Talk Around Programming For Motorola Capacity Plus Systems

[Jim1348]

I am an end user on a Motorola Capacity Plus system. I have asked our representative at our radio shop a number of questions and he hasn't fully answered all of them to my satisfaction. Do most shops program talkaround on MOTO TRBO systems on output frequencies? We have two pairs of UHF frequencies. When we switch to talkaround, I assume that Talkaround 1 and 2, are simply Time Slot 1 and 2 on one frequency pair output frequency and that Talkaround 3 and 4 are Time Slot 1 and 2 on the other frequency pair output frequency. I assume that the Color Code are something other than the ones used for system talkgroups.

The other "assumption" I have is that when Talkarounds are used there would be no way for most end users to determine when the system talkgroups are covering up simplex activity. Do most shops instruct their customers to only use Talkaround when they are out of system coverage?

What I notice on the display of the XPR portables is signal strength has brief activity, so I suspect that is the data burst on the system. Would the data burst typically be on one RF frequency or both? Also, would it be on Time Slot 1, 2, or both?

 

[mss-dave]

Cap plus sends data bursts on each RF channel so it would NOT be good practice to program talkaround on the repeater output. The subscribers have to hear that burst to accurately sync to the system. As far as talkaround, you can do what you are assuming but without seeing the exact programming, you might be mostly wrong. In the old analog repeater days people programmed for talk around on the repeater outputs because you could monitor before transmitting. Not so much or impossible now on digital systems, especially trunked systems. Well, you probably can but that is beyond the scope of the normal end user.

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[com501]

This would not be an accepted practice. The only time these would be usable is when the system is down, as in total failure. If TA channels are used regularly, they should be on a separately license simplex channel. I have never programmed simplex channels on any digital repeater system, especially trunked systems, except in my own test radio. Never for a customer.

 

[Dubs]

I'm on a conventional repeater setup where the vendor programmed the "T/A channel" on the repeater output, same CC, using the busiest slot and it's own separate group ID. I figured at least there would be an rx group list that includes the other talkgroups on that slot but it doesn't. I guess if the repeater goes down we can us it... It's never seemed right to me. We also have a "Simplex" channel using the input of another repeater pair which seems like a better talk around option.

 

[motoapx]

If TA channels are used regularly, they should be on a separately license simplex channel.

This is exactly the way I've licensed the system I'm bringing up. Trunked operation on a YG license where the subscribers are intentionally *not* licensed for TX on the repeater outputs. A second, related conventional (IG) license, allocates simplex channels for scenarios in which subscribers are either out of repeater talk-in range, or simply don't have a need to tie up the shared capacity of the repeater.

One other thing to note -- I *did* intentionally license the conventional allocation to let the subscribers talk on the repeater outputs. This is due to the fact that if we ever had a system failure or organizational change that required us to revert or reprogram away from a trunked configuration, we're able to implement conventional talkaround without needing to file an amendment to our license.

For the same reason, I added emission designators for both digital and analog operations to each license, just for added flexibility should it ever be needed. It doesn't cost anything extra to add the designators to the license, which leaves no reason not to do it, IMO.