Batboard

i know these are trunking and also can do conventional. can they work with out programming or using any trunking and if so how many conventional channels

If the model number ends in 5AN, it's a 16 conventional channel unit. If the model number ends in 6AN, it's a 160 conventional channel unit.
As far as work without programming... not sure what you mean. They'd work as a nice doorstop without programming, but that's about it, I think

All the LS radios I've encountered needed at least one trunking system defined, but not necessarily placed in the mode list. You will just have to play with it to find out.

yeah i know about the having the trunking mode do that with my 900 spectras

That's not true, I recently had to remove the trunking profiles from a VHF 1550LS+. After removing them, the radio works fine, or you can just remove the zone they are located in. That works too.

I can confirm that, the LS & LS+ can be programmed sans trunking, and work just fine...as bout as good as a taxi-cab radio will work.

Yes but you can't actually delete the last trunking personality or site out of the codeplug, which is what Bill G said.