Conventional VHF Astro questions

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BJMCDANIEL
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Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2002 4:00 pm

Post by BJMCDANIEL »

1. We are using P25 Astro VHF in a conventional migration mode. We use P25 repeaters, as well as simplex. We operate VHF FM repeaters and simplex. We monitor several other agencies who are still in analog, and communicate with them on FM interoperability channels. Some of these agencies are running maximum deviation. We are constantly having to adjust the receive audio on the subscriber units, as the digital RX audio is significantly lower than the analog RX audio. I cannot find a way in the software to compensate for this. WHich doesn't mean that it is not there, I just cannot find it.

2. We dispatch for some users who have P25 radios. However, their channel is still in analog. They are attempting to gain access to our dispatch channel (which we restrict to our agency only) by using the justification of not having an emergency ID access. It appears that MDC signalling software is included in the RSS. //otorola has given me a quote to upgrade the Gold Elite and CEB in order to accomodate the emergency ID. As an alternative to MDC, is it possible for these users' radios to be programmed to pass the emergency ID data, without being given voice access to our channel?

3. Anyone know if and when low-to-mid tier radios from //otorola may be available? I prefer to keep my Moto system all Moto, but it is difficult to justify the expense of the Spectra and XTS3000.

4. Is there a remailer/discussion group out there that deals with the conventional P25 users? project25@yahoogroups.com revolves around the trunking types.

bjmcdaniel@att.net
Sgt. B. John McDaniel, KE5PL
Midland County (TX) Sheriff's Office
GROL PG-10-15392
432-688-4613

Where am I now? http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?KE5PL-10
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Elroy Jetson
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Post by Elroy Jetson »

You wrote:

:" We are constantly having to adjust the receive audio on the subscriber units, as the digital RX audio is significantly lower than the analog RX audio. I cannot find a way in the software to compensate for this. WHich doesn't mean that it is not there, I just cannot find it.

I've never seen it, either, and I've been all over that software for a long time.


2. As an alternative to MDC, is it possible for these users' radios to be programmed to pass the emergency ID data, without being given voice access to our channel?

I don't think so. There is no provision in the software to allow data only transmissions, and I'm pretty sure of that.

Would it be feasible to assign another channel to those users as a secondary dispatch channel, with your primary channel's traffic patchable into it as desired? I know, it means another repeater and a reprogram of every one of those subscriber radios...but it might be a solution.

3. Anyone know if and when low-to-mid tier radios from //otorola may be available? I prefer to keep my Moto system all Moto, but it is difficult to justify the expense of the Spectra and XTS3000.

"Astro" (or "digital") means "expensive" in the Motorola language. However, RELM, via their Bendix/King product line, (and maybe under the RELM brand, too) does offer a full P25 solution at substantially lower costs. It is mil-spec 810C,D,and E certified, as well, so presumably it's of satisfactory build quality. There may be other sources of P25 hardware as well. Check out APCO's website: http://www.apcointl.org where you may be able to locate vendor lists.

Elroy
JohnG
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Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:00 pm

Post by JohnG »

"...the digital RX audio is significantly lower than the analog RX audio. I cannot find a way in the software to compensate for this."

Look at F4-F3-F2-F3 "Audio Gain Options." You must be using RSS R08.60.00 or later. You must also have radio code that includes this option. I recall that this was first made available in the 4Q00 System Enhancement Release radio code. Note that the option will appear in RSS regardless of whether or not the radio code includes the feature, so if it appears to not work, check your radio code version.

The P25 list at Yahoogroups is not just for trunking. Conventional and conventional data questions do frequently appear.

John
JohnG
Motorola
Schaumburg, IL.
xts3000
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Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2002 4:00 pm

Post by xts3000 »

I heard through the grape vine that Moto might be coming out with and 2500 series radio. It is a matter of time and what the other radios companies line up is.
BJMCDANIEL
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Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2002 4:00 pm

Post by BJMCDANIEL »

With respect to MDC signaling and a P25 radio: The only place the MDC signaling would be seen is on the console (Gold Elite) if equipped? Would the unit ID/emergency ID be seen in a portable and mobile? Do subscriber units see MDC as they do P25? I wuda/cuda/shuda tried that today.

Thanks!
JohnG
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Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:00 pm

Post by JohnG »

Yes. Properly configured Astro radios can receive and display MDC unit ID/emergency.
JohnG
Motorola
Schaumburg, IL.
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alex
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Post by alex »

I can't claim to know a lot about how astro radios are programmed - but I'll take a stab at something that might work.

Program a channel that you would want their emergency MDC pages to go over. Use the MDC mode steering to transmit on that channel, but do not assign that channel to a zone... I don't know if you can then use that personality to transmit or not, but I don't see how it wouldn't be worth the effort of trying.

-Alex
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CHEFA2001
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Post by CHEFA2001 »

What Alex says sounds like it should conceptually work.. IN theory that is...
Any input?
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