Rebanding Q

[captaincraig44]

Figured since it seems like we have some of the most knowledgeable people with regards to trunking and issues with frequencies and rebanding, I figure I might as well ask this question here.
I have, of course, heard about the coming rebanding issues. I understand that it involves moving Nextel towers to somewhere in the 862-866 range, moving radio comms out of that range and into the range just below that as well as into the 700 band which will be vacated by TV broadcasters. There has been a great deal of discussion about whether or not the current generation of scanners will "survive" the rebanding efforts. I'm a little confused. If the 396, for example, can track 700 MHz trunks, such as we have here in Denver, then what is the issue? All of the potential bands are open in the 396 and it can track a trunk on all of them, so . . .

 

[n4voxgill]

this post will be closed very quickly. If you go to the rebanding thread all of your questions will be answered and all of the incorrect information you have will be covered. rebanding only covers 800 MHz, has nothing to do with 700.

 

[scanlist]

Rebanding basically moves Sprint (Nextel) iDen SMR systems to the top of the 800 MHz band and everything else moves to the lower portion of the 800 MHz band.

851.0000 to 860.0000 will be the main 800 block.

860.0000 to 862.0000 will be a guard band where standard 800 comm will continue in use but may be subjected to near band intereference with Sprint iDen systems. Current licensees that have licensed frequencies in this range (Such as Aurora, Denver, United air lines, Budweiser and Xcel energy) can remain in this range if they choose to.

862.0000 to 869.0000 will belong to Sprint for iDen systems when rebanding is completed. Whether the old ECPA and TDDRA laws are invoked to eliminate this range in future scanners after this is all said and done remains to be seen.

Since there are no Motorola analog Public Safety systems locally (Wheatridge will shut theirs down in the near future prior to rebanding) this will not effect any of the current scanners unless you use your scanner for travel into areas that do have current analog or mixed analog/digital (3600) Motorola systems in the 866-869 range now.

The PRO-96/2096 method for determining voice channels on both analog (3600) and a P25 (9600) systems is such that at least 6 tables must be programmed via win96 software in order to determine voice channels properly on a rebanded system. This will be required to track rebanded Colorado DTRS sites in the future as the entire state system will have to move.

The method Uniden implements in the BC296D, 796D and 396 uses the tables that are transmitted on the (9600) P25 control channels and will not be effected. So monitoring the state DTRS will be the same as always just that the control channels will move to the 851 to 854.7000 range.

Uniden plans on issuing a firmware update to address rebanded 3600 Motorola systems for the 296/796 and 396 as the final method motorola implements is known and can be performed by downloading a firmware update file and connecting the radio to a computer in order to program it in.

As far as 700 MHz goes. 700 MHz is an option and not a mandate. Nextel's agreement prior to the Sprint acquisition is specific to moving 800 MHz users in the 800 MHz band.

Since new generation Motorola radios are dual 700/800 it makes sense for the state to add 700 MHz to ease congestion on the main 800 system.

Programming scanners for 800 EDACS systems remains the same. Just some of the frequencies for Denver and all of the frequencies for Lakewood and Westy systems will be different along with how the logical channels are arranged. Same goes for 800 LTR systems.

We should start seeing changes locally within the next 2 years.

Phil.