Another "What is it" Challenge.

[TomT]

I have been given two units from a crate of surplus.

both units say Southern Linc by Motorola on front.

box one is Model no M02UCK6NR3CN, FCC ID AZ492FT5775.
Power and antenna jack on back
25 pin jack on bottom,
RJ style mod mic port on front.

Box two is Model no M12UCN6NS7AN FCC ID AZ492FT5758
Power and Antenna jack on back
25 pin on bottom
RJ style mod mic port on front.

Anyone have any clues as to what these are?

Thanks
Tom

[Batwings21]

Sounds like IDEN mobile units similar to nextel mobiles, maybe m370's?

[DJP126]

They are iDen units. Southern Linc was Nextel's "compitition" in the south.

[Dan562]

They're iDEN Products and Southern Linc is the Public Utility's Communications Radio Network Link for the Southeastern United States. So Linc doesn't use the Interconnect portion of the iDEN Network but the Infrastructure is in place in case other users on that system want or need to use that function.

[TomT]

Thanks for the info guys, at least know I know more about where they came from.

I guess, however, that there not gonna be much use to me with GMRS communications, or ham when i get to take that test either.

Regards
Tom

[MTS2000des]

They're iDEN Products and Southern Linc is the Public Utility's Communications Radio Network Link for the Southeastern United States. So Linc doesn't use the Interconnect portion of the iDEN Network but the Infrastructure is in place in case other users on that system want or need to use that function.

since when did SoCo stop using phone? every SoCo lineman I know carries one, and makes/gets phone calls all day long on them.
they actually offer service to the general public, in fact, they offer an unlimited interconnect plan for 50 bucks a month:

http://www.southernlinc.com/unlimited_promo1.asp

[DJP126]

They're iDEN Products and Southern Linc is the Public Utility's Communications Radio Network Link for the Southeastern United States. So Linc doesn't use the Interconnect portion of the iDEN Network but the Infrastructure is in place in case other users on that system want or need to use that function.

since when did SoCo stop using phone? every SoCo lineman I know carries one, and makes/gets phone calls all day long on them.
they actually offer service to the general public, in fact, they offer an unlimited interconnect plan for 50 bucks a month:

http://www.southernlinc.com/unlimited_promo1.asp

I think Dan is referring to the "direct connect" feature of iDen when he said "the Interconnect potion".

[kf4sqb]

They're iDEN Products and Southern Linc is the Public Utility's Communications Radio Network Link for the Southeastern United States. So Linc doesn't use the Interconnect portion of the iDEN Network but the Infrastructure is in place in case other users on that system want or need to use that function.

since when did SoCo stop using phone? every SoCo lineman I know carries one, and makes/gets phone calls all day long on them.
they actually offer service to the general public, in fact, they offer an unlimited interconnect plan for 50 bucks a month:

http://www.southernlinc.com/unlimited_promo1.asp

I think Dan is referring to the "direct connect" feature of iDen when he said "the Interconnect potion".

If that's what he's referring to, then, yes, they do use that feature. Aside from the coverage area, Southern Linc is the exact same thing as Nextel. They are functionally identical. In fact, I think there was some talk at one time about allowing users of either network to talk "cross-network".

For a brief history of the service:
Southern Linc was originally set up/installed for in-house communications between employees of Southern Company. Southern Company is the parent corporation of Georgia Power, as well as large power companies in Alabama and the Carolinas (I think), among other things. I don't know what all else they are involved in. Their system, as installed, had a lot more capacity for users than they needed, so they started offering the service to the general public. The system has gone through several expansions since then to allow for even more customers. Their original plan, after starting to offer service to the general public, was to expand their network to cover all of the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, Virginia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. I guess they changed their mind about that, because the Southern Linc network sure doesn't cover that kind of area.