MotoTRBO. You saw it here first!!!!

rodell · Post by **rodell** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 11:34 am

The TRBO repeater is analog OR digital, but not both on the same channel at the same time?

Post by **escomm** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:54 pm

rodell wrote:The TRBO repeater is analog OR digital, but not both on the same channel at the same time?

Correct, there is no "mixed mode" operation. It could not work as the digital modulation is TDMA and is capable of two time slots of information (voice + voice or voice + data)

KMB · Post by **KMB** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:40 am

Could developmental version be programmed?
Thank you!

KMB · Post by **KMB** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:58 am

wavetar wrote:Here's the mobile accessory connector info:

Could wavetar shows the accessory connect of portable?
Thank you~~~

vlcano57 · Post by **vlcano57** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:40 pm

how much are we talking starting prices for these things.

ARM for Mobile
Leg for Portable
First Born for both???

They look soo nice, but probably not in the price range for a CT city firefighter huh?

RKG · Post by **RKG** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:16 pm

These radios really aren't designed for a public safety application. Basically, when fully implemented in digital format, you can create logical channels. Channels are "binned" into two groups. At any one time, only one channel in Group A and one channel in Group B can be active -- though one channel in each group can be active simultaneously with one channel in another group -- but if a channel is active in your group and you key, you get a busy signal.

Beyond that, a quirk of digital communications is such that, in simplex mode, a nearby radio may not hear you, though a more distant one will. For this reason, NFPA 1221 had nixed digital voice mode for fireground use.

These are really intended for commercial applications: factories, large warehouse or manufacturing facilities, large agriculture facilities, and the like.

Physically, MT portables are akin to Waris (HT1250) portables, and while the Waris line was never proclaimed to be a public safety grade radio, an awful lot of fire departments use them and find them quite acceptable. HT1250s can be bought for under $1,000 per. If you need an inexpensive FD portable, I'd recommend HT1250s over MotoTRBO portables.

vlcano57 · Post by **vlcano57** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:29 pm

thanks.

I had an HT1250 at one time, but of course on a marine alarm, my strap broke and it took a swim

techtonics · Post by **techtonics** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:58 am

Just to let you know have my company has just sold a 100 subscribers with 3 text/gps clients

transistor747 · Post by **transistor747** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 6:13 am

At the Motorola Road Show in our area recently, /\/\ was showing a Rf amplifier for the mototrbo repeaters. I questioned them about it because when I got a license for my demo system I was under the impression that 40 watts on UHF was a limit imposed by the FCC. The /\/\ amp is designed to increase that to 100 watts.

Which leads me to this question:
Has anyone tried any amp on a TRBO system in digital mode? What was the result?
Thanks!

Terry_Glover · Post by **Terry_Glover** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:18 am

transistor747 wrote:....I was under the impression that 40 watts on UHF was a limit imposed by the FCC. The /\/\ amp is designed to increase that to 100 watts....

There is no FCC rule limiting the UHF business/p.s bands to 40 watts.

transistor747 · Post by **transistor747** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:17 am

I am referring to the emission designator 7K60FXD and 7K60FXE. When we went for coordination, EWA told us the FCC was not licensing these over 48 watts anyplace in the country.
At least, thats the way I remember it. I'd have no problem if proved wrong.

techtonics · Post by **techtonics** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:30 pm

our demo repeater (with 12 subscribers) and our latest sale have a 100 watt P.A. on them from Crescend Technologies and we havent had a lick of problems with them. model p10-20HA1-CS-001

transistor747 · Post by **transistor747** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:11 am

Is that running in analog or digital?

techtonics · Post by **techtonics** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:19 pm

digital all the way, the demo has the Locator GPS, and TMS services running works great!

Post by **escomm** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:56 am

transistor747 wrote:EWA told us the FCC was not licensing these over 48 watts anyplace in the country.

EWA didn't know the emissions designators until 3 months after trbo was released. They seem more concerned with sending out their weekly spam than getting applications submitted.

I googled and found a couple licenses with 90W power 7K60FXE and 7K60FXD, FWIW.

Rayjk110 · Post by **Rayjk110** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:36 am

Just FYI...

There's now a MotoTRBO repeater on VHF in Chicagoland. Don't have the frequency off hand but it's up. I'm going to try and set the XPR on it and see how it works once I get more info..

Rayjk110 · Post by **Rayjk110** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:07 pm

Whoops, my bad. UHF.

444.65 , TRBO CC 11

Astro Spectra · Post by **Astro Spectra** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:26 pm

OK so does anyone know anything about this:

http://www.icom.co.jp/world/idas/system/index.html

Looks like Icom's answer to MotoTrbo. It's not D-STAR, the air interface is compatible with Kenwood's NXDN see:

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/News/News_012808/

I wonder how these products are going to duke it out in the market?

Post by **KOMATSU** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:56 pm

Anyone have any info on linking trbo repeaters on the internet yet

Post by **wavetar** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:50 pm

KOMATSU wrote:Anyone have any info on linking trbo repeaters on the internet yet

The ethernet port is supposed to be enabled in the next round of major firmware releases, supposedly Q3 of '08.

JJG · Post by **JJG** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:08 pm

Hey.

I'm doing a proposal to upgrade our fleet to this system - wondering if someone in the know can toss me a PM with a ballpark price on the components [MSRP and the usual selling price for a few units.... {if less than MSRP}]- 4350's, 4500's, 4550's, 6550's and the repeaters?

Many Many Many Thanks!!!

ps. we're looking at a fleet system of almost 800 mobiles, 10 bases and at least 8 repeaters....so going with MSRP I'm sure I'll look like a saint when we manage to get to the negotiating stage.....

Post by **escomm** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:16 pm

Some thoughts:

The software was written by a script kiddie with little apparent input from anyone who actually programs radios.

Adding channels is a pain in the ass, and there is no function to add multiple channels at once. Channels cannot be inserted (although the assignment list can be edited).

Maximum of 16 analog channels per zone (this is 2008 Motorola, not 1994, OK?)

At least cloning personalities is possible although it's a bit of a hassle. RSS did a better job of this 15 years ago.

Scan list creation is not very user friendly and it's evident that this was quickly glanced over and no real attention paid to it. Selected channel cannot be removed the scan list, so in reality the maximum scan list size is 15 channels. The commercial series (CP200) do not require the selected channel to be in the scan list.

You cannot use the same channel name twice. CPS pukes an error when you do.

Rayjk110 · Post by **Rayjk110** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:22 pm

escomm wrote: You cannot use the same channel name twice. CPS pukes an error when you do.

What the hell? How did that one get by?

ve3nsv · Post by **ve3nsv** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:08 am

I feel a GCC coming on.

Post by **escomm** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:43 am

ve3nsv wrote:I feel a GCC coming on.

Done and done

RKG · Post by **RKG** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:49 am

Rayjk110 wrote:
escomm wrote: You cannot use the same channel name twice. CPS pukes an error when you do.

What the hell? How did that one get by?

I think this illustrates an important conception element of MotoTRBO, of which I've now done two systems.

"Channels" in MotoTRBO are purely a logical concept. They share this with trunked talkgroups, but trunked talkgroups (once implemented by a group call channel grant) are then translated into physical voice channels. Not so in MotoTRBO.

As a result, "channels" in MotoTRBO are simply the equivalent of a private call, akin to a SelCall, address to a group of user IDs. This is why they are in "Contacts" and are grouped there with individual contact info.

Post by **wavetar** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:27 pm

Can anyone enlighten me on how to do aliasing beyond 16 members with these radios in digital mode?

Post by **rizla** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:00 pm

Hello all in Batland.

Mototrbo is really becoming a pain in the ass.
All our customers love it when our sales team demo it, that is until they ask for .....
Emergency operations ala Pro series, can't do that,
How about lone worker, no that doesn't work yet either.
Call alert on group call, err....no.
Preset alert level, no.
To top it off, this week I have been trying to strangle some sort of activity out of pin 21 (channel activity), this doesn't work either!!!
My question: Is everyone around the world having these issues or is it just Europe that has useless firmware in all TRBO radios? Sorry for the rant, but it's getting beyond a joke when a digital system can't do what analogue radios have done for years.

Been a Batlab viewer for years, thought I'd better join the party!! .........Chris (frustrated radio 'eng), UK

Post by **wavetar** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:09 pm

rizla wrote: To top it off, this week I have been trying to strangle some sort of activity out of pin 21 (channel activity), this doesn't work either!!!

If you mean getting a COR in digital mode, you're right! It will work in analog mode, but not with earlier firmware.

Post by **rizla** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:32 pm

Cheers Wavetar,
Thanks for the reply.

I don't suppose you know when this is likely to be fixed, I've spoken to Mrola engineering HQ in England who have now passed me on to some others tekkies in Denmark and Germany, they acted as if it really wasn't a problem they were aware of!
I've been instructing our sales guys not to oversell TRBO's emergency facility as it falls way short compared to GP pro series, but this lack of digital COR signal is going to cause me BIG problems, I guess it's time to scrap the warranty and get the soldering iron out and try to provide a COR line for myself

Anybody out there got a work around for this?

Thanks folks

Chris

KMB · Post by **KMB** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:36 am

n1das wrote:
Johnny Galaga wrote:I've read other threads on here that it's really hard to get Motorola to sell you the CPS. Is that still true with these new radios?
M technically won't ever SELL you the CPS or any CPS for that matter because the CPS like any other software product is LICENSED, not SOLD to you. When M approves you for the General License or higher-level license for the HT/CDM series CPS, it's a software license agreement that you've been approved for.

Just like when you buy any software product (Microsoft Word for example) for your PC, the software is technically LICENSED, not SOLD to you. You technically don't OWN it. The money you pay is for the software license and permission to use the software according to the terms in Software License Agreement that comes with it.

Just thought I'd clear up this common misconception.

Re: Moto TRBO: *DROOL*

I suspect it shouldn't be any harder to get the TRBO CPS than any other CPS if the General License agreement is all that's required.

*DROOL*

Could any tell me how to purchase MotoTRBO CPS for XPR6550 legally outside US?

maelv · Post by **maelv** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:26 am

KMB wrote:

Could any tell me how to purchase MotoTRBO CPS for XPR6550 legally outside US?

I have bought the mototrbo cps for the euro versions of the XPR6550 aka DP3601 in united kingdom at this dealer
http://www.relcom.co.uk they have an online shop but the CPS is NOT in the online shop but you need to contact a person named JEZ

But this CPS is for the Euro version of the mototrbo line. NOT the US version and i dont know if it will work with XPR6550

Maelv...

randy52644 · Post by **randy52644** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:21 am

Is there a way to program the MT mobile so it acts like a CSQ receiver in the good ole days of analog receiving all digital MT transmissions?

KMB · Post by **KMB** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:23 pm

maelv wrote:
KMB wrote:

Could any tell me how to purchase MotoTRBO CPS for XPR6550 legally outside US?
I have bought the mototrbo cps for the euro versions of the XPR6550 aka DP3601 in united kingdom at this dealer
http://www.relcom.co.uk they have an online shop but the CPS is NOT in the online shop but you need to contact a person named JEZ

But this CPS is for the Euro version of the mototrbo line. NOT the US version and i dont know if it will work with XPR6550

Maelv...

Thank you for your information, Maelv.

RKG · Post by **RKG** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:04 am

randy52644 wrote:Is there a way to program the MT mobile so it acts like a CSQ receiver in the good ole days of analog receiving all digital MT transmissions?

I don't believe you can do "CSQ" in the receiver end. However, you can program a subscriber for an "all call" channel, which when transmitted on will be received by all units.

VR2WTF · Post by **VR2WTF** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:35 pm

What is the lastest version of MotoTRBO CPS?
Thank you!

The Pager Geek · Post by **The Pager Geek** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:42 am

VR2WTF wrote:What is the lastest version of MotoTRBO CPS?
Thank you!

3.0 released Nov 17, 2007

tpg

VR2WTF · Post by **VR2WTF** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:04 am

Thanks TPG,

Is it Build 80?

Thank you!

WTF

Tinker'r · Post by **Tinker'r** » Sat May 03, 2008 10:51 pm

April 30, 2008 MOTOTRBO CPS Version 3.5 (Build 88) was released.

Tinker'r

Tinker'r · Post by **Tinker'r** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:20 am

On April 30, 2008 MOTOTRBO CPS Version 3.5 (Build 88) was released.

Now Motorola has released MOTOTRBO CPS Version 3.5B, which is the same CPS version. The reason for version B is . . . plain old Version 3.5 would not install on some machines, especially with Windows XP Service Pack 3.

Again, version 3.5 is the same as version 3.5B, it's just that 3.5B has an installation fix if you were unable to install the original version 3.5.

Tinker'r

techtonics · Post by **techtonics** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:43 am

Check this OUT!!!

MTR2000 800/900 MHz now available on MOL

# Effective Immediately 800 and 900 MHz MTR2000 is now available on the dealer price pages Sell add on channels to existing 800/900 conventional and SMARTNET™ Trunking customers
# MTR2000 to MTR3000 upgrade kits will be available to support MOTOTRBO platforms
# MOTOTRBO Conventional, Capacity Plus, IP Site Connect & MOTOTRBO Trunking
# Frequency bands UHF (Jan 2010), 800/900 MHz (Sep 2010) and VHF (Jan 2011)

techtonics · Post by **techtonics** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:10 am

MOTOTRBO Capacity Plus Trunking Capability Expanded !

Additional testing has confirmed that the recently launched Capacity Plus Trunking system will reliably accommodate even more users. It has been proven to support 12 time slots of voice communication (6 repeaters) and 24 slots for data revert transmission (12 repeaters) using the existing Capacity Plus firmware. That's capacity for 1200+ radios! Training materials will be updated to reflect these changes in the coming days.

dsheli · Post by **dsheli** » Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:10 am

Does anyone see Motorola releasing a multi-site Capacity plus system in the near future?
David

techtonics · Post by **techtonics** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:39 pm

From what I am hearing they are shooting for Q2 2010

randy52644 · Post by **randy52644** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:26 pm

This is off topic somewhat......does anyone have a 8300 repeater on a ham radio frequency using IP Site Connect?

motorolaaustralia · Post by **motorolaaustralia** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:35 pm

Yes, there is a group on Yahoo Groups called "mototrbo".

They discuss MotoTRBO use for amateur radio.

mikegilbert · Post by **mikegilbert** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:22 pm

dsheli wrote:Does anyone see Motorola releasing a multi-site Capacity plus system in the near future?
David

Day Wireless implemented a wide-are TRBO system down in Oregon:

http://www.daywirelessnews.com/?p=157

Post by **wavetar** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:01 am

mikegilbert wrote:
dsheli wrote:Does anyone see Motorola releasing a multi-site Capacity plus system in the near future?
David
Day Wireless implemented a wide-are TRBO system down in Oregon:

http://www.daywirelessnews.com/?p=157

According to the link, that's a conventional-only 'IP Site Connect' system. Not a 'Connect Plus' multi-site trunked system as dsheli was asking. 'Connect Plus' is available for order since August, and will be shipping by sometime in November, I believe.

com501 · Post by **com501** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 12:33 pm

We already have a couple of demo packages here. The first customer system arrives in a week or so...

Jim1348 · Post by **Jim1348** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:39 am

I am still coming up to speed on Moto TRBO, so please be gentle if this has been discussed already. I just started work last week at a place that just switched to Moto TRBO. If I understand correctly a previous post here, the repeaters are Moto TRBO only; no mixed mode operation, right? What about the portables? Can they be programmed for both analog and Moto TRBO and scan across both seamlessly? I guess for that matter, what about just Moto TRBO scanning on a transceiver? Does it behave similar to analog scanning or is it not as robust? Say for example, can you have dual level priority or just single level priority?