MDC programming help

[ShorelineSD]

Hi,

I'm kind of new to the whole MDC signaling thing, so here goes.

I have a fleet of buses with CDM1250s as well as a CDM1250 as a dispatch radio. I am trying to configure a channel on the bus radios so that they will remain muted unless they receive a selective call from dispatch. Then, I would like the called driver to be able to carry on a conversation with dispatch while not disturbing the other drivers.

I have played around with MDC selective calling and setting the signaling squelch to" And". I think I'm close, but not quite there. Also, if selective calling is the way to go, can I disable the selective call alert tone? Not the side tone, but the tone that the radio emits when it has been called, along with flashing the call LED. It gets kind of annoying when it sounds every time the dispatch radio keys up. I would like to keep the capability of doing a call alert, so turning off all of the tones through the radio's front panel does not seem like the best way to go

If the buses wanted to hear all of the traffic on the channel, I imagine that they could just change to another channel that it set to "Or" signaling squelch. Is MDC this the best way to do this? Is it even possible?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[HLA]

sounds like you want this to work like nextel? need alot more info on your complete system, is it simplex, repeater, trunked, what band, what version of 1250's, standard, ls, ls+? is this actually your system or do you rent it? how many frequencies are you licensed for? how big is your fleet, how big is disbatch, how much area are you trying to cover? and i'm shure your answers will bring up even more questions

[ShorelineSD]

The system is a conventional UHF system with one repeater, not trunked. The radios are all standard 1250s (Model #AAM25RKD9AA2AN). We own the system. We are using one frequency. The fleet is about 87 buses. Dispatch is one 1250 with 5 C200 tone remotes. The area is only about 5 miles by 5 miles. --Thanks