of the radio is still marked CS700.
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CS750

The Original CS700 was designed for the commercial markets and as such did not have certain features that was desired by the Amateur market. The CS750 is the first DMR compatible radio to be designed specificially for the Amateur market. In the commercial market, having one thousand contacts is probably more than you will ever need. There is nearly 10,000 contacts available just in the DMR-MARC network and all those contacts and more can be stored in the CS750. The Papa Amateur Club has nearly 1000 channels covering its repeaters up and down the California coast. Our radios will have more than 1000 channels. The Amateurs have a need to add channels while away from their computers. The CS750 will have keypad programming. Some of the other features that the Amateur Community has asked for will be in there such as Nuisance Delete and Mic Gain. More features will be added as we get feedback from the Amateur Community. The price for this radio is $239 if ordered directly from Connect Systems. The price is $229 if your order 10 or more at the same time. You will also save on shipping cost per radio. Some of the features described will not be available on the first release but will be added by a simple upload of new firmware. To order please call (818) 889 0503

How to update Contacts in the CS-700 codeplug

Here's the writeup I did for our club as an intro, in case it works for anyone else.

Radio ID Database

Every DMR ham has a Radio ID assigned to them by DMR-MARC, which is where this database comes from.

(Request link is here: http://www.dmr-marc.net/request_subscriberID.html) This same Radio ID can be programmed into all your radios, since only one will Tx at a time. 

It’s maintained by a team of guys that do a great job with really fast turnaround on updates and new registration.  The whole database is here:

http://www.n6dva.org/trbo-database/trbo_users_view.php

Filter the Listing

Go to Filters and set up:

CS-700 Codeplug - Example

The PAPA CS-700 Codeplug is set up to get the PAPA System member on the air quickly. It is based on the CAL DMR CS-700 Codeplug with contributions and input from PAPA members (N9QE, KJ6RAY, KK6AL and WA6JFK), and has the following changes for improved PAPA System functionality:

• Mt. Lukens / Palm Springs / Mt. Woodson / Mt. Palomar / Santiago / Sunset Ridge DMR repeater Home Zones
• "PAPA Regional" talkgroup 7272
• "San Diego Regional" talkgroup 92101 (Mt. Palomar and Woodson)
• "Worldwide Spanish" talkgroup 14 and "Worldwide French" talkgroup 11 (Santiago only)
• Digital Contact list includes California and Nevada DMR users.
• Revised button definitions
• Most networked UHF DMR repeaters in California, Arizona and Nevada.
• "Local" channel uses a Digital RX Group Call so when the local channel is selected, you will hear (and be able to reply to) traffic on the Local and California Regional (SoCal, CenCal, NorCal) talkgroups for that repeater.
• Zones for the BAYCOM, SF TRBO, Nevada, Arizona and San Diego repeaters have actual talkgroups in use
• 5 custom scan lists (detailed below)
• PAPA analog repeaters
• "Placeholder" channels, Digital RX Groups, Scan Lists and Zones for your own customization

PAPA CS-700 Codeplug

CS700 MotoTrbo DMR - Scan list modification

The past week I have been reading over and over the Motorola Planning Guide (500 some pages) and been playing around to improve my scanlist to speed it up and other features on my radio.

First I thought I would just reduce the number of channels in my scan list, down to 7 TG plus one simplex. That was a bit better but at the cost of not scanning 8 not so busy TG.

No big deal, by the looks on Netwatch and CAN-TBRO last heard, they are rarely used, or rarely UA in Ontario.  ( test, DCI,MIT,NB,QC,MB,AB,BC )

So Monday eve while having dinner at a restaurant and reading again that planning guide on my iPad since this was bugging me and was telling Victor and Walter about my testing minutes before my dinner.   Then Bingo !! there it was in the guide.. use groups in the scanlist instead of channels.. So when I went home Monday eve I tried it and so far so good.   The results were Fast ! the only 3 items in my scan list. TS1, TS2 and one digital simplex; it could be 2 items but I like to have a simplex included.

Create the following Rx Group lists
TS1 with WW, EN, NA, CDN, DCI, MIT, TAC310, Test
TS2 with QC, ON, MB, AB, BC, NB, Local

Edited all the channels for the Toronto repeater or more for your testing..( Raglan, Hamilton..)
so for every channel that is on TimeSlot 1 it's RX Group is TS1 and every channel on TimeSlot 2 it's RX Group is TS2. 

Next step is to modify your scan list for that repeater....
Remove all channels in that scan list, except one channel from TS1 & one from TS2 and a digital simplex if you care.
So your scan list can have NA, Local channels for that repeater and Simplex channel.

Since NA listens to all TG on TS1 and Local listens to all TG on TS2 you will be covered for all TG just by scanning those two channels and faster than scanning 15-16 channels.

So for past three days it has worked fine; scanning is fast and even when the unit is not scanning I know and hear when the TS I am sitting on is busy, without having to key up and get the "repeater busy" tone. So now I just wait for the other TG on same TS to finish their QSO or a break to key up my TG on that TS. Or even sometimes it saved me from keying up my TG because now I knew the person I was trying to reach was on different TG same TS without scanning.

Joining the DMR-MARC Canada Network

DMR-MARC Canada

DMR-MARC Canada operates a Canada-wide ham radio network based upon the DMR standard. This network uses Motorola MOTOTRBO DMR repeaters and is available for all licensed Canadian ham radio operators to use.

Benefits

The benefits of connecting to the DMR-MARC Canada network include:

• Access to a reliable, Canadian owned and operated DMR network;
• Access to the Canada-wide and all provincial talk groups, plus dial-on-demand access to other networks;
• Access to our knowledgeable team, which can help with technical advice or even support in promoting DMR adoption in your local area.

By joining the DMR-MARC Canada network, your repeater will have access to all of the following talkgroups.

CS700 codeplug covers 600+ channels including the Dayton OH area for the HamVention

The CS700 codeplug covers 600+ channels including the Dayton OH area for the HamVention

The CS750 codeplug just covers the Dayton OH (HamVention) area.

K4USD Network

Supporting Amateur DMR Repeater Operators

(Revised 05/052015)

We have multiple c-Bridges offering connectivity to the core DMR-MARC, NATS, and DCI networks along with connectivity to other content (TG) providers.

Each DMR Repeater is assigned a c-Bridge Manager, your repeater can be configured as either a MASTER or PEER; most select configuring their repeater as a PEER so they do not need a static IP address.

We offer a standard configuration as listed below, but can customize within some limitations for your individual repeater needs. If there is a talk group you want that we do not have, we will try and obtain it for you.

Connect Systems CS700 Canada contact phone number

Connect Systems CS-700 - Canada contact ::

Justin Coates

519 816 2841

justingcoates@gmail.com 

http://www.connectsystems.com/Canadian_orders.pdf

The price I quote for example to a resident of Ontario would be:

$220 for the radio

$28.60 (13% Sales Tax)

$15 shipping (my actual cost)

Total: $263.60 CDN

http://www.connectsystems.com/

CS700 Antenna Recommendation

With my CS700, I've been using the Larsen SPWH23450 whip antenna, with good result. Here are the details:

Larsen SPWH23450
Antenna Connector Option: SMA FEMALE-SFU TYPE
Actual Frequency: 425-475 MHz

There is also a stubby version:

Larsen SPHS23450
Antenna Connector Option: SMA FEMALE-SFU TYPE
Actual Frequency: 432-468 MHz

While not listed at The Antenna Farm, either of the antennas can probably be special ordered for around $20 each, plus shipping. http://www.theantennafarm.com

PAPA CS-700 Codeplug

The most notable changes are the Zones for the PAPA DMR repeaters. The new Zone layout places the more popular TG channels in the lower channel positions for easy movement between talkgroups.

Custom Scan Lists: There are 4 custom scan lists as detailed below.

"Local DMR": Scans the Local, SoCal, SoCal 1 & 2 and PAPA regional TG on the Lukens DMR repeater. Selected by scanning from the "Lukens- Local" channel.
"Local A/D": Scans Local, SoCal, SoCal 1 & 2, and PAPA regional TG on the Lukens DMR repeater as well as PAPA 3, 4 and 8. Selected by scanning from the "Lukens- PAPA" channel.
"Home ALL": Scans all talkgroups on the Lukens DMR repeater. Selected by scanning from the "Lukens- SoCal" channel.
"PAPA DMR": Scans the Local, SoCal, SoCal 1 & 2 and PAPA regional TG on all three PAPA DMR repeaters. You will only hear traffic from the repeater you are in range of... sort of a "poor man's roaming". Selected by scanning from the "Lukens- SoCal1" channel on all PAPA DMR repeaters.

Here is the layout:

Episode 138: MotoTRBOStar

A new handheld radio will feature TWO digital modes: MOTOTRBO (DMR) and D-STAR. And it's going to be pretty darn cheap.

Connect Systems CS700 Demo - DCI Tech-Net - 3/26/14

Here's a brief demo of the Connect Systems CS700 DMR portable in action while monitoring the Wednesday night tech net being run by the DCI repeater group on the North America talkgroup

TORONTO ARES CHANNELS

TWO METER SIMPLEX
Channel	Frequency	Description
21	146.460	ARES Simplex NET (103.5)
22	146.400	ARES Simplex WORKING
23	146.520	VHF CALLING CHANNEL
24	146.550	VHF Working
25	146.580	VHF Working
TWO METER VHF REPEATERS (offset 0.600 MHz)
Repeater	Frequency	Callsign	CTCSS	Description
2-Alpha	145.130-	VA3GTU	(103.5)	TORONTO - linked
2-Bravo	147.270+	VE3TNC		Finch & 404 - o/o TARC
2-Charlie	145.110-	VE3WOO	82.5	CENTRAL - o/o VE3WOO
2-Echo	146.985-	VE3SKY		ETOBICOKE - o/o Skywide ARC
2-Tango	145.410-	VE3TWR	(103.5)	CN Tower - o/o TFMCS
2-Wiskey	146.715-	VE3WIK	(131.8)
2-Oscar	146.940-	VE3TOR	103.5	SCARBOROUGH - o/o ETRC
440/70cm UHF SIMPLEX
Channel	Frequency	Description
40	446.000	UHF Simplex Calling
41	446.025	ARES UHF WORKING
42	446.050	UHF Working
43	446.075	UHF Working
440/70cm UHF REPEATERS (offset +5.000 MHz)
Repeater	Frequency	Callsign	CTCSS	Description
4-Alpha	442.375	VE3GTU	103.5	DON MILLS - MAIN UHF ARES