UHF LTR SYSTEMS in your area

wazzzzzzzzup · Post by **wazzzzzzzzup** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:43 pm

i have noticed alot of the local motorola shops have bought UHF LTR systems and now sell service, they have been doing so for some time now. i have listened to these systems and notice that they are minimally loaded, nothing compared to the old type 1 systems of the 90's

as an example....
Im scanning a system now thats licenced for 10 channels, only uses 5, and of that only hear 1 consistant user.
has anyone noticed an INCREASE or a DECLINE over the last few years in LTR USERS of SYSTEMS?

wazz

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 8:11 pm

Since Nextel wiped out the Type I 800 systems, everyone just turned to their Direct Connect feature. Now that they've gotten used to having a cell-phone/"walkie-talkie", they could care less about a real radio. I see the same results as you when I'm home. I'd imagine that the UHF LTRs really can't compare to the coverage area of Nextel, hence why so many steer clear from them.

Post by **escomm** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 8:40 pm

With anything, I think experiences will vary. One of our partners took control of the LTR system he was loading not too long ago and we've begun loading our own customers with good success. Coverage beats Nextel hands down, and there are still many types of operations that simply cannot make do with a cell phone. All of my customers that left for Nextel came back within two years because of the "unable to locate subscriber" nonsense and high monthly cost. What good is a phone or radio if you can't receive calls?

M1225-LS's are still a solid model, I've seen several dozen last more than 5 years with only needing an occasional mic jack or volume control replaced. Unfortunately the CDM1550LS+ is the lowest tier product currently available that will do LTR and its deployment cost can be somewhat prohibitive. There's more than a couple of shops here in LA that will gladly sell a used Kenwood for $100 just to get a customer loaded and into a contract.

That said, I am certain there will be some who find Nextel suits their needs better, especially those who need to make actual phone calls and don't primarily need to communicate with each other or dispatch.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:01 pm

As far as coverage goes, I meant that in an area flooded with Nextel towers like where I'm from, you can't beat it. It would be very hard to have state-wide coverage on an LTR. I get your point though.

The LTR where I am was charging $10.00 a month per radio for unlinited airtime about 2 years ago; is that about on target or are the prices you guys are seeing higher/lower? It pretty much covers two counties with mobiles and is somewhat spotty with a handheld.

AEC · Post by **AEC** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:35 pm

While I don't have LTR, I do have 4 450 sites in Wisconsin that are pretty well loaded, tone panel is filled also, I have 12 customers on one machine, 22 on a second, and a mix of customers on the last two, but those are in the 'wilds' of the state, so they see very little use 90% of the time.

Monthly charges are $15.00/Mo. for all radios, up to 10, after that, the price goes up $2.00 per radio added per month, unlimited airtime.

All systems have ID equipment to keep freeloaders off, but that's a private design I prefer to keep to myself for possible commercial use.

Nextel/Boost is great IF you have the coverage, but in N. Wisconsin, there is none north of Tomahawk, whcih is about 35 miles north of Wausau.

The rest of the upper part of the state as well as 97% of the U.P of Michigan is barren of Nextel service.

Phoenix has plenty of 450 and 460 LTR systems active and with plenty of users as well.

Taxis, wreckers, gravel haulers and ambulance services use them.

I'm contemplating a community repeater for this area, only becasue the loading will be very light for the first 5 years, then later I might 'upgrade' to include an LTR systems with at least 10 channels to build out for future expansion before the system is even 1/4 loaded, this way there should be no complaints of no access, or D.O.S due to overloading.

Nextel is NOT quite ready to play a leading role in land mobile communications, and certainly not in a public safety role either.

wazzzzzzzzup · Post by **wazzzzzzzzup** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 12:10 pm

in my area of the south we are seeing per unit prices of 18.00 a month, beyond that, i dont know what discounts are offered. i spent 5+ years on type 1 moto systems back in the mid 90's and i can say that several of the UHF LTR systems are on the same tower, with comparable coverage. back then i was paying moto 16.00 per mo per unit. and 2.00 each addl subfleet.

another thing i have noticed wich is odd, is the duplicate licencing of Freq's by local LTR competitors ON THE SAME SITE!!! two separate local moto shops share one freq, and i can hear both of thier data pulses on it. it turns out that it was the same freq i used years ago on LTR in 2001, (SVC by one of the providers, it was 16.00 a month then) and i just recently figured this out, when i was transmitting, and the other systems pulse occured, it would sometimes crash the squelch on the radio and those listening to mew would loose the transmission. we switched home channels and that was solved.

Radio_Cowboy · Post by **Radio_Cowboy** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:21 pm

It's not just Radio shops going UHF LTR either...... although most of the major radio shops out here DO have a UHF LTR system going now.... most of the indian casino's out here in New Mexico have a UHF LTR system going now, as well as conventionial UHF.

My place of employment is still running a 800mhz LTR system...... FU NEXTHELL!

-RC-

bellersley · Post by **bellersley** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:06 pm

up here in toronto, there are a number ofltr systems, both 900 and uhf. they are all very busy and seem to have lots of traffic. air time is very reasonable... ranging from 12 to 25 per month. coverage is much better than iden.

wazzzzzzzzup · Post by **wazzzzzzzzup** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:09 pm

theres a local Moto shop with a 1 channel LTR basically running it like a community repeater i suppose. yeah, theres a casino 40 miles from here that just put up a 5 channel ltr system, they have everybody on one home channel and trunk off it as it gets busy, i like that configuration, not sure why, but i like it. maybe it makes the system more centralized in my mind and more like a centralized trunked system instead of a bunch of linked LTR repeaters

MAN I MISS HAVING A FLEET ON A MOTO TYPE ! SYSTEM!!! I'd Pay 40$$ a month to have access to one with coverage of the original i was on.
i think several ppl on the board have said chicago still has a type 1 system..THATS IT!!! I'M MOVING TO CHICAGO!!!
*Sigh*

MTS2000des · Post by **MTS2000des** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 10:28 pm

In atlanta, LTR is strong. RadioOne has several UHF sites, most with 15-20 repeaters. Every mexicab uses RadioOne, they even have decals that read "Radio Dispatch solutions provided by RadioOne". There are a plethora of UHF LTR private systems: The Atlanta Aquarium has their own LTR TRS on UHF, the Apparel mart, Ikea, and a couple other downtown hotels all use UHF LTR.

Kenwood is making great headway and I've also seen alot of Icom radios on the Radio One system.

It's a great alternative to pooptel considering the cost for unlimited dispatch, 10 bucks a radio. and you can use talkaround. Rumor has it that RadioOne is bringing the first TETRA UHF system to Georgia.

It's great to see the SMR business from local businesses again. Nextel SUCKS as a dispatch radio...it's a RIPOFF and the audio SUCKS more than a hoover supreme. And at least our UHF LTR radios dont jam our 800 public saftey systems. And with LTR you have your choice of subscriber unit. Not everyone has the desire to be a MotoWAKR and tote an XTS5K or whatever cop radio and actually go to work and do a job and just need a basic radio like an Icom F4TR which costs what a damn battery and charger for an XTS does!

and I love how Motorola tries to hint around like their the LTR king..."the LS Quality Seal" ha ha! LTR wasn't invented by them yet they would try to sucker poor schleps into believing otherwise...

AEC · Post by **AEC** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:31 pm

HA HA HA...Too bad Circle-M missed the boat with LTR...EF Johnson whooped their pants and took it away from them before they knew what happened...YEAH BABY!

Good thing the XTSs don't do LTR..

I would love to reacquire another Kenwood TH380 or even a 280 for that matter.

Kenwood cables are CHEEP compared to Circle-M, and you don't have to hand over a DNA sample as well as your first born either.

Nextel is good at what it does, and that's it, I'd never rely on a system that gets overloaded easily and drops your calls like a dead Saber.

For LTR, nothing beats a Kenwood!

motorola_otaku · Post by **motorola_otaku** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 6:52 am

LTR SMR is HUGE in Houston. The biggest players are Champion Communications and Houston Two-Way (a M shop), and the biggest users are the multitiude of wrecker companies. Most of the systems are in the 490MHz range, but a couple are down on 451.

You guys in other parts of the world are getting some hella cheap rates compared to what we have. When my company was on one of the Champion systems, we were paying $25/month per unit.

If I wanted to get on the last Moto system (a 900MHz TypeII), it'd cost me $35/month per subscriber.

Radio_Cowboy · Post by **Radio_Cowboy** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 12:39 pm

wazzzzzzzzup wrote: they have everybody on one home channel and trunk off it as it gets busy, i like that configuration, not sure why, but i like it. maybe it makes the system more centralized in my mind and more like a centralized trunked system instead of a bunch of linked LTR repeaters

That's how our work system is set up. We have a 10 channel 800 mhz Kenwood LTR system, and each "department" (Security, ERT, Facilities, etc) is issued their own home channel and then trunkes across the rest if their own home channel is busy. It supports about 1500 radios....a mixture of Standard HX-581's (ugh!) and Kenwood TK-480's, all set to 1/2 watt!

-RC-

JD · Post by JD » Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:48 am

I have been considering building a 3 or 4 channel system. Which would be better, an LTR or Passport based system ?

UHF LTR SYSTEMS in your area

UHF LTR SYSTEMS in your area

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