Batboard

I have recently been given oversite of work rptr system. I am not a pro serviceman, don't own programming software but do know some things about FM, repeaters etc.. I joined the board mainly to make sure what I have learned from my servicer is correctly interpereted by me. My block diagram of the system (mixed RKR1225's and XPR8300's some running analog mode some trbo but not mixed mode) indicates that the RKR1225 are wideband and the analog XPR8300s are NB. My programmer, the way I understand it, says the XPR6550 can't be programmed to run both wb/nb analog at the same time dependant on channel selected so some channels run Mototrbo but the analog positions tx/rx run all wideband. His serviceman, who set up the system initially back in 2008 and visited today, seemed to convey that 6550 could do wb or nb depending how channel was programmed, so is wb/nb analog on a XPR6550 a one way or the other proposition or was he referring to analog all one way and trbo is by nature nb?

OK, TRBO subscribers are channel independent on the deviation. In other words, channel one can be analog wide channel 2 can be analog narrow and channel 3 can be trbo digital which is ALWAYS narrow.

Now the repeater is fixed, It have one channel period, it can be analog wide, analog narrow or trbo.
I have radios that in a single zone have capacity plus, and standard narrow analog channels in them.

The ONLY time you can't share a zone is if you are running connect plus. The connect plus system requires it's own zone, but that is a system with multiple repeaters and a $40000 controller.
Very few of those around.

Thanks, very helpful and clears that question up for me. Serviceman right Salesman/Programmer wrong or I misunderstood what he told me. The BIG conversion hangup are the analog phone patchs, used phone ->repeater only run by Zetron MAX-48 controllers. There are 3 that are critical to the users on 2 RKR1225s and one XPR8300 in analog mode. I would love a similar hardware only solution for the Mototrbo DMR only mode but all that seems to be offered seem way overkill, lots of unneeded outbound or dispatch capabilities, may require option boards in 400 handhelds and a PC based ethernet connected server, and have five figure upfront and or recurring license costs for a software solution that would involve getting the IT department involved. (not a good or rapidly implemented thing at my place). Tell me there is a magic <$1000 hardware rackmount box out there that can do the same control functions for a DMR machine or using XPR8300 mixed mode there is some kind of workaround!

There are 3 flavors of mototrbo.

First is the basic repeater in digital. This uses a single repeater pair (frequency) and gives you two talk paths (slot 1 and slot 2)
Then there is capacity Plus. This is similar to LTR trunking. There is no control channel and the 'home channel' rotates. You install multiple repeaters and you get two talk paths per repeater.
There is a one time licensing fee for the repeaters to enable the capacity plus on the repeaters. The subscribers are simply programmed for operation on the system. The drawback is there is
little control over the system access. IF someone knew the programming, they could in theory add radios to the system and you wouldn't know it. There are management applications out there that deal with this but it's more money.

The next flavor is CONNECT PLUS. this is for wide area coverage. a repeater is configured with site connect with one or both of the talk paths linked to another repeater on a different frequency at another location. It's basically multicast, but not to be confused with simulcast which everything is on the same frequency. TRBO does NOT support any simulcast at this time.

the last one is IP SITE CONNECT which is a type two trunking, it requires an expensive controller. It requires a module in each subscriber and is expensive. all licensing is a one shot deal but it's still pricy. it combines the functionality of type 2 trunking and connect plus so multiple controllers can be innerconnected at multiple sites. again the repeater frequencies are different for a given channel because it's NOT simulcast. because it's controller based and you affiliate to the site, if no subscribers are affiliated to a specific site on a specific talk group it will not key a repeater on that talk grooup when it's in use at another site.

Well that's the TRBO lesson for the day.

You need phone connectivity.
I would research a single point controller that would connect directly to a radio, not a repeater system. I would look at converting the repeater system to capacity plus and then putting specific talk groups on it that were phone use. I would then put control stations on those talk groups tied to the phone interface unit.
As long as you could find a unit that was DTMF controlled it shouldn't be a big issue.
I believe that there is a way to make TRBO full duplex. so you could have a full conversation going if you used handsets on the subscribers.

"The next flavor is CONNECT PLUS. this is for wide area coverage. a repeater is configured with site connect with one or both of the talk paths linked to another repeater on a different frequency at another location.
It's basically multicast"

"the last one is IP SITE CONNECT which is a type two trunking, it requires an expensive controller"

No and No. You have that backwards desperado.

IP Site Connect is the multicast technology:

"When operating in IP Site Connect Mode, MOTOTRBO combines the logical channels of
multiple MOTOTRBO systems (operating in digital repeater mode at dispersed locations)
into one logical channel covering all locations. In this mode, repeaters across dispersed
locations exchange voice and data packets over an IPv4-based back-end network. There
are three main functions of this mode.
• To increase the RF coverage area of a MOTOTRBO system.
• To provide voice and data communication between two or more MOTOTRBO single
site systems located at geographically separate locations.
• To provide voice and data communication between two or more MOTOTRBO single
site systems operating in different frequency bands (e.g. 800/900 MHz, VHF, and
UHF)."

Connect plus is the trunking format:

"Connect Plus is a single-site or multi-site trunking solution that utilizes MOTOTRBO repeaters and subscribers for its RF components.
Because the radios operate in digital mode, a Connect Plus system combines the advantages of MOTOTRBO digital signaling (two voice conversations per repeater, integrated digital features, etc.) with the efficiency of trunking..."

yep, your right.... I shouldn't create postings that early.