I suspect the DTR700 is the start of a new model series of DTR radios to eventually replace the aging 10+ year old DTR 410/550/650 model series. I’m wondering how Motorola is dealing with parts end of life issues in the 410/550/650 models because you can still buy factory new DTRs and batteries for them. Motorola may be finally dealing with parts EOL issues with the 410/550/650 models and the new DTR700 model is the answer to that along with a lot of other updates. Hopefully the DTR700 incorporates the best features of the DTRs and the DLRs together.
I’ve been watching the DTRs on Motorola’s site for updates. The DTR700 appears to be exactly what I’ve been wanting Motorola to do for the DTR series. Motorola appears to be committed to keeping 900MHz digital on-site business radios on the market.
I’m keeping my fleet of DTR650 radios and I may need to sell my fleet of DLR radios and get some DTR700 radios.
Here’s some good news about the DTR700. It is no longer vaporware.
The DTR700 and a DTR600 was granted its FCC certification today. The posting appeared within the past hour. I have been checking for it about twice a day. The DTR600 model appears to be a lower cost version of the DTR700.
Looks like my local Moto supplier is advertising them. Gave them a call and they are expecting to get some demos in soon, so once they do, I’ll try to get my hands on one and do some testing/comparisons.
What concerns me is it looks in the pictures like the body might just be plastic rather than the nice rubber coating the DTR410/550/650 had, which made them very robust. I’d hate to lose that “drop resistance” feature of the old series.
You won’t lose any drop resistance. They have all the same MIL spec ratings.
I’m curious about when demos arrive. Your dealer probably can’t get any demos into the country until Industry Canada certification is granted.
I am watching for Industry Canada certification on the DTR600/700. I assume the TCB uploaded files to Industry Canada on the same day they uploaded to the FCC. The FCC’s turnaround time is usually about 1 day after the upload. Industry Canada typically takes about 1-2 weeks for a new certification to appear in the Radio Equipment List (REL). I am checking the REL daily for the DTR600/700 to appear. The IC certification number is 109U-89FT5874. If the TCB uploaded to IC on the same day they uploaded to the FCC, it should appear in the REL any day now.
Industry Canada certification for the DTR700 and DTR600 was granted today (11/15/2018), one week after FCC certification was granted. The listing wasn’t there when I checked about 2 hours ago.
I noticed in the manual that it refers to selecting DLR in the CPS software rather than DTR, so it does look like this may be just another version of the DLR with a different case.
There’s also a new version of CPS (6.00) that I’ll have to update the links to in the other thread.
From reading the DTR600/700 owner’s guide, one feature that appears to be missing in the DTR 600/700 which the DTR 550/650 models have is Talkgroup Scan. The DTR650 will scan up to 10 Public groups and up to 5 Private groups. All groups in the scan list have to be on the same hopset to be able to scan them. I noticed this feature appears to be missing in the DTR 600/700. Given that the DTR 600/700 programs like a DLR radio, the lack of a scan feature might be related to the DLRs not having a scan feature.
I use the TG Scan feature in my DTR650s. I have public groups 1-6 on hopset #1 (default) and my Private TG in the scan list. Public groups 1-6 on hopset #1 match up with default channels 1-6 in the DLRs. I use the Home Group feature with my Private group set as the Home Group. The radio automatically returns to my Private group after 30 seconds of inactivity on another group. My DTR650s will automatically find their way back to the home group if the group was changed to another group or private contact. I use my private group while scanning for activity on the public groups. In the case of lots of activity on the public groups, the radio will bounce around on those groups as it follows them but will automatically find its way back to my private group. You can reply i.e. talk back on a group that scanning stopped on during the the 10 second hang time before scanning resumes.
I wish the DTR 600/700 had the scan feature. Hopefully it will get added in a future firmware upgrade.
Amerizon Wireless is advertising the DTR700 for $299.95, down from $349.95. Click on Add to Cart to see the reduced price. The expected release date is December 1, 2018. We should see it appear on Motorola’s site around then.
I pulled the trigger and pre-ordered a pair of DTR700s. The expected ship date from Motorola is December 15, 2018, according to the email confirmation I received from Amerizon Wireless. That is earlier than the January 15, 2019 date I was expecting. I should have mine around late December.
I think I’ll also purchase at least one DTR700 just to see how it compares to the 650.
I love the 650’s for use in the thick cement building I work in often. It’s smaller than the VHF radios we normally carry and it works fantastic. Hopefully the new 700 series will work just as well. The lack of the 650’s scan feature is somewhat disappointing however but not the end of the world!
It’s unknown if the firmware can be flashed on the DLR series. For at least the DTR650, the firmware can be flashed using a special cable that is different than the CPS cable.
I hear the firmware cable is not readily available but they do show up on eBay. They are not cheap though and the listings I found were asking over $100 dollars for the firmware flash cable! I did find instructions on salvaging the special connecter on the CPS cable or a cloning cable somewhere her in these forums if I’m not mistaken. One ruins the cable as they must slice the connector open and solder a power wire on to one of the pins and then a flash firmware can be loaded to the radio.
As far as CPS goes, those cables run more around $30 dollars and up and are easy to find. CPS for the DLR and DTR radios is the same for both series and Motorola does not charge for it.
Somebody has the two needed firmware posted in a thread here. Your DTR must be at a certail FW version before the last or newest version will flash to the DTR650.
That’s all I know as I’m still pretty new with these radios. Hope this info answers your questions!
I forgot to mention that there is a somewhat hidden connector cover on the bottom of the DTR650. Use a razor knife blade or other slim tool and you can pop the door open. That’s the connector for the flash cable and the CPS cable.
On the DLR radios, you use the micro usb connector on the charger base to use CPS as there is no connector on the radio itself.
I do not know if you can use the charging port connector on the DTR charger base for Flash and CPS. I always hooked my DTR up to the connector on the bottom of the radio when I’m working with CPS.
If there is a micro usb port on the DLR, I sure could not find it!
The DTR700 and DTR600 connect up to the PC identical to the DLRs through the charging cradle. There is no micro USB connector on the radio itself. The charging cradle has a micro USB connector and a standard USB charger will charge them. It is nice that the radios are USB chargeable like cell phones and everything else. The micro USB programming cable is the same cable used to program all of Motorola’s business radios except for the older DTRs using the Business Radio CPS. The cable is about $40USD on Amazon. I assume the same cable would be used for firmware updates in the DTR600/700 and DLRs. If you already have a programming cable for the DLRs and other Motorola Business Radios, you are all set to connect up to the DTR600/700.
The older DTR 410/550/650 have the wide charging port connector on the radio unde the rubber door. The programming cable and flash update cable are two different cables. The flash update cable is discontinued and NLA but you can easily build your own (BYO). I got lucky and was able to buy a brand new flash update cable (actually new old stock) online. Tonight I happened to stumble upon my mobile car charger for my old i355 NEXTEL phone. It is the same mobile charger for the DTR 410/550/650. I also happened to find a spare battery for the i355. The same battery is used in the 410/550/650. It has a 2005 build date on it so I assume it is no good and I’m going to get rid of it. My fleet of DTR650s including their batteries were manufactured in November 2016. I’m not going to bother to try charging the old battery to see if it’s any good because it’s not worth it.
The DTR600 and DTR700 adopted the DLR way of programming and charging them. Nice.
I think the DTR600/700 doesn’t have a scan feature because the DLRs don’t have a scan feature and the DTR600/700 programs like a DLR. I actually like the DLR way of programming better than the DTR 410/550/650. The 4-digit Profile feature makes it insanely easy to add more radios to an existing fleet and secure them similar to a private group without needing the CPS or needing to update all radios in the fleet. Just set the profile on new radios to match what the fleet uses and you are done. It is not as secure as private group but is way better than simply using them like on a public group in the older DTRs. Further customization such as setting up Private Groups like the older DTRs requires the CPS.
The DTR600 is essentially a low cost version of a DTR700 and has fewer channels. The psychology of choice is at work from a marketing perspective. The DTR700 will have manager mode features like the DTR650. The DTR600 will not have manager mode. I wouldn’t even bother with a DTR600 and recommend going straight to the DTR700. I don’t know if the DTR700 will have manager mode right out of the gate. I’ve seen mention of Phase 2 features so it might be something added later. I haven’t found any information about “Phase 2” for the DTR600/700.
Sorry, I wasn’t being clear. I know all about the DTR410/550/650 firmware flash and CPS. I’m the one who found them originally and created this site because of it!
I was asking specifically about the DLR and DTR600/700 flashing and CPS.
You say you’ve seen a DLR/DTR600/700 CPS cable? Do you have a link?
Edit:
I should have kept reading. I see that the DLR and DTR600/700 are programmed via a micro-USB cable connected to the charger.
Is that a standard micro-USB cable?
Has anyone seen flashing software for the DLR/DTR600/700? (Or do I need to go on a hunt like before!!)
The DLR series and the new DTR600/700 use the HKKN4027A programming cable. It is readily available and around $35 USD on Amazon. Connection to the radio is made through the Single Unit Charger (SUC) cradle.
I pre-ordered a pair of DTR700 radios. They are expected to ship from Motorola’s factory on or around December 15, 2018. Hopefully they will arrive in time before the holidays.
The CPS cable is not a standard micro USB cable. You need the HKKN4027A cable to use the CPS. You can use a standard micro USB cable with a standard cell phone charger for charging with the Single Unit Charger (SUC).
I haven’t seen any software or files to update firmware yet. You may need to go on a hunt for them. I doubt there are any firmware updates available yet because the DLRs are still relatively new and the DTR 600 & 700 are brand new. I expect firmware updates would be done using the HKKN4027A CPS cable.
Contacted Motorola and their “official” reply was that there are not any firmware updates for the DLR or DTR600/700 series radios, or will there ever be.
Taken with a grain of salt as we know how little Motorola support actually know about their products…
But, at least for now, there’s no firmware updates and no firmware updating software.
