These are the instructions for modifying a Vertex VXD-720 high band split radio
(450-512 MHZ), to be programmed into the amateur 440 band using the
Vertex Clone Editor CPS software and the HXD hex editor.
1. Download and install HXD hex editor, do a Google search.
2. Launch the Vertex CloneEditor, Read the radio and save the file. Note the band limits (450.000 - 512.000 MHz) by clicking on VXD720 at the top. Leave the CPS window open.
3. Launch your hexeditor (HXD.exe), Click on “Extras”, “Open RAM” and then click on
“Vertexcloneeditor.exe”
4. Next, press control+R (or edit > replace)
5. Enter your current band limit (e.g. 450.0000) on the first field
6. Enter your new, desired band limit (e.g. 420.0000) below.
All I did was search all strings with 450.000 in it and changed them to 420.00! You can only write the code plug then... If you read or updated firmware you will lose the hex edited codeplug
7. Keep “datatype” at text-string, check the “unicode string” and “all” boxes, and click “Replace All”
8. Click on “Save” (in the Hex software utility) and leave HexEditor open.
9. Return to your open CPS program, Click on Channels and make some changes in the frequencies, and then back to VXD720 to see if the changes took affect at the “device information” page in the right pane (note the new split - 420 - 512 MHz).
10. IMPORTANT! the next step is to edit your all of your channels/frequencies, contacts etc. AND SAVE THE FILE (codeplug) under a new, different name
(eg: vxd720_modified.vta). This saved codeplug will now ALWAYS have the modified band split and should be used from now on instead of reading the codeplug from the radio!
11. If you upgrade the firmware you will have to use the recovery option in the CloneEditor which will default the radio back to a basic state. Read the radio and then start the modification again at step 3. TEST AND ALIGN is not required and the radio will perform to 420MHz at full spec. Any attempt to read the radio will result in the deletion of all “out of band” frequencies in the radio. It will not be bricked, just the information would be lost. use the saved file to restore the radio if this happens.
12. SAVE the codeplug and edit from the file for future programming changes.
7. Keep “datatype” at text-string, check the “unicode string” and “all” boxes, and click “Replace All”
8. Click on “Save” (in the Hex software utility) and leave HexEditor open.
9. Return to your open CPS program, Click on Channels and make some changes in the frequencies, and then back to VXD720 to see if the changes took affect at the “device information” page in the right pane (note the new split - 420 - 512 MHz).
10. IMPORTANT! the next step is to edit your all of your channels/frequencies, contacts etc. AND SAVE THE FILE (codeplug) under a new, different name
(eg: vxd720_modified.vta). This saved codeplug will now ALWAYS have the modified band split and should be used from now on instead of reading the codeplug from the radio!
11. If you upgrade the firmware you will have to use the recovery option in the CloneEditor which will default the radio back to a basic state. Read the radio and then start the modification again at step 3. TEST AND ALIGN is not required and the radio will perform to 420MHz at full spec. Any attempt to read the radio will result in the deletion of all “out of band” frequencies in the radio. It will not be bricked, just the information would be lost. use the saved file to restore the radio if this happens.
12. SAVE the codeplug and edit from the file for future programming changes.
